By Elaine Thrash
How awesome it is for directors to have all the visuals already in their minds before starting shooting their films, right?
From the alignment with the writer's vision on the script to the ability to better explain their ideas to cast and crew, directors put tons of effort to do so in a way that translates what is in their thoughts, and also in a way that saves time during pre-production, production, and post-production.
For Elizabeth Ababio, director of the short film Sanctuary, her background in drawing and 2D animation helped her visualize the elements of the film during pre-production. Storyboards, wardrobes ideas, props, posters and other visual elements are part of her workflow as a "visual director", as she calls herself.
Liz's incredible artwork shows her passion and dedication towards the project, besides helping her hone her craft as a director as well.
Here Liz explains where it all started.
So Liz, how important drawings are to you in pre production and what got you into drawing?
"I started drawing around age 4. In elementary school, I collaborated with my friend to create paper comic books that we would distribute for our class to read with a new episode every week (...) Going into grade 7, my teacher saw my drawings and suggested I seriously consider a field in writing/drawing"
How does it help you when filmmaking?
"Going into college, I majored in 2D Animation to learn more about the fundamentals. I took Life Drawing courses. At the same time I worked on a pilot for a webcomic, but it's not completed, and a fan comic, getting better at my craft. I've also done fan art of anime characters and real people since I was 10 years of age when my teacher told me to consider it."
Elizabeth Ababio is an African-Canadian director/screenwriter originally born in Los Angeles, California. She wrote the short films “Presentation” (2018) and “To Keep Her Safe” (2018). Besides "Sanctuary" (2020), she also directed “Detective Ultra” (2020), which has been screened at the Whistler Film Festival.
Elaine Thrash is an actor, singer, dancer, writer and model currently based in Vancouver, BC.