Our Blog - From Picture Book to iPad App: Step 4

From Picture Book to iPad App: Step 4

Posted by Chris Pedersen on Sep 11, 2011

The storyboard is now well defined, coming alive with sketches and interactive features. In Step Two I laid out each scene and identified interaction, animation and sound in the storyboard. As we got more into the process, seeing scene sketches from Kate, we added new interactions to many scenes.

Step Four: Merge Sketches with Storyboard

There are two types of animation that may occur in a scene:

One time animation that coincides with the narration
Interactive animation that happens when the reader interacts by touching or moving the iPad.

In the example scene (Scene 4) shown above, our main character, Aiden, developed during Step Three, feels hopeless finding himself in a prison cell. He just met the ugly prison guard who informed him he would face the King of Carrot Castle before the sun goes down.

(Narrator) “What am I going to do? I have to get out of here!” he whispered, burying his head in his hands.
A shuffling sound startled him. (1) He looked up to see a mouse scurry into a small hole in the carrot cell wall. “Hmmmm.” Aiden studied the hole in the wall. “The mouse eats carrots, but I don’t like carrots,” he said, wrinkling his face.

(Art Notes) Aiden sitting in the middle of the prison cell with his head buried in his hands, his dinner fork in his pocket. (spot illus.) Aiden's head up to see mouse. (spot illus.) Mouse running (two views--legs stretched out, legs in).

(One time animation) (1) Aiden looks up, mouse runs into hole

(Continuous animation) sparkling dust flying around in light from window. Shake iPad to make it move.

(Interactive animation) Touch hole to see mouse pop out.

(Sound notes) shuffling sound, mouse squeaks

At narration point (1), Aiden changes pose to see the mouse scurry across the floor and disappear in a hole. Those are the one-time animations for Scene 4. Interactive animations include a continuous animation that the reader can interact with—you see dust floating in the beam of light cast by the cell window that scatters when you shake the iPad. Also, touching the mouse hole makes the mouse appear with a squeak.

Kate came up with several fun games for the reader to do that helps move the story along. In addition, an entertaining game enlists the reader to dress a knight in his armor, making him ready for the big castle search when Aiden escapes.

Our next actions include:

Nur animating Scene 4 and 5 using rough sketches and spot poses.
Kate working on color studies of Aiden and some scenes.
I am putting together a payment agreement for the three of us with an attorney.

Stay tuned for the next step when I am sure to have color for you to marvel over.

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Chris Pedersen and her husband live with a chocolate lab named Brandy in the beautiful Sierra foothills in California. Chris writes for children and loves crafting non-fiction stories from real life. The Prisoner of Carrot Castle is her first iPad app. Her other work in progress is a chapter book titled How I Survived Third Grade.

Published work includes Work and Wag, about dog jobs, in Clubhouse Jr. Magazine and A Saving Transformation, in THE DOG NEXT DOOR published by Revell. In addition, since conquering cancer with diet, Chris blogs about health, her heart passion, at Healthy Journey Café where she dishes out recipes and tips to achieve optimum wellness. Her writing journey is chronicled at Paws and Ponder.