Animating Buttercup #2: From Script to Screenplay
Why did I choose to adapt my short play, Buttercup’s Lament, into a screenplay – especially an animated short film?
I’d say an attack of temporary insanity might explain it. I have very limited exposure to viewing animation, and my taste is truly under-developed as a result. Fortunately, in 2003 I saw Sylvain Chomet’s Triplettes of Belleville, which is a self-described surrealistic homage to Paris and New York. It’s also a film in which jazz music – with a trio of older women performing it – is prominently featured. It’s a very beautiful film, and it’s funny! It takes an approach to visual comedy that seems parallel to my approach. Comedic characters are extreme in their desires and actions, andI think Sylvain Chomet agrees. He demonstrates these extremes through what he draws; I demonstrate it in what the characters claim they want. So – how to combine the two?
It probably would have been more reasonable to make a live-action comedy, but I had one major stumbling block: my main characters are talking cats. To everyone who has asked me – “Why are you making an animated short? Why venture into this complex, unknown realm?” The answer – “two talking cats” is a very reasonable one. Hard to argue with that. Anyone who has ever met a cat knows they perform on their own time, not on command!
To be frank, – I really want to create something that endures. Life is short, and I feel increasingly aware that mine is getting shorter daily. While I enjoy writing plays and am mounting one of them, they are by nature a temporary experience. The story may remain in the memory of its fans forever, but it’s not something you can share with others – unless they are lucky enough to see it too. Or if it becomes a film – a film can last forever.
I am not much of a visual artist, but I love art and architecture and color and clothes and photography. And I love faces – like snowflakes (with the exception of identical twins), they are all unique. Through this process, I am learning through my wonderful animation team about visual storytelling. It’s a hands-on education! Sometimes animation is wordless – not the case here. I love words, but of course in this extremely visual medium they have to be carefully chosen.
Art & Animation Director, Kendra Williford, showcased a “dialogue test” with Henri in profile, using Toon Boom’s Harmony Premium. Toon Boom is one of our partners in creating educational content like this blog around Buttercup’s Lament.
Tamra Pica, a creative producer in animation, was working on a Disney animated series when I approached her for advice. She had seen my play Bad Daughter when I had a zoom reading of it during the pandemic, and we’d discussed how we might work together. I remembered she was an animation person and knew she was a fan of my writing, so I asked for her help in crafting a film script out of the original play version of Buttercup’s Lament. She read the script and enthusiastically agreed to help. I was thrilled! She wanted to be sure the film stayed a writer-centric piece, so I wrote voluminous descriptions of what I imagined. At her suggestion, I also added a character who has ended up being extremely important – both for his own arc in the film and how he has affected all the other character arcs and the story overall - Michael, Reena’s irascible next door neighbor. You’ll hear a lot more about him coming soon (and you can read a bit about him in the first installment of this blog).
So what have I learned, Dorothy? A person needs a team, especially if she decides to enter the Animation Olympics without a single marathon under her belt (much less a recent visit to the gym). Speaking of teams, the next installment will be focused on how I assembled my team of amazing artists (both visual and administrative). There are not enough hours in a day for one person to do it all – you need people to lean on!
“Animating Buttercup” is a blog meant to document my journey as an artist and playwright entering a new medium, and our team’s creative process. Buttercup’s Lament is an animated short film now in production. Subscribe to my newsletter or make a tax-deductible contribution through our fiscal sponsor to be the first to know when new posts are available here. Follow us on social media (@buttercupslament) for even more exciting updates about Buttercup’s Lament!
Buttercup’s Lament is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Buttercup’s Lament must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Buttercup’s Lament is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Educational content is presented in partnership with Toon Boom, the global leader in pre production and 2D animation software.