"This isn't how storyboards work but okay"

The title of this blog post is what I wrote in my project Doc upon realizing that I don't come up with ideas by trying to draw them. I'm not sure if the chicken came before the egg, but they both definitely came after the first eukaryote, you know? You know.

That's to say, I stepped back to put the opening in words, which I feel more command over than sketches. Here's what I've got:

What about the main character can be established in the opening?

• External
• Works at cafe
• Internal
• Unsatisfied with status quo
• Aesthetically attracted to Veda (at the very least, notices Veda)

What about the main character will be established early on in the exposition (not necessarily the very opening)?

• External
• 18, summer before college
• Internal
• Sweet, sensitive, paddling duck thing going on
• y e a r n i n g.

What are some of the film’s broadest themes/concepts?

• Time
• Young love

How might those be expressed/how might those seeds be planted in the opening?

• It’s repeatedly made clear that Audrey is paying attention to the time, audience is made to be aware of time
• Car clock
• Alarm to go in
• Check watch
• Symbolic representations of Audrey’s personality/mindset
• Decorations in her car (what’s hanging on the rearview mirror, what stickers are on the dash, how she’s decorated her apron)
• Actions
• picking at nails/cuticles

Chunks

• Car
• Asleep
• Getting ready to go in
• *CAMERA STAYS IN CAR, AUDREY LEAVES*
• brooooooo.
• I’d planned on seeing the car from the outside, watching Audrey get out and lock it, but what does that accomplish? “We” the audience staying in the car sets up themes of leaving/moving on/stepping out into the unknown (which is what coming of age is, particularly as Matcha takes place the summer between HS & college)
• Cafe (below are categories, not in order)
• Cashiering
• Drinks/credits
• Personality
• Audrey/Veda interaction

Build on chunks

• Car
• Asleep
• Close-up of something innocuous and human (like where Audrey’s body/arm is pressed up against the door), so tight it’s almost hard to understand what’s being shown
• Tight close up of sleeping face
• Car clock (time must end in 4)
• Whatever’s hanging from rearview mirror
• A’s phone is seen for a moment before the alarm goes off
• (seeing almost full torso, I’m not sure how to categorize medium/close when a character is sitting)
• Startles awake
• Getting ready to go in
• Turns alarm off, rubs eyes
• Turns music down (becomes diegetic, sound perspective babeyy)
• Apron on (had been tied around waist but not hanging around neck)
• Ponytail up
• Checking self in mirror (seen in profile)
• Audrey leaves
• We’re left looking at the seat/door, music kicks back in when door shuts, after a beat the screen goes blank for the title card
• Cafe (below are categories, not in order)
• Cashiering/working
• Misc smiling at unseen customers
• Tapping orders onto screen
• Register closing
• Drink things
• Putting down metal Demitasse cup
• Shaking refresher
• Housekeeping/paperwork
• Time stuff- maybe write note about expiration
• Drinks/credits
• ~7, for each credit
• (last one is iced matcha latte that says “Veda”)
• Personality
• Check watch
• Pick at nails/cuticles
• Push up glasses (they’re important, as explained in “first costume idea” post, so just some little gesture to draw attention to them)
• Fidget with pen
• Audrey/Veda interaction
• Audrey puts latte on the counter, hands touch for a second on the cup, (is a double-take cringey?), eyeline match in shot/CS, Veda smiles at Audrey, Audrey smiles shyly and walks away