Frameforge 3D Studio

Background
• FrameForge 3D Studio 2.5 is published by Innoventive software. FrameForge is compatible with Mac and Windows. Both versions are entirely compatible. FrameForge is a unique product, combining storyboards and a 3D environment.
• Frameforge 3D Studio was created by Ken Schaeffer, the creator of ScriptThing screenwriting software (the first version of Movie Magic Screenwriter).

License
• The user license allows you to install FrameForge (for one same user) on 2 computers simultaneously, MAC/MAC or MAC/PC.
• The Educational license allows you 1 installation.
• The current version was released in 2006.
• Updates (free downloads) are released every 8 months and upgrades (new version, average price £130/160€) every 2-3 years.
Easy to install and to use
• The installation procedure requires you to register your license with the publisher before starting to use the software. An Internet connection is therefore highly recommended.
• Due to its many functions, you are advised to read FrameForge documentation to make the most of its possibilities. You will need to allow 3 or 4 evenings to become familiar with the entire application.

Storyboard and Preview
• Although manipulating 3D objects is generally simple and intuitive, composing an entire set can take some time.  
• The “room builder” function enables you to type in, from the start, all the real information concerning the shooting location, such as dimensions, height of the ceiling, position of the windows, etc. This information is essential to anticipate the characters’ movements and camera movements and therefore to develop a storyboard true to the reality on location.
 
• In order to preview your scene, you can also reproduce all camera movements (panoramic, dolly, zoom, crane…) and select the information and constraints implied by each type of camera.
• It is possible to import pictures as a set backdrop but using pictures will mean you loose all notions of 3D, which is the basis of Frameforge.

Object management
• With over 800 objects and 32 characters, FrameForge provides you with a large and varied library. No previous experience with 3D modeling is necessary. The relations provided for allow you to make the characters interact with each other or with elements of the set: to make someone lie down in bed, for instance, or to have two characters hold hands…
• You will also be able to log into the users’ forum and download new templates, objects, or characters.
• The character personalization tool allows you to change all their parameters, from their physiognomy to the look on their face.
Print and export options
• With FrameForge, you can print your storyboard in various formats, and print in the same document information such as focal distance and shooting angles.

• You can also create an animated file and present your storyboard as a Quicktime movie.
Compatibility with other applications (Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter…)
• FrameForge allows you to import your scripts into the application in order to work in direct relation to your screenplay. It is a very straightforward feature.

Our conclusion
FrameForge 3D Studio is a unique tool to create realistic storyboards, but considering the dense content of the application and time necessary to compose and create a set, Frameforge seems less suited to storyboard an entire screenplay, than to storyboard complex sequences in a feature film or a commercial. 

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