Animated Narratives Week 2

The work examines idea of forming a story, coming with some ideas, drawing or anything which helps people with a starting place for animation. This week I wrote a story from the precise’ A tiny insect that devours things many times its size’. The metaphor is there are no permanent enemies. The story is about a farmer rabbit and a bug fighting over vegetables, and finally cooperated with each other to save the vegetables from the flood.

According to what I learnt in class, I use mind map to put my thoughts together, which helps me add more plot to the story step by step. I came up with a simple story through the many factors listed. Then after some suggestions and reflections, I revise the story. In the initial version of the story, the metaphor was about subtle harms can add up to disaster. By receiving advise from Kate, I decided to give the rabbit and the bug a common enemy---the flood. Under the threat, they learnt to collaborate with each other temperately.

Because it’s a story mainly happened between two characters, and I want to show all aspects of the story, so I think 2D or 3D animation would be a good choose for medium. Therefore, the story is gradually developed inro linear narratives .

《Oktapodi》is a 3D animation which is also emphasis on the conflict between two different creatures, man and octopus,  using exaggerated and vivid character animation to describe the process of competition.

By examining《Oktapodi》I reflected how to utilize interaction between characters to make a story simple but interesting. Motivated by unavoidable conflict, the fight between two creatures enriches the plot. And this is what I am aiming for in my own work. In addition, this week I also learn how to come up with a story with a mind map. To tell a good story, we must ask ourselves many questions to fill the details, and there are always more layers to be built.

  Who's the character - The rabbit and the bug.

  What do they want? - They both want beautiful vegetables.

  What's in the way? - They have conflict goals. But the flood is their common enemy.

  How is the goal achieved/not achieved? - They cooperated and made some sandbags to protect vegetables from the flood.

  How does the concept resolves? - They stopped the flood and celebrated by sharing the vegetables.