Storyboard Creation

Watch the following clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuydTstbzbY

You are to make a storyboard based on this commercial.  Your storyboard must encompass the entire commercial from start to finish, and include at least 8 panels.

Story Boarding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYjA8xQHK7Q (Lord of the Rings)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zcmw5WdhH0 (Nightmare Before Christmas)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usnu58pcEOc (Toy Story)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uO9ODbgXQc (Star Wars)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpQwDH98uQ4 (Kid boarding – Star Wars)

Twine Stories

Grandma's Perspective

Abnormals

Scarlett's Double Life

Journey to the NBA

Evil Sister

Unexpected Love, Miracles, Death

The Unknown Plain

Buddies Forever

The Murderer's Wife

Camera Work: Types of Shots

The image above details the eight most popular types of shots in film.  They range from the Extreme Long Shot, to the Extreme Close Up.  

With a partner, discuss what makes the eight types of shots different from one another.  When would a director want to use a long shot?  When would they want to use a close up?  What emotional impact can be achieved by using the different types of shots?

Group Activity:

Find or create a group of no more than four people.  There are fifteen images below.  If we accept that the first image is a "Long Shot" identify the types of shots used for the remaining 14 images.  Explain what makes the different shot types different from one another.  You will be required to compare the images to the Long Shot (or to each other) in order to explain the differences.  

Write a brief passage explaining the variety of shots found in the images below, and detail why at least five of them would be worth using if you were creating a feature film.

Individual Activity:

Choose five images and write two sentences, each, explaining the emotions that can be evoked by using different types of shots.  Rather than thinking about what is being shown in the shot, you should be writing about what the shot makes the viewer feel, emotionally.  And why that shot type creates that emotional connection.

[Note: All 15 images are based on the initial image, they have simply been zoomed in to highlight or exclude information.]

Twining a Short Story

You will be responsible for writing a short story in Twine that includes multiple branching paths, and different endings.  Keep in mind that your short story must include all aspects of the basic plot graph for fiction.

Introduction: This sets up the story, presenting the reader with all the information they need to understand the world around them.

Inciting Incident: This is the moment that sets the protagonist on their journey.  Perhaps their home is destroyed by an intergalactic bulldozer, or perhaps they find a magic ring.  They might meet a strange man on their way to school that sets them off in a different direction.  It could be something as simple as missing the sliding doors of the subway, sending them into the unknown.

Rising Action: These are the moments that raise the stakes for the character.  Each rising action introduces more peril, problems, or actions.  Excitement is added with each of these moments.

Climax: This is when the story is at the most exciting.  Perhaps the protagonist has to fight the evil sorcerer, or destroy the ring, or make it into their office, with only seconds to spare.  This is the moment when everything the story has been leading to comes to a head.  This moment changes the protagonist forever.

Falling Actions: The climax is done, but there are still elements that need to be resolved.  Each of these moments helps return the protagonist's life to one that is livable, without adventure, fear, or high stakes every step of the way.

Denouement: This is the part that wraps up the story, all the dangling threads, and sets up the new normal.  In fact, it's quite possible that the Denouement here could serve as the introduction for the next text.

The requirements of the Twine Story are:

• The Story Name / Authors Name (initials acceptable for last name) must appear in the first "Start" panel
• You must have 25 Twine Boxes.  
• Each box must have an average of four sentences.
• You must have at least five boxes that link to more than one other box.
• All elements of the plot graph must exist for each of the tangents.
• You must have three different endings.

The above image is a visual representation of a possible, acceptable, Twine-Line for your short story.



Knowledge:
- Understanding of the plot graph evident in story construction.
- Understanding of Twine software evident in story construction.
- All assignment guidelines adhered to.

Thinking:
- All diverging paths are well thought out.
- Each permutation of the story makes sense within the confines of the text.
- Each branching path illustrates the elements of the plot graph.
- All assignment guidelines adhered to.

Communication:
- No spelling or grammatical errors.
- Story makes sense regardless of branching paths taken.
- Story encourages a second play-through to investigate various options.

Application:
- Twine exported and submitted to http://philome.la with a shared link.
- Students given the opportunity to explore / read your Twine tale.

Interactive Fiction: Twine - Part One

Step One:
Explore some of the stories created with the Twine system.

Memorial - A brother's goodbye.
Vacuum - A mother's love for her schizophrenic son
Beginning - An RPG Adventure
A Story of Your Choosing - Choose one

For each of the three games, I want you to answer the following questions (Each question should be answered with two sentences):

1. What is the story about?
2. What would be different about this story if it wasn't 'interactive'?
3. What is different about this story, when compared to the other two?
4. What do you like about this story?
5. What do you dislike about this story?

Step Two:
Read through the following Twine and complete the questions below.

Video Games - An introductory Twine-Based guide that explains how to create interactive entertainment

1. What is the pyramid of privilege?
2. What is the importance of verb-based design?
3. What is twine?
4. Complete the writing prompt mentioned at the end of the Twine.

Newspaper Bias on May 27th, 2013

First:
Read the information provided at the following link: http://fair.org/take-action-now/media-activism-kit/how-to-detect-bias-in-news-media/

Write three sentences explaining the best ways to detect bias in Newspaper articles.  Also explain what bias means.   Keep in mind you will have to detect bias in a number of articles.

The Articles:

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/05/27/toronto-police-closing-in-on-alleged-mayor-rob-ford-crack-video

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/27/gawkers-rob-ford-crackstarter-hits-its-200000-goal-to-buy-alleged-drug-video/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-chairs-executive-committee-amid-crack-scandal-1.1310871

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/05/27/mayor_rob_ford_crack_video_scandal_gawkers_crackstarter_hits_200000_goal.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/05/27/rob-ford-video-copies-robyn-doolittle_n_3343234.html

Then:

The articles above were all released on May 27^th, 2013 by a variety of news sources.  Four Canadian, and one Foreign.

Choose, and read three of the articles, and compare the language used in each of them.  

For each article you must complete the following questions:

1. In what way does the newspaper work to make Rob Ford look negative?
2. In what way does the newspaper work to make Rob Ford look less negative?
3. Make a list of five terms of "loaded language" and explain what effect they have

Look at the comment section of the articles which have comment sections:

1. Are the majority comments in favour of Rob Ford or Against Rob Ford?
2. Copy and paste three comments from each article that typify the type of comments found there.
3. Explain why you think those three comments match the common voice of that comment section.
4. Choose which of the comment sections you agree with most, and explain why you agree with it.

Finally

Look up one additional article about Rob Ford from each of the four sources you looked at.  Think about, "does the way the newspaper portrays Rob Ford match the way that newspaper portrays him in the other articles?"  

Write a paragraph describing your personal feelings about Rob Ford, having read the various articles from a multitude of sources.  Be sure to link your opinions to specific details in the articles you looked at.

Write another paragraph describing which newspaper you think shows him in the most "Factual" (non biased) light, as well as which newspaper shows him in the most biased light.