A Time Apart: Storyboard - Introduction

Part of my feedback from the beginning of premise was that my story need to be less linear. After watching some films I was inspired by mostly by Issao Takahata's Grave of the Firelies, a film about two siblings struggling to survive in Japan during World War II. It opens with the protagonist and establishes who's story it is - Seita, in the first shot he is well and wearing a uniform, he says "September 21, 1945. That was the night I died." before showing him looking over to a very poor state version of himself moving the story into the next phase, (as shown below).

Rethinking the start of my film and how I'm going to introduce it, it's important to me to point out this project wouldn't be happening if not for my Nan and I am devoting my film to both of my grandparents even though it's my Grandad's story. To tribute her it makes sense to me, for her to act as like a visual narrator guiding the audience through the story. They say a white butterfly is symbolic of a departed soul of a loved one or an angel watching over us - I like to believe it is both, so it will be her who will lead us to the story.

A butterfly will appear throughout my animation like fireflies do in Grave of the Fireflies, whether I keep it lilac or make it white I'll decide later on when I do texture and colour tests with the full scene.

Below are my storyboards trying to visualise my opening/introduction idea, drawing isn't a strength of mine but I think it comes across alongside the annotations of what it is I'm trying to do. Animatic to follow shortly.