TUTORIAL: How to Make a Crowd Using Spot Directing!

Creator's Corner Directing Help & Tips
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:busts_in_silhouette: How to Make a Crowd Using Spot Directing! :busts_in_silhouette:

One of the biggest examples of “advanced directing” is spot directing, layering, and, of course, crowds. Maybe a story is underrated because it’s only lacking in advanced directing, despite a great storyline and awesome art.

:sunny: Here’s one of the easiest ways to score high in advanced directing: a simple strategy for making a crowd! :sunny:

Video Tutorial on Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsUCRRgFOzt/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

(video made by me for the Short Stories group)

Written Out Tutorial!
  1. Place a bunch of background characters on screen center. This is the easiest way to get them all on the previewer. Add more “BG” characters for every member of the crowd you want!

HINT: You can use the character randomizer to instantly create any number of background characters! Click here if you want to learn more about what the heck the randomizer is!

  1. Open the previewer and position these characters how you like. First, make sure to hit Save and Preview. Then, use the Web Previewer and the Directing Helper/Spot Helper to position the characters however you want to. It takes a while, but it’s a simple process to move and scale these characters.

  2. Hit “Copy Stage” This button below the previewer copies the positions and layers of your characters, as well as the “zoom” information in the previewer. After you hit the button, paste the copied codes into your script and delete all of the “Screen Center” commands; you don’t need them anymore!

  3. Add facing and behavior commands The “Copy Stage” button DOES NOT copy the direction your characters are facing or what animation is being performed. You have to add these in manually. Try animations such as cheering, filming on phones, taking pictures with cameras, or just looking happy!

In case your crowd isn’t completely satisfactory, try doing one of these:

  • Add dramatic zooms to give an awesome introduction or view to your crowd.
  • Add sound effects like cheering, booing, or plain chatter to make the scene alive!
  • What’s the crowd there for? Make sure it’s obvious what all those people are gathered for!
  • If you used the randomizer for background characters, try tweaking them a little if they look unnatural to you!

:fountain_pen: Thank you for reading this guide! I hope it helped! :fountain_pen:

33 Likes
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very helpful :wink:

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Thanks!

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So helpful thanks :kissing_heart:

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Pinned for being super helpful!

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Wow, thank you so much!

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Thank you!

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Thank you for pinning. @EpisodeApril This is very helpful! :sweat_smile:

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Thank you!

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Very helpful!! :grinning: :hushed:

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Do you happen to know how to fix gain errors?

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Sorry, I usually don’t use gains too often. You can send me the link to the post and I can try, but it may not be successful.

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omg thi is so helpful!

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This is such a great tutorial! I’ve been using the portal for quite a long time now, yet I didn’t know there was a copy stage button til now :thinking: Preach!

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Bump :smile:

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Bump :sweat_smile:

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Hi I am using Limelight and I don’t know if that makes a difference but I am having trouble creating crowds, my script template doesn’t have anything for me to generate BG characters, only just the Avatar Creator. Am I not seeing something or have I not got the updated portal? Am so confused

Thanks

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Hi!

There is no script template for creating a crowd mentioned in this guide; just a few tips needed to do that. If you’re asking how to get to the background character creator in the portal, do this:

  • Open the episode you’re working on as usual
  • Start writing your crowd scene, but use names of characters that don’t exist. These names will later become the names of your background characters.
  • Once you’re finished getting all of these nonexistent names into the portal, hit Save. Make sure there are no typos in your script, otherwise the randomizer won’t show up.
  • You should get a window titled “The following characters don’t exist in your story!” Select the genders of your nonexistent characters and hit “Create.”

If this still doesn’t work, message me with screenshots of the problem and I’ll figure something out. Thank you!

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Thank you so much, I’ve actually seen the screen come up when it doesn’t recognise a character, mainly because I may have written it wrong. So really it was there all along.

You are a lifesaver!!

2 Likes