WorldBuilding
English class was the foundation of the Narrative 2 Unit. The ideas we developed and expanded upon were later influenced by Digital Media and Design. After reading and exploring the world of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, we began our own world-building journey.
Narrative Treatment
The worldbuilding project began with the ability to create any idea that we felt passionate about and wanted to know more about. After brainstorming with the class, we organized ourselves into groups and began to develop our ideas further. The first part of this project was to write a treatment—a pitch summarizing a film or television idea.
Research Essay
The next aspect of this project focused on academic writing. After creating my treatment, I brainstormed its themes and messages and came up with potential research topics that connected back to it. My project was largely focused on the current events in Israel following October 7th and the effect it has had on Jewish students in university/College. This was a topic that I was and continue to be really passionate about as it is something that is very personal to me. In my research essay, I explored the effects of antisemitism on college campuses and how the disappointing responses from top University principals, such as former Penn President Magil, will have lasting effects on Jewish students.
Pitch Presentation
The final piece of the worldbuilding project was to pitch our narrative story idea to the class. My partner and I decided that we were going to pitch our idea as a big blockbuster movie and the class would be playing the role of Netflix producers. For our presentation, we prepared a slide deck using Google Slides, which included various media components, including original character art and unique movie posters.
Tara Reed
Our main character and protagonist is the daughter of Paul Reed and Esmeralda Diaz, who grows up disconnected from reality in the most expensive area of New York, with the nicest apartment, clothes, and most of life handed to her on a silver platter. Making her snobbish and patient at the beginning of her journey. However, as Tara becomes exposed to the real world, her eyes become open to the world’s reality, and she grows very empathetic. Forcing her values to change and making her much more independent, deceitful, brave, and caring for others. Her drive throughout her journey is to uncover all her father’s wrongdoings and bring back the power of choice to all women in New York.
Tarot Diaz
Taras’s brother is characterized as quiet, observant, and very skinny; he has scruffy and oversized clothing and always carries a sketchbook since he is an artist. He is 15 years old 5’8, and takes after his mothers olive-toned skin, he has overgrown brown hair, freckles, and Green eyes. He was left at the orphanage as a newborn with a photo of him and his mother on his chest. He feels set apart from the other kids in the group home because he knows his mom’s appearance and that she is out there somewhere. His driving force is his desire to find his mom and escape his current environment.