An outline

In my attempts to organize and reorganize my thoughts, I've come up with another outline of the project (Figure 1)... Here's how to read it:

On the right hand side, we have the major CONCEPTS or KEY MESSAGES that need to be addressed. These are written in black.

These point were then broken up into what I would call ARCS or STORY ARCS which are written in a gray.

The orange written points are then the SHOTS. Each line is an individual POINT or PROCESS placed underneath a major arc-subheading and arranged in a chronological order. The orange dotted lines that extend towards the left indicate that that particular shot will make its way into my storyboard (Again, because it's a 3-5 minute film, I could only select the points which I hope we have agreed were the most salient).

The blue words on the left - written 'intro', 'block', 'build', 'peak', and 'wrap' - are the BEATS of my film. As explained in a previous entry ("Beat Board"), beats represent the flow of a film or story. Traditionally, a total of 5 beats, no more no less, are illustrated in order to help focus the visual and narrative story. Working from these beats we can then break the story up into scenes (not labelled in this diagram) and into shots.

The shots with the dotted lines are here organized underneath the different beats. It's from this outline that I'm going to continue the development of the rest of my storyboard.

NOTE: My most recent entry, "Intro beats", the panels were expansions of my the conceptualization of my first beat seen in "Beat Board", the immediately preceding entry. In the context of THIS entry, the five panels from "Intro beats" find themselves situated between INTRO and BLOCK. I hope I haven't confused too many...

Figure 1. The blue-coloured words are

perhaps best understood as a film script

or storyboard's terminology for climax,

dénouement, etc.

Intro beats

For my next assignment, I was to expand upon Beat 01 from my previous entry, "Beat board". Basically, I was to do a mini-beat board of the intro.

Again, use 5 images to capture the main points and messages of the intro. Add a succinct sentence to each image.

We were also informed that these sentences... (I'm assuming a total of 25 sentences accompanying a total of 25 panels post-expansion of Beat 05) will become my script... I'm not sure how to feel about that (does that mean even LESS content?!? o_O...).

Anyways, here are the introductory beats (Intro 01-05):

Intro 01. "Cancers in the bone are most often

formed by metastatic emboli traveling in the

circulation, arriving via the sinusoids."

Intro 02. "The local osteoid environment

provides the tumour with a fertile ground for

growth."

Intro 03. "In turn, the tumour releases factors

that increase osteoblast activity and, more

importantly, osteoclastogenesis."

Intro 04. "The establishment of these

interactions begins a vicious downward

cycle."

Intro 05. "That is not only difficult to treat,

but very painful to experience."

Beat board

A beat board is essentially a visual summary and/or outline of an animation. It consists of 5 images; no more, no less. It is from a beat board that the story and plot is based and elaborated.

For my second assignment, I was to create a beat board of my project. I must say it was a difficult task. I had to decide, what the most important messages were. What are the key points? If I wanted the audience to take away something that could be summed up in 5 sentences, what would they be?

These were the 5 images (Beat 01-05) and short succinct descriptions that accompanied them:

Beat 01. Interactions are complex between

tumour and environment.

Beat 02. Osteoclasts expose nerves.

Beat 03. Nociceptors are stimulated by

chemical factors.

Beat 04. Immune factors and heat also

activate nociceptors.

Beat 05. Acidosis decreases threshold of

nociceptors.

After completing this exercise... I came to the conclusion that there is yet much more for me to refine in terms of script and story. For those who have been following, you might be wondering why I did not dedicate an entire beat to osteoclastogenesis. The reason I omitted this point is that while it is indeed a crucial part of the pathology, it contributes the least directly to pain sensation. I have resorted to alluding to it within Beat 02 that increases osteoclast resorption leads to nerves being exposed.

A realization. There is much more to be done. And the doing requires shaving, trimming, and essentially more removal of content... all in order to fit everything into a 3-5 (as everyone keeps reminding me) minute film. I do hope that this limit on the film will last only until mid-August 2010.

A metaphor

A new term is well underway, and so is my Interpretive Visualization course where we will be introduced to conventions of storyboarding and pre-production processes.

For our first assignment, we were to capture the essence of our project's message in under seven words. These words were chosen: Cancer initiates an intensifying triage of pains.

The essence or spirit of my message was then to be visualized as a metaphor in the form of a slide show containing 10-15 original photographs. Here, I present to you my slideshow as a narrated video, "The unruly victorious" (Video 1).

Caution to viewers: Before jumping to the play button, allow me to explain that the metphor seen here greatly differs from what may be expected given the style and even apparent metaphors in my previous entries. It was my opinion that this exercise was designed to get our creative juices running and does not necessarily indicate in anyway how my final product will look. I was at first intent on showing humans pillaging the earth of undeserved rewards; I would take photos reminiscent of Tolkien's descriptions of the great mines of the dwarven races. My hopes to capture my own Mine of Moria, were unfortunately cut short when I realized that there were no such location in the heart of Toronto... Thus I was left with only the option of creating a series of stills that were utterly anti-environmentalism, a complete 180º from my original ideas.

Video 1. The unruly victorious.

Quick guide:

Perfection = Homeostasis

Imperfection = Pain/Pathos

Man made structures = Bone

Organics/Plants = Cells

Weeds = Cancer

Gardener aka June = Immune cell

Leaves/foliage = Chemical factors

Act One - Osteoid cells

New thought!

Instead of the pan up to reveal the tumour mass (seen in "Act One - Transition from prologue") after the prologue, there should be an intro of the osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The introduction won't be too detailed; we'll only mention that there is a balance achieved by the two cells types. Blasts do one thing, the clasts do another.

Figure 1 will be the scene that bridges the prologue and the first act. After this scene, we see the tumour mass, and I think after seeing the tumour mass, we would revisit the osteoblasts and clasts and see how their functions are altered.

FIGURE 1.

Talking to Dr. Mongeau yesterday clarified some of the questions I raised earlier about the appearance of osteoblasts when active and inactive. They are indeed spindle shaped when inactive, and they are virtually undetectable during this state. When active however, they balloon up to appear like a row of cuboidal cells. I chose to make them appear like translucent balloons. Note also the red coloured osteoclasts with multiple nuclei sitting in Howship's Lacunae... I definitely need to draw them larger next time!

FIGURE 2. Osteoblastic caviar...

I'm still not sure if they grow while mainting volume, or if they acquire volume when they enlarge. I figure people just... don't know... Hooray for artistic interpretation...!

Round table 3.5

In attendance: Dr. Mongeau who's a pathologist working at l'Hôtel Dieu in Sherbrooke, and Louis Doré-Savard who's a Ph.D student from Dr. Sarret's lab.

Dr. Mongeau showed up some of his slides and explained a few things to us about breast cancer, a subject he specializes in. (Gah... preposisitons...)

We talked about some of the differences found between lobular and tubular breast metatases, how the former is generally more diffuse while the latter grows as a cohesive mass. Lobular metastases may produce signet cells, cells that contain a large mucous vacuole with a nucleus that has been pushed aside, thus giving it a ring like appearance. Tubular metastases, if well differentiated, arrange themselves so that there are numerous ducts and tubules found within the mass.

On the metastatic process, I was reminded that lymph vessels play a HUGE part. How could I have forgotten! Sorry Dr. Taylor... Anyways, an interesting tidbit is that cancer cells, in his opinion, intravasate from their site of origin into NORMAL peripheral vessels. So, instead of entering a vessel created by tumour angiogenesis then migrating into a normal vessel, the cancer cells enter the normal vessels directly! And yes, they most likely enter as single cells, then agglomerating to create emboli later on.

Finally. About MUMMIES! Having been fed tons of visuals and animations where we see apoptotic cells crumpling and dissolving into nothingness like the Ring-wraith stabbed by Eowyn, it came to me as a surprise that necrotic cells don't necessarily lose their ultrastructure! I mean, duh, I should've known. If a cancer grows reaaally fast, and any cell at a distance greater than 1 mm from a nutrition supplying vessel cannot survive, then... well, the entire centre of the mass of tumour would simply die off and be caught within a shell of viable cells. Sorta like the dead organic center of a tree trunk. Only the outside is actively growing.

Anyways, these dead cancer cells become mummified in the sense that their cytoplasmic contents coagulate. Having coagulated, the cell sort of glazes over. On histological slides, therefore, these pomegranate-like cells have indistinguishable organelles because of their inability to stain properly. Well, I thought that was cool.

Round table 3

In attendance: Nicolas, Philippe, Sarret's lab.

During the recent weekly lab meeting held by Dr. Sarret and his lab, I presented my draft for the prologue, and I outlined how I imagined the breakdown of the rest of the animation would look like. We had a discussion, and I went back to the drawing board (aka Pages). So, here's a very bare-bones script. Soft tissue to come later...

ACT ONE

"Osteoid Pathophysiology"

We will begin showing osteoblast and osteoclast function. Then, introduce cancer factors that alter both cell types. Note, however, that osteoclasts will be the main protagonists/antagonists of the story.

We first start with those that alter osteoclasts directly. We begin to see increased activity and numbers. Then, we see osteoblasts being modulated by factors causing an increase in RANKL expression. This then also increases osteoclast activity.

An osteoclast steps into view, and we end up in its cytoplasm very briefly. We see vesicles and stuff, and protons being pumped out of the cell. Zooming back, we reveal the ruffled border of the osteoclast and see it in action. We then zoom out to see some damage. Exposed nerve endings, and acidic environment.

ACT TWO

"Nociception"

Exposed nerve endings are now susceptible to mechanical stress. Show how.

Inflammatory cells appear. They release factors. Follow the inflammatory cell to the cancer mass surface. See the cancer cells release their own factors.

Follow these factors to the nerve endings. Increased firing.

ACT THREE

"Acidosis and Peripheral Sensitization"

Activated nerves are further aggravated by acidic environment. See allosteric shift in receptors. Show this by following a few protons.

Elaborate on firing frequency and amplitude.

EPILOGUE

"Allusions to Central Sensitization"

One thing that I'm working out now, is that nerve fibres are found surrounding the vessels within the bone cavity. These fibres are in the marrow and lie close to the trabecular surface, but is not in it. On the other hand, the nerve fibres in the compact bone, become exposed only after the resorption process has started. The narration and flow of the current dialogue seems to imply that pain only occurs once the nerve endings in the resorbed bone is revealed.

Indeed, bone resorption occurs simultaneously as tumour growth itself. Temporally, therefore, the nerve ending within the bone may technically be responsible for initial pain symptoms. Nevertheless, I feel we are neglecting the fact that pain can occur first by other means. That is, nociceptor activation may first occur by compression of nerve fibres around marrow vasculature, and by the binding of cancer factors into the marrow cavity.

I feel I need to discuss this further.