Look at other students’ sequences and try to answer these questions:
Once one is aware that the story is a well-known or traditional tale, it is easy to follow the five scene exercise simply because of familiarity to the relevant stories. I have therefore avoided reading any notes or comments that other students have made until AFTER studying their pictures. My intension is to see if I can follow the shots to tell the story and gather which stories they are attempting to tell.
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Chloe’s “Hansel and Gretel”
https://chloeclikproductions.wordpress.com/category/coursework/part-1-framing/01-frames-in-the-film/
It was easy to ascertain from the first frame which story Chloe had selected, and I was particularly engrossed in her high quality sketching skills ( which of course is not the reason I am studying the piece ). Her frames are clearly explaining the story in adequate detail and I was able to pinpoint the important parts of the story. I did find frame 4 slightly ambiguous and required her notes to set me straight however.
What is the story?
Hansel and Gretel
What information is conveyed in each frame?
1. The children’s father is told by his new partner that the children will have to go ( They are too poor to feed them )
2. A tearful father leaves the children in the deep dark woods.
3. The children discover the house of sweets and are welcomed in by the old lady that lives there.
4. The girl pushes the witch into the oven to allow the children to escape.
5. They are reunited with their father.
What information is necessary to understand the story?
The children banished to the woods by their father as instructed by their new step-mum. The deep woods are scary, and their sanctuary is the sweet-infused cottage which the old lady ( the witch ) resides in. This old lady enslaves the children requiring them to escape.
All is safe and well when they return to their loving father.
What essential information has been left out and/or what is included unnecessarily?
The difficulty to portray the evil intentions of the witch in just five fames for example was successfully described by the frowning old lady. I suppose this is the most complicated part of the story as there are various important points that tell the story in such a concentrated format. She entices the children with the offer of sweets, that she enslaves them to make them work for her and eventually eating them, she is tricked by Gretel and is locked in her own oven whilst they escape. Chloe has managed to tell this well within frames 3 and 4, given the vast amounts of info to portray. With this I cant see any unnecessary information, and information that has been left out can only be conversational or “story-filler” information.
Paul’s “Jack and the Beanstalk”
https://paulslearninglog.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/project-1-frames-in-the-film/
The sketches are rudimentary and tell the story of JATBS with a clearly defined direction. Very successfully Paul indicated, from the very first frame, I was aware of which traditional tale he had selected.
What is the story?
Jack and the Beanstalk
What information is conveyed in each frame?
1. Jack is instructed by his mother to take the cow to market.
2. He is offered beans as payment for the cow.
3. Jack returns home to a disappointed mother with his bag of beans.
4. Jack is chased down the beanstalk by the giant.
5. Upon reaching the bottom Jack chops down the stalk.
What information is necessary to understand the story?
Facing impoverishment, the mother instructs Jack to take their remaining cow to the market to sell. Jack meets a man that offers beans as payment for the cow, of which he accepts. Upon his return, his furious mother throws the beans away, however the beans take root and a beanstalk then grows. Jack climbs the beanstalk and discovers a giant that lives at the very top. Jack steals a harp and climbs back down the stalk, with the giant in pursuit. Before he is caught, Jack chops down the stalk to exterminate the giant.
What essential information has been left out and/or what is included unnecessarily?
Again the tale is rather busy to tell fully successfully within just five frames. Paul has achieved this to good effect, however. I was unaware, or had forgotten the theft of the harp so I was confused as to why he had a harp attached to him. If the giant’s foot had not been in the shot, I would have assumed that frame 4 was indicating Jack to have been climbing up rather than climbing down the stalk. It was not until I noticed this, that I realised the harp had been taken by Jack. I think perhaps the giant could have been given a bigger “part” in the scene, as only his huge foot is seen, but appreciate that perhaps Paul may have omitted him on purpose ( thus allowing the viewer to fear him more, obscurity breeds uncertainty, and therefore develops tension. )
I noticed no superfluous information in any of the frames.
Ashley’s “Cinderella”
http://www.ashley.lauryssen-mitchell.com/2016/02/27/exercise-telling-a-story-part-1/
From the outset again, upon noticing the broomstick and a torn raggedy dress that is Cinderella. Easy to follow, I’m intrigued as to whether yet another busy fairytale can be told successfully in just five frames. I think Ashley has succeeded well.
What is the story?
Cinderella
What information is conveyed in each frame?
1. Cinderella is sweeping up as her ugly step sister or Stepmum head out ( to the ball )
2. Her fairy godmother transforms her dress to that of a beautiful ball-gown, followed by the transformation of the pumpkin and the mice.
3. Cinderella successfully “pulls” the handsome prince.
4. Upon the strike of midnight, she flees leaving her glass slipper behind.
5. The prince finds the girl that the slipper fits, much to the dismay of the ugly sisters watching.
What information is necessary to understand the story?
The stepmum and her daughters treat Cinders as a maid and they head off to the ball. The astonishing Fairy Godmother grants her wishes to attend the ball by transforming her clothes, creating a coach and footmen and of course gives her fetching glass footwear on proviso she returns by midnight. Caught up in the romance of the evening she needs to flee urgently as her deadline arrives, leaving her glass slipper behind. The prince seeks out her identity after a nationwide search with the slipper that can only fit his true love.
What essential information has been left out and/or what is included unnecessarily?
Cinderella is a busy tale, there are lots of essential information that tell the story. Ashley successfully includes as much as is necessary and the tale is told with clear detail. Upon further study I do believe there is nothing I can see has been left out and furthermore there are no unneccessary additions.
a Peter Owden filmblog 