Character and Narrative; Module Journal

          In the first session we were briefed about several projects we had to work on in the duration of the module. Mainly focused on group projects, we were paired up with three other people to work with on an animated short. The story of the animation will be chosen by chosen by the class through the individual pitches we will come up with using the story dices. 

          The set of dice I chose was "Mythic", meaning the symbols on the dice will encompass mythology based elements. The symbols that I got were a reaper/adventurer on a boat, a pair of lovers/ heroes or brothers and an ogre.



          By assigning each symbol into roles, it helped solidify the possible story pitches. The reaper on a boat can be the antagonist, opposing the two heroes, whilst the ogre plays a support role to the heroes. The story can be flipped if the reaper played as the support role; aiding the two heroes in return for a grim favour in the future to defeat the ogre. By switching the roles around I have come up with three ideas that would eventually develop into a complete pitch.

1. In a full moon, a mysterious entity sails ashore into a near village. It begins to chant cursing the plaguing the village. The two brothers were in bind trying to find a way to cure and save the village from the curse. They learn that an ogre in the mountains had a cure but in order to get there, they would have to climb the harsh mountain in order to reach it.

2. Rushing down from the mountains, the ogre starts rampaging all over the woods. As each day it's destruction reaches nearer and nearer into the village, a man made a deal with the mysterious merchant. The hero stops the ogre from it's rampage and saves his partner in the woods.

3. A pair of adventures wronged the mysterious entity on a boat by stealing. In doing it wrong, the pair of sailors were cursed merging them into one giant ogre. The cursed pair were banished from their hometown and shunned by society. The ogre eventually made up with the entity by returning it's things therefore reversing the curse.

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          In the continued session of this module, as a class we voted on each groups best pitch. For my group Khoa's idea was chosen to be made into the animated short. His pitch was "The Raccoon, The Tiger and The Wheel of Eternity". The Raccoon plays as the protagonist, finding his way to a maze tomb where a sacred treasure resides in. The tiger is the 'antagonist' guarding the treasure from anyone greedy enough to enter the labyrinth. Using his wits and agility, the Raccoon was able to bypass the trials, allowing him to obtain the treasure; just to be trapped in the eternal labyrinth as there is no escape to the maze once you enter.