Storytelling Through Computer Animation
Assignment A2 on Setting
Objectives- Gain practice in thinking about how messages can be conveyed visually
- Learn about thecrucial importance of setting
- Learn to interpret tools such as symbols, labels, exaggeration, analogy, and irony
- Gain comfort in creating a setting in Alice
- Learn to write a brief artist's statement
The Setting: The setting of a story is used to set of the time, the place, and the mood of a story. In good stories, the setting is not selected at random but is integral to the meaning of the story. In a visual media like animation, the setting is conveyed primarily visually. This is also the case with other visual media such as television, movies, cartoons, etc.
The single panel cartoon must use setting a a key way of conveying the message.
Let us examine how this is so by visiting a US Library of Congress website dedicated to the analysis of the political cartoon:
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/political-cartoon/model.html
Here are some key points to understand in the skillful use of setting in a single frame cartoon:
- First and foremost, political cartoons are designed to convey a message in an attempt to persuade the audience! In other words, they are designed to try to make a particular political point. So, after looking at a political cartoon, one should be able to answer the question, "What message is the cartoonist trying to convey through this cartoon?"
- Cartoonists frequently use simple objects, or symbols, to stand for larger concepts or ideas.
- Cartoonists sometimes use labels of objects or of people to make it clear exactly what they stand for.
- Sometimes cartoonists overdo, or exaggerate, the physical characteristics of people or things in order to make a particular point.
- An analogy is a comparison between two unlike things that share some characteristics. By comparing a complex issue or situation with a more familiar one, cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different light.
- Irony is the difference between the ways things are and the way things should be, or the way things are expected to be. Cartoonists often use irony to express their opinion on an issue.
Some of you may know the work of Joel Pett, the 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial cartooning who lives in Lexington, KY. Let's look at some of his work at http://www.newseum.org/pett/page_01.htm. Try to identify the components of each of these cartoons and identify what point is being made by the cartoon (Remember that you need NOT agree with the cartoonist just to interpret the message of the cartoon.)
Your task: (which is to be completed individually, though consultations are encouraged...)
Your primary task to use Alice to create a scene which does the following:
Message: Your scene should convey to the audience about a hope that you have for yourself in your life. This can be a hope you have about some aspect of your current life at Berea, such as your hope for an A in this class. Or it can be a hope for your future career. Or it can be a hope for an important relationship. It can be a small hope or a large hope. The restriction is that it must be a hope which is personal in nature. In addition, this hope must be conveyed primarily visually in an Alice world. In addition, bear in mind the following:
- Symbols: You must use one or more symbols in the scene to convey some aspect of your hope.
- Tone: The tone is entire up to you. It can be comical or dark or whimsical or silly....
- Labels: You may use labels in your scene, but try to use them sparingly as we saw then used in most of the political cartoons we looked at.
Please save this Alice scene as yourusername-A2. (Eg. Mine would be called pearcej-A2 because my Berea username is pearcej.)
Example by Jan Pearce:
An artist's statement helps the audience to understand what the artist believes to be the most important aspects of his/her art and the techniques used to make it. Frequently, the artist's statement is used by artists in galleries to help buyers to better understand the art. The statement should briefly summarize using as few words as possible rather than being a lengthy dissertation. A paragraph of three to five sentences should certainly suffice. You can think of it as an explanation of the piece of art. As such it should certainly answer the following questions:
- What hope is being conveyed and why was this particular hope chosen?
- What symbols are used and why were they chosen?
- Are other tools are employed: labels? exaggeration? analogy? irony? If so, why are they used.
Submit both to Moodle before our next class.