Narrative 1
Introduction
The Visual Narrative project forces Freestyle Students to think creatively in order to answer the question, “How well can you visually tell a structured story?” This project is a large umbrella term for several smaller scale projects, including but not limited to Graphic designing with illustrator, producing custom products, and even recording music in high tech recording studios.
From this project, I was able to develop better skills in storytelling through animation instead of clear words. This was difficult to do, since having to show a character’s personality through simple walk cycles and poses is quite difficult. However through experimenting with this project, I was able to complete said task. I value the skills I was able to get out of the visual narrative project, specifically my ability to tell a story without words.
The Flash fiction
Plot Map Exercise
Step 1: Describe the protagonist’s “want/need dynamic”
| What is your protagonist’s want? (What is motivating this character to take action / pursue something they want?) | My protagonist’s wish is to be able to act on his own, and atone for everything the king has “made” him do through acts of good. |
| What is your protagonist’s need? (How do they need to change on a deeper level? Think smaller for need, because you are writing a very short story: what’s a smaller lesson or emotional shift that your protagonist needs to realize?) | My protagonist’s need is to realize atonement does not make his past acts vanish, and sometimes the cost is not worth the goal. |
| How does the protagonist’s want relate to their need? (Does their pursuit of what they want reveal what they need? Bring about what they need? Prevent them from getting what they need? …Is there another want/need dynamic you have in mind?) | My character’s want and need is two sides of the same coin, one hoping for redemption after his brutality yet continuing, and the other realizing that this redemption won’t change anything, and instead it’s up to him if what he’s doing is morally worth it. |
Step 3: Map Plot
| Plot is the shape of the story. If you find it helpful, consider this common plot pattern: a central character wants something, goes after it despite opposition, and as a result of a struggle comes to a win or a loss. As a result, they are not the same as they were at the beginning. Your story’s plot is the means through which you will bring about that change in your protagonist. You might consider practicing with Freytag’s Pyramid or the Hero’s Journey (mini version) to map out your protagonist’s narrative arc for your current flash fiction story idea. However, you may create any plot map that is helpful for you to communicate your story: |
| Plot map: (you can design outside of the box!) Plot: Freytag’s pyramid Exposition: The introduction of the setting, a location between two buildings, the holy knight and his importance (being the one in charge of the final decision of the thief), and the introduction of the thief (the main moral dilemma) Complications: The idea that the thief is the holy knight’s brother, completely clouding his already clouded moral stance. Rising action: A small crowd forming around the alley, watching the execution that was ordered to take place by the king, with his most trusted holy knight incharge of the swing. This moment, despite being no more than a minute, feels like hours. Time froze for Vonvick, as this was his biggest challenge in his role yet. He’s had to kill countless people, people with lives, husbands, fathers, mothers, wives, people with dreams for the future, completely erased. Is his brother any different simply because he’s a part of the knight’s life? Nobody deserved the executions ordered by the king, and yet Vonvick went through with them anyway. Why? Was there a possible way to repent for this? Is the good he’s doing even close to the moral weight of the lives he’s taking in turn? Do his intentions even matter when the bare bone facts state that he’s killing human beings who don’t deserve death? Covered by his helmet, is he himself even human? Climax: He lifts his blade. Ready physically, but frozen mentally. His blood is cold, not able to look down upon the man laid out before him. Why did this have to happen? Does this have to happen? And his blade crashes down. Falling action: The next scene, Vonvick is home. Sat on a wooden chair, with the pillar helmet on the table in front of him. He can’t force himself to look upon this helmet, representing his outward appearance and view of what he had become. The helmet was covered in dents and mild rust in between the cracks of the once so ornate detail. For a moment he was able to feel the fear of those poor thieves who had to bare witness to the same sight. Resolution: Vonvick smacks the helmet off of the table as it rolls away on the old wood plank floor, knowing what he did that day was one step closer to his redemption. He stands and opens the door as a paper flies past his face. The title simply read “Thief kills family of 3 in accidental standoff.” |
Our assignment for this project was to create a short flash-fiction based story that included various story-telling methods, focusing on showing not telling. We had various assignments to prepare for the eventual main writing of the story, such as those included above. I didn’t really have any inspiration for my story other then my own ideas, with the main characters including random ones I had picked out of my sketch book.
*insert the actual story audio here*
*insert screenshot of Pro Tools*
Pillar of Penitence
CRASH. Vonvick Randellen subtly tilted his helmeted head downward, glaring at the now groveling petty thief that was shoved before him by two equally worthless town guards.
“Holy knight, this cretin was found scurrying around the roads and thieving from poor merchants.” He watched the acclaimed thief as the left guard spoke in a grunted voice, sat cross legged on the floor, hands and feet bound by rope scratching against his faint limbs. Vonvick’s eyes were focused on the man, not yet singing the tune of penitence, but rather emanating confidence. Does this simple small-framed criminal not know the situation he had gotten himself in?
“Sir..?” The guard once again chimed in.
He raised his steel-ridden arm slightly upwards and the guards left in dismissal, leaving only the holy knight and a thief in the smaller alley between two castle-like structures they had found themselves in.
He used the blunted edge of his oversized ornate blade to gently lift the paper mask off of the thief’s face, a common article of clothing for those about to be executed. The thief’s eyes widened as he saw the figure standing in front of him with an overbearing shadow and an imposing presence. Despite the thief not being able to see the knight’s eyes through his slightly dented roman pillar inspired helmet, he could feel the unbreakable gaze. The surrounding air turned cold, as time seemingly began to slow.
“So, you gonna go through with it?” The thief mockingly questioned, glaring up at Vonvick. “Add another human life to your count?”. Vonvick was yet to blink, for he recognized the man shoved beneath him. Joseph Randellen, his same flesh and blood, his only brother. The brother he was forced to leave behind many years ago to live with a more fortunate family.
Vonvick had killed so many in the past under the king’s direct tyrannical order, for reasons he himself did not agree with. But there wasn’t much of a choice, the position of holy knight he had acquired through never disobeying the lord allowed him to make real change in this hopeless kingdom.
In these few blunt moments that represented eternity, thoughts flooded Vonvick’s mind.
He glared down at the blade, one that had slaughtered so many for such minor reasons, his emotions and morals never dulling throughout them. Joseph kept his glare on the holy knight, a sense of doubt arising. Vonvick began to recall a sense of nostalgia, him and his brother seated on a barrel loaded with rotting apples that would certainly be stolen regardless, the scents of cigarette smoke and dead animals wafting around the air. The homeless man passed out in front of the house with the shattered window, drowned in liquor, and the faint noise of the bustling streets and haggles of the lower class. But why should that matter? Why should any of that matter?
Blink. Vonvick tightly gripped the blade.
The holy knight raised his blade with both hands in a heavy weighted motion, holding it elevated above his shoulder. He looked down upon his brother with pity, not that Joseph could see through the rusted, dented pillar that sat atop Vonvick’s shoulders, covering his face.
“For the crime of thievery, you will be put to death. Do you have any words you would like me to spread?” Vonvick asked, his voice raspy yet deep from barely talking, echoing through the helmet.
“Are you even alive underneath that branded helmet? Because I see a human, but no humanity.” The thief said, closing his eyes in an embrace of imminent death.
“No. I’m human, just like the rest of the people I have to exterminate. My intentions are the most human possible, wanting to help this kingdom.. I’m no different.” Vonvick thought to himself silently, his grip loosening on the blade only a little. Why is this happening? Why did this have to happen. His grip tightened suddenly, and in one heavy yet fast movement;
*CRASH* Vonvick’s blade plummeted down. The birds stopped chirping, the bustling city noises came to a halt, and the world went dim. The air regained its warmth, and time could finally proceed.
Mere days later, Vonvick found himself sat on a small wooden chair, positioned at the small rounded-off dark oak table in his living room. Despite the all expense-free manor right beside the palace paid for by the king, he only uses a small corner of it where the walls are made of log and the windows are cracked, the winter-air leaking in like fog. Vonvick stared at the table in front of him, of which his signature pillar helmet was placed upon. He attempted to stare at it, yet his gaze could never meet that of the helmet. How could it? The rust formed and the cracks deepened, yet Vonvick was unaware, not having looked at it for at least 5 years now.
In a sudden burst, he slashed his iron-plated arm across the table, sending the helmet rolling onto the floor away from him. Vonvick stood, the chair dragging across the wooden floor as he did so, and began to walk towards the door. There was no hesitation, his eyes glued on the exit, not tempted to look back.
He reached out and turned the ornate golden doorknob. He had spared his brother’s life. Whether it was unfair or unjust to those killed by his hand didn’t matter to him at that moment. Vonvick knew he couldn’t keep his slaughter streak, executing more and more as an act of penitence would not make up for those already dead. But before he could take his first step outside, an old newspaper flew directly over his eyes. Vonvick reached for it and scrunched it off, reading the title.
It read 8 simple words.
“Spared thief kills 2 merchants in accidental standoff”
*insert reflection here when audio is completed*
Illustration Project
The Illustration Project required us to create various types of designs using solely Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator differs from other softwares such as Photoshop due to being vector based and not pixel based, meaning all lines you create in illustrator are equational.
