The Secret to Doing Clear Storytelling
I learned this from another comic book artist named Rick Buckler, and never forgot it. It's something called the "action axis", and they use it in movies all the time, but it also applies to comic book storytelling too.
The basic idea is this, never cross the action axis, and your storytelling will be much clearer. The best way to think of of it is, as a stage in a theatre. You can move your camera anywhere you want in the audience , but never behind the stage. So an actor on stage who appears (from the audience point of view), to be on the left of the stage, will always be in the left of the stage no matter where you move the camera.
If you have two people talking from frame to frame, and suddenly you move that camera to behind the stage, they will have appeared to have magically switched positions. This will disorient and confuse the reader. (a no-no to clear storytelling).
Move in for extreme close ups, pull back for long wide shots, but stay in the audience section, somewhere. Never go behind the stage and actors.
Follow this rule and you will see your storytelling flow from panel to panel with a fluidity that is clear and easy to follow.
Here's some links that will explain it further.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_degree_rule
https://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610163/Axis%20of%20Action
Beyond that, there are some general rules, like, an airplane flying from east to west will move from right to left in the panel. Or a wagon train going out west, will appear to be moving right to left. But an airplane flying to Europe will appear in the panel as moving left to right in the panel.
You can see what I'm getting at here, things appear and make sense in a certain way, and understanding that can make your storytelling all the more easy to follow.
Don't give your readers problems and obstacles that aren't necessary. The challenge should be in the Christian message you are trying to get across, not in the communication of those Christian ideas.
Best,
Dan
Comments
Yes, agree on this... When I'm making/drafting my comics, I always imagine my characters and every situation really like in a movie, on how and what should I see when this certain scene comes. Really helps. And I love what you said on the end... "Don't give your readers problems and obstacles that aren't necessary. The challenge should be in the Christian message you are trying to get across, not in the communication of those Christian ideas." :)
In regards to moving the camera, I agree with your approaches. But a valid, good storytelling technique exception to that rule is to make the camera go around the characters. Sometimes the story calls for that. To pull it just right, the camera needs to move slowly and in circle, in one direction. To keep it interesting, zoom in and out so characters don't appear the same size in ANY panel.
Very helpful tips, I often think of how the shots are made in movies, how the viewers are focused in on the actors in the shot, it does help to think of these things when creating panels and designing the story flow. Very good topic and thanks for the tips and the links, you're right as well that the challenge should be in conveying the Christian message, not the communication!