Awwww. Thank you for the kind words, guys. I always really appreciate them.
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Originally Posted by Anahki
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Originally Posted by mb78
3) Building off that, and assuming there isn't a workaround for the majority of the transformation effects that we'd all dream of seeing, I would suggest a significant focus on the build up. A strong actress dealing with the dread (or whatever emotion your scriptwriter goes with) of the oncoming transformation, plus the initial "pains" of the transformation do not really have to involve any (or at least any significant) special effects.
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These above are quoted as they are especially good pieces of advice, and the two videos that Anahki posted are some of the best female werewolf transformations out there, bar none. This is amazing as both were done with a very limited budget. You can reference them for a lot of the things to do right with such a transformation.
The others are entirely correct, the actress' performance will be key in this. A believable and emphatic performance can make me forgive just about any other flaw. If she's vocal and spirited about playing the part right, the video would be plain worth the money.
And I have to say that mb78 is very very right. The build up of the transformation is just as important as the transformation itself. We understand that the transformation could be very hard to swing on a small budget. While we definitely want to see that as well as you can do it, if you worry your effects are lacking or something along those lines, a strong build up can completely redeem the entire transformation. It's more or less like foreplay to us, and playing on the anticipation and initial symptoms of the transformation can make for an incredibly strong performance overall.
So, with that in mind, here's that list of things I find important in the transformation, sectioned by when they should occur during the change. For the purposes of this list, I'll be using a simple scenario as an example: A woman comes home as night falls to prepare herself to change into a werewolf. Of course, these are only guidelines; pick and choose what you can and cannot do.
The Build Up
1. Have the woman acknowledge she's a werewolf, and acknowledge the coming transformation. This is just part of making the build up real and fun. Like mb78 said, dread is a good direction to go in. The woman is not looking forward to the painful transformation, perhaps even fears it, but there's nothing to be done about it but prepare. Having her acknowledge the inevitability of the change is something that I personally find appealing.
2. Give us a clock. Have the setting sun and the rising full moon shown, perhaps by having the actress look out a window in distress. Make sure that we know the clock is ticking until the moment that she transforms.
3. Make the girl human. Even just showing her taking off her coat and putting away her keys after getting home can help the scene feel more genuine. Keep her acting focused on the oncoming change during all of this, as well.
4. Moon is risen, start the symptoms. A good way to please with the oncoming changes is to attach unpleasant illness-like symptoms to the woman before any actual transforming begins as precursors to the werewolf TF. These symptoms should start out small and escalate up until the point of actual change. This is where the performer's acting is really really key to selling it- the more convincingly she can display these symptoms and their increasing severity, the more appealing. The three symptoms I think everyone really likes are:
-Sweat and heat. The girl feels very hot and sweats profusely. Nothing ridiculous like a Gatorade commercial, but not too understated either. Like all the symptoms, this starts out minor and gets worse up until the moment she begins to transform. Have her mention that she's hot. Have her wipe sweat off of her brow. Make her clothes and hair stick to her and grow damp. Show moisture glistening on her body after the clothing comes off.
- Labored breath. Have the girl breathing heavily, and as the symptoms get worse, outright gasping, panting and moaning. A heaving chest is a nice bonus to this particular symptom.
- Stomach cramps and pains. These start out as small, intermittent twinges of discomfort in the stomach and get worse as time goes on. Clutching the stomach and doubling over is always a popular move in these circumstances.
5. Now that the symptoms have begun, have the girl strip down for her oncoming transformation. Make sure the symptoms are highlighted during her undressing as much as possible, and especially how they're getting worse. Perhaps even have her begin to remove her clothing as much because she's getting hot and sweaty as because she's about to transform. To prolong this striptease, have her pause briefly after each removed article of clothing for reasons relating to the the change. Waiting for a stomach pain to subside. Trying to catch her breath. Looking briefly out the window to track the progress of the rising full moon. Mentioning that she's hot, having her cuss out the coming transformation, etc. Note that werewolf TF fans enjoy a sexy outfit as much as the next guy, and something spicy that bears cleavage is always fun. She doesn't necessarily have to get completely naked for the change. Other popular choices include down to bra and underwear or topless and wearing pants.
6. She's naked (enough), the change is close. Feel free to ham up the symptoms a bit more, as they're now at their worst and you can never have enough of that. Have her pace, have her moan and groan as the pains get worse, make sure she's panting and sweating. Finally, it's fully dark, the moon is in the sky, and we hit the real transformation.
The Transformation
1. The pains reach their worst. Dynamic poses are great here. Have the girl clutch her stomach. Have her nearly fall, but catch something to hold herself steady. Have her fall to her knees, then to all fours. Stuff like that, dramatic scenes showcasing the effect the change is having on her. It should seem overwhelming and powerful at this point. This is also where the transformation sound effects should start kicking in.
2. Sound is really really REALLY key. The actress groaning, moaning and crying out are just part of it, the transformation itself should make noise. Bones crunching and joints popping, that sort of thing. The videos posted above use really good sound effects for the actual meat of the transformation, so they're the best guide I can give you. At the beginning of the transformation, these sounds shouldn't be as prevalent, as the change hasn't hit full swing yet. At this point, try to sync up the sounds to the acting as best you can. Have the girl jerk her chest forward when you use a 'popping' sound, have her clutch her stomach and use a 'squishing' sound, have her groan when you use a crunching sound. All that sort of thing.
-Just a quick note here is that this already sounds like an EXCELLENT werewolf transformation video to me, and you haven't used any special effects to make the girl look like she's changing yet.
3. Start transformation effects. Keep them minor to begin with. Have her nails sharpen into claws as her hands pop and crack, have her grimace towards the camera to display new fangs, use contacts to show her eyes becoming more wolfish and predatory, fur growth, etc. I'm not sure what all you're capable of here, so just do what you can. Particularly popular, I've noticed, are shots of her spine as her back is arched and changing. Breasts are always fun to show and shouldn't be forgotten. At this point, if she still has any clothing on, have her or the transformation rip them off. The transformation itself should seem very painful, and highlighting the girl's discomfort and horror with what she's becoming is a good way to go. Try to keep the poses dynamic even here, as if a person were actually writhing in pain and shifting positions. Again, the girl's noises and the noises of her body actually changing are very key, and great acting will sell this even with the worst effects. Key areas of the transformation are: Claws growing and hands turning to paws, tail growing, spine and back changing, feet stretching and turning to paws, chest barreling out, ears pointing and face pushing out into a wolf's muzzle.
4. Change is done, the girl is now a werewolf. Show a shot of the full moon and the sound of a wolf's howl and you can call it a wrap.
Aaaand that's what I have for you. I'm sorry it's long-winded, I wanted to include as many details as I possibly could so you have as much to choose from as you needed. I know as much as most of this stuff might not be doable, but either way I thank you for your time listening to me. I definitely hope a werewolf transformation seems like something you guys can pull off, but if not, for whatever reason, I completely understand.