Page 2 Animated Graphic Stories

Pictures are great, but sometimes animation tells stories more effectively. The internet allows story-tellers to combine animation, film, and interactive elements of video games to create visual stories.  View at least two of the examples below.

• The Boat is a very unique interactive graphic story.
• The Bloody Footprint asks: can we trust our own memories?
  
• Inside Hana's Suitcase is a website to allow people to more closely experience the holocaust story of Hana.
• If you have access to an iPad or iPhone, and enjoy sports stories, The Bottom of the Ninth by Ryan Woodward Art & Animation was promoted as the first animated graphic novel. You can find it in the App Store. (You are NOT required to access the App Store on an iOS device and access this app.)
  
• Watch the animation of the classic book "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan which tells a universal story of immigration.
• If you have access to Netflix and are interested in art, you might want to investigate Loving Vincent, a full length movie made through the incomparable art of Vincent van Gogh and telling the story of his mysterious and tragic death. It is the first fully painted feature film, using 65 000 frames in oil paints, and leaving a legacy of 853 oil paintings. (You are NOT required to acquire access to Netflix to watch this movie.)
  

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Extending your Learning

If you are interested in learning more about creating your own graphic stories (these links are strictly an extension of the learning in this lesson), check out the links below.

Plan and Construct a Graphic Story

In this assignment, you will plan and create a graphic short story celebrating a person, group of people, or a particular event.

You should create this story for a particular audience. You may choose to create a graphic story for

• young children
• elementary school aged children
• teenagers
• adults
• seniors

You will need to specify your chosen audience on the Assignment file.

Consider how you might add a  twist to your story to make it more interesting for your reader.

This is a GRAPHIC story. It must combine text and images. However, the format is up to you. You have been encouraged to examine a number of formats in this lesson. It is up to you which one you choose to use for your story. Minimum length is the equivalent of six frames.

As you create your story, consider the following elements of graphic stories from Lesson 5-1:

Content	Organization	Conventions	Text (Vocabulary)
anthropomorphism exaggeration or caricatures graphic weight icons symbol	flashback gutters sequencing Z eye pattern	camera angles colour contrast framing lines mechanics negative space	labeling thought bubbles speech bubbles narrative boxes

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This lesson started by reminding you that the way to learn to write is to read first and then to write...and write...and write...

As you work on this assignment, gather feedback from others before you submit your polished copy. If possible, share it with members of your chosen audience, and then ask for feedback and make any necessary revisions to make your work more effective.

Have fun!