ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE - PROJECT 3

2/6/2023 - 14/7/2023 / Week 9 - Week 14
Lee Wing Kie / 0364251
Illustration And Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 3

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LECTURES

Storytelling basics

1. Central theme

The theme is what the story is really about. It’s the main idea or underlying meaning. Often, it’s the storyteller’s personal opinion on the subject matter. A story may have both a major theme and minor themes.

Major Theme: An idea that is intertwined and repeated throughout the whole narrative.

Minor Theme: An idea that appears more subtly, and doesn’t necessarily repeat.

2.Conflict

The conflict is what drives the story. It’s what creates tension and builds suspense, which are the elements that make a story interesting. If there’s no conflict, not only will the audience not care, but there also won’t be any compelling story to tell. Conflict is what engages an audience. It’s what keeps them white-knuckled, at the edge of their seats, waiting impatiently to see if the protagonists will overcome their obstacle. 

3. Characters

A story usually includes a number of characters, each with a different role or purpose. Regardless of how many characters a story has, however, there is almost always a protagonist and antagonist.

Central Characters: These characters are vital to the development of the story. The plot revolves around them. 

Protagonist: The protagonist is the main character of a story. He or she has a clear goal to accomplish or a conflict to overcome. Although protagonists don’t always need to be admirable, they must command an emotional involvement from the audience.

Antagonist: Antagonists oppose protagonists, standing between them and their ultimate goals. The antagonist can be presented in the form of any person, place, thing, or situation that represents a tremendous obstacle to the protagonist.

4. Three-Acts Structure

Fig 1.1 Traditional three-acts structure chart

Setup: The world in which the protagonist exists prior to the journey. The setup usually ends with the conflict being revealed.

Rising Tension: The series of obstacles the protagonist must overcome. Each obstacle is usually more difficult and with higher stakes than the previous one.

Conflict: The point of highest tension, and the major decisive turning point for the protagonist.

Resolution: The conflict’s conclusion. This is where the protagonist finally overcomes the conflict, learns to accept it, or is ultimately defeated by it. Regardless, this is where the journey ends. 

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INSTRUCTION

We need to pick one story from https://poestories.com/stories.php .
The story I have chosen is "The Man of the Crowd."

Short Narrative

Act 1 - Setup

Once upon a time, there was a convalescent man who found himself in a happy and inquisitive mood. He sat at a window of the Coffee-House in London, observing the diverse crowd passing by, from noblemen to merchants, clerks to pickpockets, gamblers to beggars, and even women of the night. But one particular old man caught his attention with his peculiar and intriguing expression. The man was fascinated and wanted to know more about him.

Act 2 - Conflict

One day, the man noticed a peculiar old man among the multitude. The old man's countenance had a unique expression that conveyed a multitude of conflicting emotions. Intrigued, the man decided to follow him discreetly. As he followed, he observed the old man's appearance, noticing his ragged clothes but also catching glimpses of fine linen, a diamond, and a dagger. The rain started to pour, but the man persisted in his pursuit. The old man's behavior became more erratic as he walked through crowded streets and repeatedly changed directions. Eventually, they arrived at a square filled with people, and the old man seemed agitated. He circled the square multiple times, causing the man following him to be surprised and even almost discovered.

Act 3 - Resolution

Until finally, the old man's restlessness subsided, and he left the square. The man, still intrigued by the mysterious stranger, continued to follow him, eager to uncover the secrets hidden within the old man's enigmatic expression.

Summary

In the city of London, a curious narrator observes an intriguing old man from a coffee-house window. Intrigued, the narrator decides to follow the mysterious figure through the busy streets. Despite challenges like rain and crowds, the narrator persists, driven by a strong desire to uncover the old man's secrets.

As they continue their pursuit, the old man's behavior becomes increasingly erratic. He wanders aimlessly, crossing and recrossing roads without a clear destination. The narrator remains determined, even as the old man's actions grow more unpredictable.

Eventually, the old man leads the narrator to a lively square filled with people. Here, he becomes visibly agitated, scanning the crowd anxiously. The narrator almost gets discovered but manages to remain hidden.

As the story concludes, the narrator is left with unanswered questions about the old man. Who is he? What drives his peculiar behavior? The tale ends with the old man and the narrator in the bustling square, leaving the reader to contemplate the captivating journey and the mysteries that remain unsolved.

Sketches

Fig 2.1 My Sketch

Fig 2.2 Individual triptych - Act 1

Fig 2.3 Individual triptych - Act 2

Fig 2.4 Individual triptych - Act 3

Fig 2.5 Digitalize outcome of triptych

One page visual novel

Design Progress:

Fig 3.1 Design Progress - All Panel & Background

Fig 3.2 Final Outcome of One Page Visual Novel

Animation:
Design Progress:

First Panel

Fig 4.1 Total 26 artboard used for animation

Fig 4.2 Final Outcome of Animation

Second Panel

Fig 4.3 Total 2 artboard used for animation

Fig 4.4 Final Outcome of Animation

Third Panel

Fig 4.5 Total 9 artboard used for animation

Fig 4.6 Final Outcome of Animation

Fourth panel

Fig 4.7 Total 5 artboard used for animation

Fig 4.8 Final Outcome of Animation

Fifth panel

Fig 4.9 Total 7 artboard used for animation

Fig 4.10 Final Outcome of Animation

Final Outcome:

Novel Cover Page

Fig 5.1 Final Outcome of Novel Cover Page in JPEG

One Page Novel with animated panel

Fig 5.2 Final Outcome of One Page Novel with animated panel

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REFLECTION

Overall, I had fun working on this project. At the beginning, I faced some challenges while trying to sketch the novel because I had no idea how to do it. Additionally, we had to work on creating animations. Nevertheless, I appreciate this project for providing me with an opportunity to learn and develop my skills. Although there were several difficult tasks that needed to be resolved, I did not give up and achieved the final outcome that I desired.