Branches Book

BRANCHES

Enrique Romero

THE THIRD READ

What is the third read? The third read is defined as a last pass on any production project to make it a final completed piece. A last pass can be considered the final review before full production. To me it is more than just a pass. In visual arts the third read can mean the success or failure of a iconic character, scene, environment or prop and for this reason I think the third read is extremely important to capture when forming the complete characteristics of professional production quality work. How does it affect stories? The third read is more than just random details: it is a combination of specific characteristics that add theme, flow, and unity to an object or character. For this reason it can be of the deciding factor for a successful project. When combined correctly these details will form unforgettable stories that capture the minds of millions of people. There are multiple movies that utilized the third read extremely well, including (but are not limited to): The Lion King , The Jungle Book , and Akira . For example in Akira , detail is key for the viewer's impression of what that world is about. Small details and scenes immerse viewers in its futuristic dystopian city without details that highlight the nuances of the environment the movie would fall flat. There are many great companies around the world that produce great work, but it is not an easy skill to reproduce. In this article I will attempt to add meaning to a seemingly meaningless piece and show how I would go about the “third read” process. My Demonstration and Process When I work on a project the first things I think of when coming up with the idea are: the subject matter and the compositional components. These include the positioning and placement of the main visual attractions. In the example below I am going to use a character and a prop to set the main points of interest. In contrast to what some may think, the point of interest does not always have to be the obvious biggest thing on the image. In fact the main subject can be designed to take advantage of larger items to make it unique and interesting. Using elements of art like contrast, unity and composition can do this. Usually when first planning out ideas thumbnail

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