Digital Graphic Narrative

Development

Joseph McGonigal (99)

Shape Task

Evaluation

What did you like about your image?It looked cartoon like. It was very simple but all the main details were there. I like that the Panda looks cute and cuddly whilst chewing a celery stick. I like that the background colour scheme has a forest feel because it works well with the Panda in the production. I like that I used a drop shadow around the shape of the snout because I think it gives the production a good effect by making it seem more detailed and believable.

What would you improve if you did it again?I would get better at warding and make sure I cover all gaps so as my final production looks as professional as possible. Also, I will have the stroke covering all the bear face. I would add an outer layer around the Panda’s whole face and not just some because I feel this would help it stand out.

Rotoscope

Evaluation

What did you like about your image?I like that the simple colours paint a portrait of a lizard walking on a branch in the night. I dislike that the whole image looks plain like something you would find in a baby’s nursery rhyme book. I like the way the image looks calm and gentle; just having the lizard walking on a branch.

What would you improve if you did it again?I would not waste my time doing something that is wrong like how I was using Hue Saturation and instead spend more time working correctly. I would work fast and manage to complete the same picture but in far better detail. I would use the Polygon Lasso tool to go around much more of the finer details on the tree, background and lizard and add an appropriate colour to them so as the image looks detailed and better quality.

Text Based

Evaluation

What did you like about your image?I like that my name looks very abstract with all the effects done to my name, like pattern overlay, warping, compressing my first and last name together etc… I dislike the warping technique because I think it looks a bit simple, plain and amateur. Also, it has no other effects on it so additionally it looks boring. I also dislike the way it angles downwards and basically think the whole text has no structure to it and doesn’t stand out well either. I like that on the “Joey Mcgonigal” font it has someone jumping confidently of a cliff into the ocean because this is a good way to express that “Joey Mcgonigal” is lively and extravagant. I also like the colour contrast and where the jumping person has been placed on the font because it is somewhere he/she can be seen as well as all the necessary parts in the background. Furthermore, I like that the font is very bold so as a lot of image can be seen

What would you improve if you did it again? I would play around with the warp tool more until I get better at using it, so I can produce some better effects, like making it look like the text is coming out from a distance or something cool like that. I will scale up the “Joey” so as it is larger and in line with my second name, so as the text looks more complete and my first name stands out more.

Comic Book

Evaluation

What did you like about your image?I like the way using the threshold emphasised the eyes by really recognising the shadows because this make the eyes stand out and look cool. I like the colour contrast on the face and the way the colour gets darker where the cut out tool on the filter gallery recognised the shadows because it gave it that slightly realistic effect.

What would you improve if you did it again?I would increase the number of levels on the cutout tool in the filter gallery to ensure more of the background can be seen because I don’t like how his hair blends into the background; I feel this adds to much emphasis on the face.

Photography

Evaluation

What did you like about your image? I like that I have captured all the emotions; sad, lonely, happy and excited. I like the effect we used on the ad photo with Tom looking out the window because captures the emotions of sadness. For example, when you are sad you tend to think and the photo portrays thinking through gazing out a window. Additionally, the fact that the weather outside is grim and bleak adds to the vibe of the scene. I like the way in the lonely photo Tom is in a shadowy area because this adds more of a depressing and darker vibe to the photo.

What would you improve if you did it again?I would do better posses for happy. I would take the images in better surroundings. For example, I think in the happy photo where I have the lonely portrait of the woman staring at me badly effects the scene because it does not look happy.

Illustration

Evaluation

What did you like about your image?I like the shading I did because it makes the drawing realistic and detailed, also you can see where the light is coming from. I like the way I have used darker shades of grey to represent how dark the colours are in the real image.

What would you improve if you did it again?Try not to rub out so much times so as the picture doesn’t begin to look scruffy. I would also make sure hat when I am drawing a large area in with a very dark shade that I use long strokes of the pencil as a pose to small because then I won’t end up with scruffy rows and the colour would be more consistent. For example, I did this on the jacket she is wearing.

Initial Ideas

This image makes the major of Hamelin look evil, which he is, so I want to portray this.

This image inspires my production because at the beginning of my story the Piper is in jail for stealing the towns money.

I chose this image because the character looks like the boy in my story who becomes the “Fried Piper”.

This pipe resembles the Pipers Pipe in my story.

This is how I want my font to look for the title and also the first letter of every knew scene in my story.

This is an image of Pied Piper. I like this image because it has a comic book type of look and this is how I am going to go about making my own book.

Idea Generation

THE FRIED PIPER is a story that takes of after the original. I think I will add a darker theme to it than its original.

Another idea I have is the big bad wolf because it is a well known fairytale that could be fun to create. The wolf would be an excellent character to create on Photoshop. I will probably make the wolf black, extra hairy with a fierce, snarling snout.

I like this font because it has go a medieval theme to it with the crowns, and also the letters are bubbly and skew-whiff which could represent abused power and the pipers reluctance in the story.

I like this font because I can play around with it. I think a good thing I can do with it is make one of the buttons (circles around the letters) the top part of the pipe.

I like that this font looks like the Pied Pipers clothes; hat etc…

Mood board of chosen idea

ProposalDimensions

About 12. Perhaps I will use 20- 24 cm pages.

Story Overview

My story takes off after the original. The Pied Piper steals the towns money and gets caught in the process, leading him into jail. Whilst in jail the Piper blows his pipe and rats come to the sound and rescue him buy biting away at the steal bars. The Piper runs to a river and plays a song whilst a boy is hearing it and becomes uplifted by the sound. The boys name is Wu-Tang and Wu-Tang goes up to the Piper and begs him to teach him the songs. The two become friends and Wu-Tang hides the Piper away in his room so he will not be seen by the towns people, for if he is, he will be killed. Soon the power of the pipe takes control of Wu-Tang and he wants it all to himself. So in the night he steals the pipe whilst the Piper is sleeping and goes off into the night to confront the towns mayor of the Pied Pipers whereabouts. The Piper is hung…

Export Format

PDF

Advantages: It is a good file to store work in because it is accessible and can compress loads of work. Also, it can save large file sizes.

Disadvantages: This file takes up a lot of file space and can take a while to download.

Deadline

Audience

I am targeting my folktale at children but also teenagers and adults because I feel like my story is a great folks tale for kids, however it is quite dark which is why I think older people could enjoy it too. I think children (probably aged between 8-14) would enjoy the tale whatever gender they are because it is just your average folks tale with magic and an interesting character. They would also like the dialect of the story and all the illustrations to look at. I think it might be a bit to dark for any child under 8. I think the older audience would mainly be male because the tale features violence, which is a trait in the media we normally associate with male interests. I think the class of my audience will be mainly middle class but also upper class. This is because it is an original story and a lot of people know it. think people in the UK will like my folktale because they like all the olden day based folk tales; additionally, countries around Europe too. I think my audience would most likely be into all the dark fairytales like Little Red Riding Hood etc…

Production Methods

I am going to use Adobe Photoshop to make my pages. I will use the shape tools and hen rotate and warp them after I have made a shape around something. I will lower the opacity when I am warping so as I can see what I am trying to cover because this will make my work tidier and look better. Then I will double click on the layer picture so as I can chose a colour, then I will turn the opacity up to 100% so as it is just one clear colour and this is how I will get my comic book effect. I want my colours to all be fairly bleak and nothing to luminous because I want the pages to have an excellent contrast of colours and represent a dark theme.

What are the strengths of the proposal? What areas of the proposal need further work?

The detail of the plot of the story. Interesting idea of

continuing the story from the original.

A lot of detail is used for the target audience.

A good idea, targeting your book at adults as well

as children.

Areas of the proposal are missing such as the

production methods box and the disadvantages of

PDF. Also more detail is needed for the advantages

of

The plot dilemma of him being trapped in the jail is

solved very easily . “chewing through iron bars”.

Some spelling mistakes made throughout.

What are the strengths of the idea generation? What areas of idea generation could have been

further developed?

Every image has been evaluated to some extent

which is good… (didn’t have enough time, sorry)

Very detailed mind map with interesting points

used.

More detail is needed for your mind map. For

example on one of the images it says “this is an

image of the Pied Piper” however evaluation is also

needed to accompany the image like why did you

use this image? How did it inspire you?

What are the strengths of the proposal? What areas of the proposal need further work?

Your story overview shows clearly how the story will

go.

You need to talk about the advantages and the

disadvantages of a PDF in more detail.

You need to check your spelling in your proposal,

“buy” should be “by”.

What are the strengths of the idea generation? What areas of idea generation could have been

further developed?

Your mind map shows how you want the story to

be. It gives a good overall view on the ideas you

want to imbed in your children’s book.

On your mood board you need to add more detail

as to why you have chosen the image. You also

need to explain why you want to use the text you

want, and evaluate how this will suit the age group

you have chosen.

You could add picture to your mood board that

show layouts and the illustration to text ratio.

You need to make sure that you finish off parts that

are only half completed and make sure you add

more detail to them.

What are the strengths of the proposal? What areas of the proposal need further work?

Good detailed storyline and a well thought out

target audience.

I feel like you have a good original idea, and a good

starting point in which you can create your book.

You have not finished the disadvantages for the file

format, or the methods that you want to use.

You also haven’t specified the size dimensions of

your book

What are the strengths of the idea generation? What areas of idea generation could have been

further developed?

You have chosen good and relevant images to

portray your ideas, as well as good annotation

which explains why you chose the images.

Your mind map has good detail and shows your

thought process well.

You could maybe add more detail to your

annotation in your mood board, as well as other

ideas on your mind map instead of it just being

focused on your chosen fairytale, for example

different techniques and methods you could use.

Feedback Summary

Sum up your feedback.

I feel as thought my feedback makes sense because the negatives were about the fact that I have some work missing which I can understand because I do.

Which parts of your feedback do you agree with and why?

I agree with person 3 who says I have an “original idea”. I agree with everyone's comments on my Story Overview part because I did put some thought into how the story will go etc…

Which parts of your feedback do you disagree with and why?

I disagree with person 3 who said my mood board shouldn’t be 100% focussed on my story because I think it is good my mood board is 100% about the story as it shows I have a clear idea about what book I want to make.

StoryboardsMy story mostly carries on from the original, however a few things are different. Instead of the piper leading the children out of Hamelin, he gets caught and taken to jail.

Storyboard After the ambitious pursuit the Pied Piper faced to lead the troublesome rats far far away from the town of Hamelin, he has now been thrown into jail. Full of rage and fury, with a gigantic puff, the piper uses his pipe to call back the rats. Scurrying through the town, frightening all the people, the rats climbed through the jail windows and bit through the doors. When they arrived at the pipers cell, they nibbled through the bars like a wave of piranhas until…Running through the town, surrounded by the rats for protection, the piper made haste to the river which divided the town from the miles of misty mountains that surround it. He ran until his green shoes were painted with dirt and his skinny twig like legs tired and ached. Staring at the flowing river from the top of a large rock, he blew a tune from his pipe and took himself to a captivity of tranquility through the beautiful notes.

A young child, bird watching, gasped in amazement when he heard the tune and caught sight of the piper. He walked up to the mysterious man and asked him if he would teach him how to play. The Piper, alone and in need of a friend, said “yes” to the boy and took him through all the steps of mastering the art of the pipe. He told the boy that it is all about freeing your mind and going to that special place deep within the imagination, where you can be at one with the music and how it will then come naturally.

“What’s your name, boy”, said the piper. “Wu-Tang”, the boy replied with a grin on his face. The piper went on to explain his situation to Wu-Tang. “Then come and stay at my house, I could hide you away in my room and, and bring you food…” With that Wu-Tang lead the way to his house and both kept watch to avoid being noticed by anyone until they arrived.

Original Script

Original Script goes here with link to where it came from

Original Script

Once upon a time…on the banks of a great river in the north of Germany lay a town called Hamelin. The citizens of Hamelin were honest folk who lived contentedly in their Grey stone houses. The years went by, and the town grew very rich. Then one day, an extraordinary thing happened to disturb the peace. Hamelin had always had rats, and a lot too. But they had never been a danger, for the cats had always solved the rat problem in the usual way- by killing them. All at once, however, the rats began to multiply. In the end, a black sea of rats swarmed over the whole town. First, they attacked the barns and storehouses, then, for lack of anything better, they gnawed the wood, cloth or anything at all. The one thing they didn’t eat was metal. The terrified citizens flocked to plead with the town councilors to free them from the plague of rats. But the council had, for a long time, been sitting in the Mayor’s room, trying to think of a plan. “What we need is an army of cats! ”But all the cats were dead. “We’ll put down poisoned food then . . .”But most of the food was already gone and even poison did not stop the rats. “It just can’t be done without help!” said the Mayor sadly. Just then, while the citizens milled around outside, there was a loud knock at the door. “Who can that be?” the city fathers wondered uneasily, mindful of the angry crowds. They gingerly opened the door. And to their surprise, there stood a tall thin man dressed in brightly colored clothes, with a long feather in his hat, and waving a gold pipe at them. “I’ve freed other towns of beetles and bats,” the stranger announced, “and for a thousand florins, I’ll rid you of your rats!” “A thousand florins!” exclaimed the Mayor. “We’ll give you fifty thousand if you succeed!” At once the stranger hurried away, saying: “It’s late now, but at dawn tomorrow, there won’t be a rat left in Hamelin!” The sun was still below the horizon, when the sound of a pipe wafted through the streets of Hamelin. The pied piper slowly made his way through the houses and behind him flocked the rats. Out they scampered from doors, windows and gutters, rats of every size, all after the piper. And as he played, the stranger marched down to the river and straight into the water, up to his middle. Behind him swarmed the rats and every one was drowned and swept away by the current. By the time the sun was high in the sky, there was not a single rat in the town. There was even greater delight at the town hall, until the piper tried to claim his payment. “Fifty thousand florins?” exclaimed the councilors, “Never…”” A thousand florins at least!” cried the pied piper angrily. But the Mayor broke in. “The rats are all dead now and they can never come back. So be grateful for fifty florins, or you’ll not get even that . . .”His eyes flashing with rage, the pied piper pointed a threatening finger at the Mayor. You’ll bitterly regret ever breaking your promise,” he said, and vanished. A shiver of fear ran through the councilors, but the Mayor shrugged and said excitedly: “We’ve saved fifty thousand florins!” That night, freed from the nightmare of the rats, the citizens of Hamelin slept more soundly than ever. And when the strange sound of piping wafted through the streets at dawn, only the children heard it. Drawn as by magic, they hurried out of their homes. Again, the pied piper paced through the town, this time, it was children of all sizes that flocked at his heels to the sound of his strange piping. The long procession soon left the town and made its way through the wood and across the forest till it reached the foot of a huge mountain. When the piper came to the dark rock, he played his pipe even louder still and a great door creaked open. Beyond lay a cave. In trooped the children behind the pied piper, and when the last child had gone into the darkness, the door creaked shut. A great landslide came down the mountain blocking the entrance to the cave forever. Only one little lame boy escaped this fate. It was he who told the anxious citizens, searching for their children, what had happened. And no matter what people did, the mountain never gave up its victims. Many years were to pass before the merry voices of other children would ring through the streets of Hamelin but the memory of the harsh lesson lingered in everyone’s heart and was passed down from father to son through the centuries.

http://shortstoriesshort.com/story/pied-piper-of-hamelin/

Final Script

Final script goes here.

Digital Flat Plans