1. DIRECTOR’S Hand out NOTES for EP 120 Rain Rain 7.06.12
Overall note:
Overall note: Clear staging, cinematography, meaningful camera moves, sharp facial
expressions are key requirements for this show. Use wider lens and lower camera
angles for most of the shots with kids, and not only. Avoid complicated
moves/camera moves, our action must be readable by a young audience. Avoid
moves that are hard to animate in 3D, wisely use film language to get around
laborious actions. Feel welcome to infuse little visual funny jokes/pantomimes as
long as they don’t add extra time to episode’s duration. Try to avoid flat shots, unless
justified, create multi plane compositions with characters close and far from the lens,
use wide lens often to include more space in a shot.
Notes by line numbers:
Questions/concerns/ideas for 3D department/design are highlighted in green
Questions for Norton are highlighted in yellow
1 – We start not from Henry’s feet, but from the garments on the floor, then we move
camera across the mess to see H’s feet, and garments flying up. We stage it so we
don’t see the garments land on the floor.
2 – Henry can have two socks on is head when he says: “Oh! Hey-hey,….” (sketch
below)

2. Then he pulls them apart like curtains on a stage on “I mean, HERE..” (sketch
below). Then he quickly tosses them o.s. sideways.
Can we see the wardrobe interior, or better avoid it, showing just a tiny bit of it,
using the door to mostly block the view?
“Monster wave park” – design?
3 – Henry walks across the room here, looking for his swimming stuff (not touching it,
just keeping his head down, searching), then returns to the closet (at an angle not
showing the interior of it, profile shot, etc.). Cut to Momma enter, then stand in the
middle of the room (chest shot), stuff flies over her in/o.s., some socks land in her
head. We can see wardrobe’s reflection in Momma’s night table mirror – sketch
below.

3. …or we can see more of the wardrobe with Henry’s back if this is not too much to
animate, may be not? – below:
5 – Let’s make some funny sock arrangement on Momma’s head for Henry’s : “Sock
monster!” reaction, something like below or more crazy:

4. 8 – crank design and location in the room?
10 – Let’s have both sides of the roof open symmetrically, up to about 90* +
depending on later action. We should show the crank in its usual shorter form until
we need it to be long, then imagine Cobby has added an attachment.

5. 13 – It make sense to place the pool on a flatter surface (of the back yard), a little
away from the house – below:
12 – wading pool design?
13-18 – try to avoid many water shots. Use profile shots later, having established the
scene.

6. 19 – They meet just at the front gate of the Monster house (by the front yard), and
they’re walking to the downtown from this point – map below. They can stay on the
spot chatting (or move if possible) up to line 33, and then they walk to the
playground, singing. Can we make bags for them to carry all their swimming gear?
Or may be Estelle can carry it in one bag? Otherwise it will be difficult to SB/animate
them carry the gear in their hands.
21 – Estelle hugs Henry here (typo)
35 – They are at the playground here
36 - 48 - Can they all go a little crazy, and sing wearing all the gear on (water
masks, fins, etc.) using playground to imitate water park, Norton? Henry wears it,
can the rest do? - below:
Because it's a song this could work...but it's important to keep them frustrated with
NOT getting to swim all through the story til the end...so if we did this it would have
to end with them falling off or some other way clearly not fully satisfied by the
experience...
49 – They move to the Wave Park from the Playground (see map below), but they
are still quite close to the downtown (Central Square). Hollander moves towards the
Square, the kids follow him, so when Roartonio runs out for the pizza – it’s quite near
his café (his café is at the city square).

7. 61- They leave in opposite directions here – map below:
64 – the sign – design?
69 – rain (can’t avoid it, any potential issues to discuss?)
70 – golf umbrella design? Would be funny if Estelle doesn’t fit under it except for her
head only (het butt sticks out)

8. 75 – we should see (at some point) the water flooding the floor, down shot like below
will be good to use for that.
…and reverse shots, showing the rain… (below)
Try to avoid the contact between the water and the characters where it is possible,
show the water approach the feet, but find cinematic ways to avoid contact – below:

9. 86 – location of the fountain – map below: Please though also stress that the
fountain is the fanciful structure, and let's define how the water works with the twirly
devices etc.

10. 89 – Henry pulls his gear from the bag Estelle was carrying (with everyone’s gear).
Try to avoid H put on the gear in frame in full, just indicate the intention.
95 – design and location of the sign? I guess we have it in this show only.
96 – pizza pie falls on O. Higgins’s hat – below: Cool but are these wedges. or
disks? I've been requesting full pies so they can Frisbee around for a long time. Will
have to be adjusted to the final design.

11. 104 – we can start from Cobby – below
…
… and see the whole family (on the longer crank) in the next shot – below. Ivor can
stay on the wet bed, or he can be on Momma’s back, participating in the pull, which
is funnier – Norton?
Let's include Ivor. Note that this is not the crank design we've had approved...please
ask if that old design has been made yet, if not lets change the design.

12. 105 – 111 – make it funny with cuts and quick pans across the slanted crank they
hang on.
113 – we may try to show them fall o.s. with splashes ins., but then we need to see
them sit on the wet floor (water level – about 10cm)
123 – nice close shot in on Henry as he pitches a cool idea.
125 – Estelle runs from the house to the roof, and then rides down to the kids sitting
in the pool. Map – below.

13. 139 – the kids see the trouble from the distance, as they approach the house –
Mammo/Daddo emptying buckets from the windows – sketch below (start wider).
…when Momma turns around we see Ivor emptying his bucket, being strapped to
Momma’s back – sketch below.

14. Then cut to the kids for their quick reaction, they run to the house…
Funny!
… They run means they sit in the pool, as Estelle is pushing it running. It will be
funny if they wear all their gear here – sketch below:
154-156 – Henry sits on the stool next to Momma’s night table, speaking to the rest
of the family sitting on the bed (bed can be displaced a little), or standing in the room
- we see their reflections in the mirror. Water level – around 10cm. Sketch below.

15. 159 – the pool lands on the roof like on the sketch below…
161 – 164 - the family is cheering, standing close to the door/wall, Henry/Estelle are
outside. Cut to their close ups for lines 161-164. Sketch – below:

16. …the pool quickly sags (being filled with water) – below…
…and falls inside the house – below…

17. The family flies up. The rain is less dense here, Rainbow appears. Giggling monsters
with the rainbow behind them, some cuts to medium shots. Sketch – above.
165 - Down shot on the pool, rain ins. Pull out to see the family (Henry and Estelle
are with them too) looking up at the sun, coming out of the clouds – light changes
here. Henry (165): You know what? This turned out to be roarsome” as camera
pushes on him.

18. …then camera pulls back (or cuts), and from this very shot Henry slides down and
falls in the pool.
166 – 175 – they all jump into the pool as they sing. Cool shots, pans, etc.
176-177 – we can have cool up shot(s) from the room/pool on a clearing
sky/rainbow/airship (with falling pizzas)

19. The last scene – a wide shot on the house, evening, lights are on, laughter,
occasional sprinkles of water from windows