Building visual storytelling thinking through the “From comic script to comic pages” workshop

On June 22, 2025, the Faculty of Arts and Design at Van Lang University (VLU) organized the “From comic script to comic pages” workshop to create a dynamic learning environment, inspiring creativity and conveying in-depth knowledge on the process of developing a complete comic work to students.
 

At the workshop, Ms. Thanh Quynh, Creative Director of Du But, systematized the process of creating a comic book from developing a script to page layout. Based on the presentation of the classic three-act structure theory and the manga-typical Kishōtenketsu storytelling model, she explained the role of plot in guiding readers' emotions, as well as variations in the method of creating climax and handling conflict through each frame.
 

Besides theories, the workshop delved into the techniques of converting scripts into comic book layouts, from selecting angles, determining the number of frames, placing dialogue, to designing character actions and expressions. Ms. Thanh Quynh emphasized: “A good story comes not only from nice images but also from the way the images deliver the plot message clearly, logically, and emotionally”. Common framing mistakes, such as the overuse of panoramic shots, lack of space logic, or verbose interpretation, are specifically pointed out through practical examples and on-site illustrative exercises as well.
 

Particularly, the speaker also introduced a list of fundamental documents, including Story (Robert McKee), Manga in Theory and Practice (Araki Hirohiko), Understanding Comics (Scott McCloud), etc., along with many major concepts like archetype, dynamic layout, eye orientation, and image-text coordination in comics. These principles serve not only the purpose of comics writing but also as an important foundation for visual thinking in the fields of multimedia communication.
 

News: Dang Khoa
Photos: Trung Quan