Comics story tell in pictures and frames. This is an obvious similarity between film and comic. Comics however, are restricted by space and speech bubbles, so they have to be minimal with they story they tell. Films may use all the dialogues in the world, as many images as they want. The problem is that most scriptwriters focus on descriptions of character, locations, objects, themes and witty or philosophical dialogue. Comics may help a scriptwriter understand the power of minimal images and how to get the message across with as little change of cuts or shots and reducing dialogue to the bare roots.
In the cartoon above attention is framed on a dancing tree: Something incredible. It is obvious that the man in the car is oblivious to it. Some other tragedy is on his mind. There is no backstory to the man's tragedy, no explanation. It is not needed, because the focus is on the man's present rather than on what happened before. If you had to use this comic for a story what could you use instead of a dancing tree? Notice how 6 panels frame the tree before the close up to the protagonist in the car. Notice the tree in the back ground. Wider shot for last panel.
Here is another no dialogue panel. This one is cut into frames with gutters in between. The gutters are the empty untold sequences of the story. Something happens between each frame but we are not told. If it were a film: Shot 1 is a figure in the distance. Shot 2 is the character in Mid-shot. Shot 3 is an empty location. Shot 4 is a long shot of the character in that location. Shot 5 The character is alone in frame. The location has been established so there is no need to frame it. Here the character is all important as he finally voices the words, 'This is the only place that still feels the same.' This raises questions as to why he feels this way. The raising of questions is as important to comics as it is to film.
Some coins. Rain. The character's face. The character is introduced through the coins he holds, the puddles at his feet, before we get to the face. A bus in the distance, closer and closer. Three frames and the gutters in between imply a time - 3 beats. There is no rush to tell this story. The character's face. The bus has passed him. He has missed the bus. Why? It is raining heavily. It is because he was late for the bus stop or because he decided to save what money he had for something else?
The above panel is interesting because of the POW. It is the girl's POW. She stands out because of her red hood. Her father is bigger than her. All she gets of the world is people to the waist. Her view of the world is just different. People are all grown-up and she seems to be the only little girl in this world. She does not notice faces, instead she notices pigeons and then glimpses flowers, which she collects. POW, especially of a character who sees the same familiar world in a different way makes for a good film.
The story continues. The adult world goes on in normal fashion, but the girl sees what the father or adult never notices. A dead wee bird. She pays her respects and places the flowers over it, before running back to her father. However the way that the comic tells the story is to get the girl letting go of her father's hand before crouching down. Then the next shot is of her running after her father. We only get to see what she has done with the flowers in the last shot.
The image counts. Above is another panel that tells a story without a single word.
Another panel that tells a story without words. Why is Max faking his student ID?
Another panel which is wordless. There is more. This character is being singled out of the crowd. How is this being done? Why? Who is this guy anyway?
This is a panel about a day in the life of a working mother. The story of an eventful day and its end with someone else (the husband, in this case) saying what a terrible day day they have had is a good idea. This is a storyline that can be twisted in many ways. The irony is in the fact that the other party has not seen what the audience has - has not experienced what the protagonist has and is completely oblivious and therefore comments completely inappropriately. The irony of it all.
One of the most important protagonists in any film is the location. What about a film that is only about location? What do these locations say to you?
The above panel tells a story of a mermaid who was enchanted by the ringing bells. She leaves her marine home, finds or steals some clothes and finds her way to the church. No ending. What will she find there? This is a story that has been told over and over again; of someone who risks leaving the world one knows just out of curiosity to see another.
Sometimes scouts spend months fretting about locations. How about 1 location and a simple one like a balcony. These people are escaping using a rope. The gun held in one of the protagonist's hands suggest that they have attempted a robbery. One could experiment with other reasons why they are escaping from the building or not give it away, allowing the audience to enter the guessing game.
The guessing game above starts with the bandage around the protagonist's head. It is obvious that he is surprised to find food ready. Perhaps this is not his house. Perhaps. He opens the door . . . .
Another wordless story: Home, sweet home is a dismal caravan and he is all alone. The photos of women suggest different stories that the character here, is not ready to tell.
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