HOW TO: Stage Direction

[JemU776]

First, I will talk about zones.
According to the Episode guides each background is divided into a zone and each zone is the width of a standard smartphone screen.

Background from the Episode guides.

Backgrounds from Episode usually have three zones, but some will have only 1, 2, or 4.
Every background is different.

Next, I will talk about the positions that are possible when you want a character in your scene:

Generic code for it:
@CHARACTER stands POSITION

The background positions:
back far left
back left
back right
back far right

The foreground positions:
screen left
screen right
screen center
upscreen right
upscreen left

Example:
@CHARACTER stands back far right

You can also add a zone for where the character is standing:

Generic code for it:
@CHARACTER stands POSITION in zone #

An example:
@CHARACTER stands back left in zone 3

(I will leave mentioning spot directing for having a character in another zone since there is a thread for that, but the general command is @CHARACTER spot S X Y in zone #)

Another thing I would like to discuss:

The command for walking to a Rear Spot:

@CHARACTER spot S X Y in zone #

@CHARACTER walks to spot S X Y in T AND CHARACTER faces left / right AND CHARACTER does it while walk_rear

Now, to talk about cuts and pans to another zone in a background:

First, the generic command for cutting to a different zone within a background:

@cut to zone #

An example:
@cut to zone 2

Second, the generic command for panning to a different zone:
@pan to zone # in T

An example:
@pan to zone 2 in 3
This means the camera will pan (slide) to zone 2 from the current zone it’s in, and this pan will last 3 seconds.
It doesn’t have to be three seconds. It can be any number of seconds you want it to be.

Lastly, I will talk about following a character to a different zone:

The follow command:
@follow CHARACTER to POSITION in zone # and CHARACTER does it while animation

An example using this command:
@follow CHARACTER to screen center in zone 2 AND CHARACTER does it while run_jog

The follow command using spot directing:

&pan to zone # in T
@CHARACTER walks to spot S X Y in zone # in T and CHARACTER does it while animation

An example for it:
&pan to zone 2 in 3
@CHARACTER walks to spot 1.280 200 0 in zone 2 in 3 AND CHARACTER does it while run_jog

…And that’s all for now : )

Have a great day!

[JemU776]

Some other things I would like to add:

Check out this page on entering and exiting:

Basic Directing: Entering & Exiting the Scene

To remove a character from the scene can use:

@remove CHARACTER

Generic code to make a character face a direction:

@CHARACTER faces DIRECTION

Two examples:

@CHARACTER faces left

@CHARACTER faces right

To pause a scene, can use either command:

@pause for a beat

@pause for T

Note that T would be the number of seconds and an example is:

@pause for 6

This means the scene would pause for 6 seconds.

Using simultaneous stage directions where you have a character doing an action at the same time as the other character(s):

Method 1:

&CHARACTER is animation

@CHARACTER2 is animation

Method 2:

@CHARACTER is animation AND CHARACTER2 is animation

*Remember to replace the animation with an actual animation that exists. Want to add a third character in?

It would look like this:

&CHARACTER is animation

&CHARACTER2 is animation

@CHARATER3 is animation

OR

@CHARACTER is animation AND CHARACTER2 is animation AND CHARACTER3 is animation

So, an example from the Episode guides:

Using method 1-

&SARAH is dance1

&BOB is drink_sip

@SAM is cry_weep

Using method 2-

@SARAH is dance1 AND BOB is drink_sip AND SAM is cry_weep

Also, on a side note, for the general command of following someone to a different zone using spot directing:

&pan to zone # in T

@CHARACTER walks to spot S X Y in zone # in T and CHARACTER does it while animation

This would have one person walking to a zone, if you want 2 people, then it would become:

&pan to zone # in T

&CHARACTER walks to spot S X Y in zone # in T and CHARACTER does it while animation

@CHARACTER2 walks to spot S X Y in zone # in T and CHARACTER2 does it while animation

P.S I want to say that & is a good command to know if you don’t want your character to pop up randomly (this happens sometimes and it can be annoying). Use this if you want them to be standing there at the spot already.

Also, according to the Episode guides, “Using an @ means that it will wait for the previous command to completely finish before starting. Using an & means that it will NOT wait, and will immediately start its action.”

To end off, there is a pattern for this, and…I hope I’m not making any duplicates XD

[JemU776]

Bumping this ^^
P.S yeah, I know it looks like it’s a lot

[JemU776]

How to Have a Character stand in a different zone without popping up randomly.

Generic code:

INT. BACKGROUND DAY

@CHARACTER stands POSITION in zone X AND CHARACTER faces DIRECTION

@pan to zone X in T

*This is just a generic way of writing it-remember that you need to replace the position, X, direction, T with actual ones and it doesn’t have to be a person named CHARACTER-can be anyone else you want it to be.

So, from this generic code, we can use an example:

INT. DELTA HOUSE RUSH PARTY - NIGHT

@YOU stands screen center in zone 2 AND YOU faces left

@pan to zone 2 in 5

*Note that you can write either @pan to zone X or @pan to zone X in T (your choice)
@pan to zone X = @pan to zone 2
@pan to zone X in T = @pan to zone 2 in 3

Also, you can use spot directing to make them stand in other zones, too : )

Anyways, I hope this helps and have a great day!

[JemU776]

Hope this helps (or helped)

[JemU776]

Bump ^^

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Bump : )

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