MangaMagazine isn’t just about reading comics; it’s about meeting new people, making friends, and geeking out on some of the best graphic novels on the web! To illustrate, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite MangaMagazine activities for active readers, busy creators, and the casual lurker alike.

#5 – Contests

While typically limited to artists and word-smiths, contests aren’t just skill-based. Keep your eyes peeled for some cool official contest announcements! In the meantime, check out our member-run contest list.

Drake Tsui’s SIN Fanart Competition 

Draw any character from the graphic novel SIN to win cash and original artwork from Drake Tsui!

Wave’s Mega Manga Magazine Melee Match

While applications to participate are CLOSED, this battle should be a blast to watch! And anyone can vote for their favorite entries for each bracket! Go check it out!

#4 – Screentones Hangout and Podcast

Every Tuesday afternoon at 3pm, Ashikai, Rogo, and Takeshi will be recording the Screentones podcast LIVE on their YouTube channel, and afterwards hosting a Google hangout for anyone who wants to drop by and talk about anything (comic related topics are an obvious plus). It’s an opportunity to ask questions, suggest topics to be researched in depth and discussed for a later episode, and a chance to possibly meet some of your favorite creators!

#3 – Unofficial MM Chatroom

It’s unofficial, but it’s still really fun! Averaging about ten online users at a time, and at least twice the amount of wacky conversations. Always a good place to stop and chat, ask for advice, meet new people, or just hang out. Check it out on Chatango!

#2 – Letters to the Editor and Reader Recommendations

Have an interesting theory about a particular comic? What about an opinion on the comic industry in general? Any thoughts on trends? Write a letter to the editor! It’s a great way to get your voice heard and to spark a discussion about topics you feel strongly about. (Topics should be comic, webcomic, manga, or graphic novel related.)

On the flip-side, if you have recommendations for a great series to read, or a comic that should get more attention than it does, or even a great idea to make this website a more enjoyable experience for you, let us know! We’ll be happy to help.

#1 – Start a Conversation

Don’t limit yourself to MangaMagazine.net’s website. Talk to us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Reddit! Ask the MM staff or our creators your burning questions. Come on… we don’t bite!

About ashikai

Ashikai is a Community Manager for MM.net, Co-founder of the resource group Manga-Apps, and artist for the original series, Shamrock. Interested in contributing to the blog? have feedback or comments about MM.net? Send her an email!

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Intro

Visual storytellers (Comic artists, Storyboard artists, Illustrators, filmmakers, etc.) need to have a strong grasp on viewing angles and shots.
It needs a lot of work, of course, to be able to become skilled in perspective drawing and imagining objects/people in 3D, but it’s very critical to know it all for the reason of presenting the story elements, mood and emotion the best way possible.

Horizontal And Canonical Views

It’s the basic viewing angle or what I like to call; the boring angle. Boring because it’s how we view things in life almost 75% of our time.

When you’re presenting a scene, it’s good to start with a panel that has an establishing shot so that the reader can tell where the scene is happening. It’s always best to use a horizontal view or a canonical view  for establishing shots.

As much as a comic artist love for their effort on drawing backgrounds and detailed establishing shots to be appreciated and noticed, such panels should be passed upon quickly; I mean readers should be able to recognize  or find a relatable place in their heads at first glance.
When you want to present to the reader an object or a place, you don’t want them to spend much time  trying to figure out what exactly is it and lose the flow of the storytelling.

Horizontal and canonical viewing angles are easy for the brain to read instantly.

Another use for this angle is, obviously, scenes where characters are have a conversation.
When they’re face to face, it’s only natural to draw them at the level of each other’s faces.
Whether they’re talking lightheartedly or about serious stuff; you want the reader to have all the focus on the words, so close-ups on the character’s face with minimal less dynamic (boring) view would help best keep the reader’s concentration on what’s being said.

Bird’s Eye View

Bird-view angle is when the viewing point is placed up, looking down towards the panel elements. It’s best used in large panels where you want to show lots of details and people here and there. It can be used as an establishing shot but don’t make the view point too high so it won’t become disturbing to the reader as I said above.

The panel to the left is a high point of view that is considered also as a a bird-view angle but I see it as a canonical bird-view angle and I use it sometimes as an establishing shot but for places that the reader is already familiar with, i.e. Main character’s house, or usual hangout place.

This angle can also be used as an end of a scene, a flashback or a chapter. I see it as the reader zooming out of the scene, moving away from the characters, feeling and the life they’re living, into other things.

You can use this angle to your
advantage when it comes to mood setting for characters.
Literally, belittling someone and looking down on them isn’t related to a good emotion.

Ant’s Eye View

This is the powerful angle! It’s from a very low point of view; imagine the “camera” is down at the ground looking up at the scene. Psychologists always say when dealing with kids, try to lower your body to their level so that your gaze meets the kid; it’d feel less controlling and has a positive effect on the kid that you they’d actually listen better to what you’re saying. Because as I stated before when you place the viewing point in bird-view, you’re looking down on the characters and the scene.

Tension level when you use this viewing angle is very high, it arouses many kinds of emotions and sets
various types of moods; curiosity, power, admiration, anticipation, anxiety, etc.

You can place your view point at any distance from the scene; the further the more impact it gives.

In TV, People with higher positions than most people, for example politicians/figures of authority, are shown for a slightly low angle shot to give the viewer the feeling of that they’re superior.
You can use this in comics when you present a powerful character or a character that is usually looked up at, i.e. some kind of moment when a character feel like an idol for another.

Establishing Shots that has simple easily identified background elements can be used in a low shot angle, such as; sky, trees, light bulbs, etc.

Tilted Viewing Angle

Another very powerful angle is tilted angle. It can be used in various ways but it generally gives an eerie and somewhat a negative feeling, it sets a mood that makes the reader anticipate in an anxious way, especially when combined with an ant’s eye view.

Tilted Viewing Angle

The whole comic reading experience can be seen as a series of first and third person view, also panels that has characters interacting with the reader appeal to most people. Eyes are always attracted to other eyes looking back at them.

Making the reader act in one of the characters’ place as if they’re in their body, kind of like a first person view in games.

Putting the reader in a place as if they’re the recipient in a conversation or an action, sometimes it’s referred to in fiction as a second person view.

You can also view the whole scene and set the “camera” according to one of the
panel elements as the view point, like the speaker for example (1) or even any object that is the main focus in a panel (2).

You can also make the reader themselves the view point (3).

 Last notes

Tips:

• Keep in mind to not change the viewing angle more than two, three times tops when it comes to dynamic point of views (tilted, bird and ant view angles) in one page. It’s the easiest way to make the reader feel irritated and confused and you don’t want that unless it’s exactly what you want the reader to feel in an uncomfortable state in the story.

• Not every angle is used for the reasons stated above. Sometimes you can use a tilted angle only to add exciting look for a page and break the dull standard views all over the scene.

• Fish Eye effect can set a whole different mood when added on any of the views listed above. For more info about Fish eye effect and image examples, visit;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisheye_lens

Thanks a lot for reading and I hope this helped in any way.~
Enjoy creeping up on your characters’ lives!

About dee Juusan

Hello~ I'm a self-published manga artist who likes to write stories with monologues, emotions and deep inner thoughts of characters. Slice of my life with a little bit of magic is my cup of tea. Grey is... is my current spoiled baby~

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