#the way that rogue's powers activating when they did puts such a strong boundary on her childhood

[ravnicaforgoblins]

Ravnica for Goblins

More Awesome NPCs of Ravnica

NPCs are one of the most important tools in a DM’s campaign. Your assorted guards, informants, bartenders, hench-persons, random civilians, and, of course, your quest-givers. Optimistically, you hope to have certain NPCs stick around for a while to have the party build a relationship with them, as opposed to getting murder-hobo-ed because your party doesn’t like their attitude. Which is why it’s so great that Ravnica is filled with cool NPCs who are definitely stronger than your party (for a while)!

A couple notes; I already did a list of Awesome NPCs, focusing on the Ladies of Ravnica, so this time I thought I’d try and give the boys (and Melek) some spotlight. Secondly, as I’ve by now made annoyingly apparent, I’m focusing on characters in the modern era of Ravnica, i.e. after the Decamillennial, because everything before the Decamillennial is a nightmare to figure out and you don’t need that headache.

Tajic, Blade of the Legion

You can’t have the Boros without Tajic. Well, you can, but you don’t want to. Tajic is the Legion’s Champion as well as their Mazerunner, and embodies all the ideals the Legion stands for. Unity, strength, passion; an unbreakable shield against all who would threaten Ravnica’s citizens. He is technically considered a Firefist, but special considerations should be made to give him the flavor he really deserves. Both of Tajic’s MTG cards have had some manner of protection against damage when involving other creatures. In addition, Firefists are actually primarily spellcasters, whereas Tajic is never seen without a blade in his hand or his name. So, to sum up, take a Firefist, add in some manner of damage resistance or even immunity contingent upon having allies present, throw in a weapon trick or two for his big wavy sword, and ta-da! You’ve got Tajic!

Momir Vig, Simic Visionary

I know I said no pre-Decamillennial, but Momir Vig is a special case. Technically, the former Guildmaster is dead, but the shadow of his reign still lingers over the Simic Combine. Momir Vig symbolizes everything Ravnica fears about the Combine; progress without restraint. Vig’s cytoplasts were oozes designed for personalized evolution in subjects to correct flaws and deficiencies (regrowing lost limbs, bolstering weakened immune systems, extra brain cells, etc). The only problem is that the project worked so well that Vig stopped seeing the need for consent, creating a new form of cytoplast that only needs to touch a host to bond with it. This raised some understandable concerns among Ravnican citizens, as well as the other Guilds. These concerns went to 11 when Vig’s Project Kraj, a gargantuan organism composed of thousands of cytoplasts, was activated to purge Ravnica and start over with a fresh slate. They went to a further 12 when Vig was killed, Project Kraj summoned every cytoplasm back to it (maiming, crippling, or killing a large number of hosts), and proceeded to go on a rampage that only ended after it ate Rakdos and went into a coma.

Momir Vig is exactly the kind of mad scientist to escape the grave, go underground, and continue his research unimpeded until it’s ready. A Rogue Guildmaster with no boundaries, or as we like to call it, a ready-made Big Bad.

Melek, Izzet Paragon

As with Vig, Melek is canonically dead, but that sort of “dead” that could conceivably be temporary if the story requires it. Melek is a Weird designed by Niv-Mizzet himself to be the Izzet Mazerunner. A certain sparkmage had other ideas however, so he absorbed the sentient being of pure elemental energy into himself at the start of the Maze and took its place, then tried to shock the other runners to death because, you know, winning. But following the physics principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed into a different form, it’s believable that Melek could return someday. Probably with a grudge against said sparkmage. Melek is a fascinating build, combining high-level spellcasting with complete elemental resistance or possibly even immunity. Basically, a wizard who can tank. Even more intriguing, any lab run by a being composed of pure energy would be calibrated to channel said energy, possibly allowing short-range teleportation within said lab. This is a brilliant exercise in lair mechanics, so don’t hold back. Lest we forget Melek is a personal project of the Firemind, aka, the single most brilliant, powerful, and egocentric fire-breathing ancient dragon wizard in Ravnican history.

Tomik Vrona, Distinguished Advokist

Given the Orzhov Syndicate’s seeming fascination with being a faceless hierarchy of priests, lawmages, ghosts, tax collectors, etc; it’s nice to have another face with a name. Tomik Vrona is a lawmage who apprenticed under Teysa Karlov herself, making him a master of Ravnican law. It also makes him uncharacteristically open to relationships with other Guilds, as he is effectively Teysa’s link to the outside world during her imprisonment. Tomik carries a strong respect for the law, but is a passionate lover of interesting & creative loopholes. In short, he’s not inherently evil/greedy like most of the Syndicate, but still has ambition in spades. He prefers to use gargoyles for transportation, treasures every book he owns, and is canonically dating/living with that hot-tempered sparkmage mentioned previously. Whether the relationship is public or not is up to you. I personally see it as a measure of trust between the NPCs and the party; it’s a pretty controversial pairing of Guilds. It could even be a Romeo & Juliet (Julio?) kind of affair, just putting that out there.

Vorel of Hull Clade

If Momir Vig represents the dark side of the Simic Combine’s experiments, Vorel represents the infinite possibility they can offer. A former Gruul shaman, he made the decision to give up a piece of his clan’s territory to a Boros Legion garrison to better fortify their home turf, and was nearly killed when they turned on him for perceived cowardice. Vorel escaped and joined the Combine, where he was given Merfolk traits and an environment that embraced his ideas & strategic thinking. Vorel is extremely grateful to his new Guild, and believes himself to be an example of how anything is possible through the Simic, no matter one’s origins. His strong passion & drive have led to great breakthroughs, but he’s definitely more emotionally-driven than most Simic researchers. Here is a Biomancer that isn’t afraid to get dirty or bloody in combat. This could be a fun experiment in crafting a Simic Melee Weapon.

Tolsimir Wolfblood, Ledev Guardian

You know that one leader elf in fantasy stories who everyone else takes orders from but never fights themselves? Yeah, this isn’t that elf. This is what you wish that elf was, a warrior archer who leads his soldiers into battle atop a giant dire wolf and kicks some serious ass. The Ledev are Selesnya’s elite mounted force, skilled fighters, archers, swordsmen, and even spellcasters. They are the cavalry, the breaking dawn on Hornburg, the “oh shit” in an enemy’s mouth. Please don’t make the mistakes of countless fantasy novels by being on bad terms with such badass warriors. Having any member of the Ledev behind you should be a boost to the party’s courage & resolve. Having Tolsimir fight alongside you should be one of the greatest honors of your life. The chance to finally recreate that “besties” relationship between Legolas & Gimli as you see who can kill the most enemies in battle.

Domri Rade, City Smasher

I hesitate to include Domri, I genuinely do. He’s a scraggly little punk who nearly brought about the destruction of the Gruul (and all of Ravnica) ultimately because he was too weak and too stupid. I include him here out of respect for the lore, but you can honestly do better. Domri Rade was considered too small & weak for any Gruul clan, so he instead bonded with the savage animals of the Rubblebelt, eventually discovering he could incite them into stampedes at will. This new power finally granted him admission into Borborygmos’ own Burning Tree Clan, but he panicked during the burial rite of passage and planeswalked away for the first time. Eventually he learned to control his powers, returned to the Rubblebelt, challenged Borborygmos for leadership of the Burning Tree clan, and won by sending wave after wave of stampeding boars to trample the cyclops Guildmaster. He was enlisted by Nicol Bolas to help destroy Ravnica, and failed to realize that meant him too as an eternal ripped out his Planeswalker Spark, killing him. Domri Rade is basically a cheap knockoff of Garruk Wildspeaker, only smaller and weaker and dumber and infinitely less dangerous. He is, however, considered by many to be an omen of the End-Raze, heralding the return of the Boar God Ilharg and the burning down of Ravnica by the Gruul who follow the Old Ways. So maybe play up that angle if you include him in your campaign.

Ral Zarek, Izzet Viceroy

If you only include one NPC from any of my lists in your Ravnica campaign, you must include Ral Zarek. Failing to do so is denying your players the opportunity to interact with the single coolest character in Ravnica. He beats out Vraska for the sole reason that he’s a much more public & accessible figure than the Gorgon Assassin, and an unexpected encounter with him is significantly less likely to end in your death/petrification. Between his good looks, cocky grin, brilliant mind, and lightning powers that put Thor to shame; Ral is certain to make any situation more interesting. He’s a great contact to have within the Izzet, a brilliant researcher, extremely talented with designing gadgets or magic items, an astonishingly powerful magic user, and a fun guy to hang around with. He can definitely have a temper on him, so understand when to back away. Hint: His hair turns from black to white when his electromancy powers are activating. You’ll also probably notice the sounds of static discharge building up around him, perhaps a faint smell of ozone, crackling energy coming from his gauntlet, and, oh yeah, his eyes glow and his smile turns into a growling grimace of death as he fills you with lightning. Whether by design or accident, Ral is basically the mascot for Ravnica, and it’s almost unthinkable for him to be absent from a campaign set there.

[lunarwondcr]

❝ I accept the fact that tomorrow will come. And I'm going to rise to meet it. ❞

(img cred: x)

STATS ;;

Name: Donna Troy

Alias: Wonder Girl I / Troia 

Age: 104 / appears 30 

Occupation: Photographer / Co-Owner of Aurora Photography Studio / Superhero

Gender: Cisgender female.

MBTI Type: ISFP (The Adventurer) 

Height: 5'9″.

Weight: 168 pounds.

Sexuality: Bisexual.

Affiliations: Themyscira, The Amazons, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Titans, Justice League of America, The Nomads (?) 

Species: Themysciran / Amazonian 

POWERS / ABILITIES ;;

Divine empowerment, accelerated healing, superhuman speed, strength and agility, flight, longevity, enhanced charisma. 

In her armour, Donna also possesses a pair of arm bracers strong enough to deflect bullets and the silver lasso of persuasion. 

Additionally, Donna has been trained by the Amazons in all forms of combat through thousands of years and with a plethora of weapons, although she has a particular proclivity for staff-like weapons.

TRAITS ;;

+ Grounded; Where Diana may seem out of time, just a fraction out of step with the rest of man’s world, Donna has adapted in a very different way. She feels like a natural fit in this world and has the energy of “one of the boys” - easy to get along with and grounded in a way that other superheroes from outside man’s world so often are not. She’s quick to adapt with the times - both in knowledge and behaviour. This enables her to keep a good head on her shoulders, despite the swirling mess of history that comes along with her past. It’s very obvious that this flexible, easy to adapt nature is a coping mechanism for the longevity of her life and the rapidly changing world but it makes her an easy person to get along with and a teammate that is reliable on every count.

+ Charming; Part of this charm likely comes from Donna’s enhanced charisma - an ability that makes it nigh on impossible to lie to her face - but even without that, the odds are that Donna Troy would be a charismatic woman indeed. Approachable and funny, she is most at home when she is making others laugh and feel at ease around her. In truth, she’s very talented at it - teasing without ever being cruel, flirtatious without crossing boundaries, sheepish without self-deprecation. It’s a fine line to walk but often, Donna seems to do it naturally and it goes a long way in making people trust her. Of course, when she wants to weaponize this charisma, it’s even harder to deny her the truth or even what she wants from you.

+ Loving: Oh god, Donna Troy has so much love to give. So much that it seems to overflow from her very being. She is fiercely devoted to those she loves and there are plenty of those people - whether it be as simple as loving those she works with for their talent or loving her friends for their loyalty to her or adoring the very bones of her sisters for every atom in their bodies. She is affectionate in so many ways - from offering ‘date nights’ with dinner and drinks to unwind to wrapping anyone into one of the best hugs they could ever ask for to telling them, often and sincerely, that she loves them. For a superhero, Donna is remarkably open and frank about just how deeply she loves and she knows it often surprises the Gotham-adjacent people she calls friends. 

- Insecure: As is often the case when you are created to be someone’s mirror - a thing that definitely happens in all spheres of life, right? - Donna often struggles with the idea of her own identity. This is less of an issue these days but in her youth, she was plagued heavily with the concept of what it meant to be so closely aligned with Diana while still being very much her own person. On hard days, these feelings still rear their heads and she is forced to grapple with them and remind herself that she is not Diana and that is her strength. She has never found fault in Diana for this, ascribing the blame firmly with herself - even if that isn’t entirely accurate either.

- Blind Faith;  The flipside of Donna’s incredible loyalty is that she oft suffers from blind faith. She puts her utmost trust in the people she considers her friends and therefore, often makes the mistake of assuming that their values and morals will always align with her own. This isn’t always true and, when they inevitably disappoint her and the faith she puts in them, Donna can be easily wounded and lash out in ways that can seem unfair. She holds everyone to her own standards - and they can be high - and puts an immense amount of faith into the idea that they will always ascribe to these standards.

- Merciless; It’s not that Donna lacks mercy. She has quite a remarkable store of it, actually. However when that store of mercy has been used up? When you cross the lines of what she thinks is acceptable and show no remorse? Well then. Donna will always offer a hand rather than a fist to a fallen foe but when she decides you have gone too far, there is a ruthlessness within her - a steel heart that will do what needs to be done and she will do it herself. She is no coward and if someone must die at her whim, they will do so by her hand. It is not often that the charming, affable Donna takes a life but she can be downright stony when she does so.

PAST ;; 

Donna's story began not with a conventional birth from womb to cry. Instead, her story started upon a potter's wheel, as strange as it may sound. In the wake of her daughter's birth, Queen Hippolyta of Themyscira took to the wheel and began to sculpt a fine looking child from clay, a near perfect representation of her own daughter, Diana. This clay-child, not yet formed, would become a near double of her daughter and therefore, the perfect stand-in for her should young Diana's life ever be endangered.

It was perhaps not the kindest thing for Hippolyta to consider, despite being motivated through the urge to keep her daughter safe from harm. A noble motivation perhaps but one that, even in such early years, did not sit well with Diana. When the young girl overheard a conversation about how the clay-child would be raised to be a perfect mirror of her, Diana told her mother in no uncertain terms that it was an incredibly unfair thing to do. Right as she was, Hippolyta acquiesced to her daughter's wishes and so, the sculpted child was put aside, no breath in her chest and no flush in her flesh.

And so it remained for years upon years. The next time Hippolyta even thought of the clay-child was in the wake of tidings of rage and war and the end of all things. Diana had gone from Themyscira, making the choice to leave behind her ancestral home in favour of doing good. It was an admirable choice, truly, and yet Hippolyta was left quite alone. Antiope fallen in battle, so many casualties in such a short space of time. Yet the child still lay, untapped potential. Hippolyta took the child from its resting place and entreated the gods to put life in her breast.

And so they did.

Donna Troy took her first gasping breath centuries after her creation. A child of one was a child of all upon Themyscira and, much like her sister before her, Donna was raised in the throng of Amazons like an entire family. Everything was good for a while. She brought joy to the island which had once been so plagued with worry and grief and she got to live - something that seemed almost impossible before. Diana's shadow loomed over the island however and, in her youth, Donna hung on every single word about the woman she had once been created for. She seemed incredible. Truly a hero to idolise and she did idolise her for the longest, longest time. Yet, for all their strength and divinity, there is humanity within the Amazons and with that humanity came the seeds of insecurity. When everyone she loved only ever seemed to mention Diana, Donna began to wonder if she was ever truly good enough for Themyscira or merely a pale imitation of the first daughter they loved so dearly.

These thoughts began to plague her. Did she truly have a place on Themyscira or did they simply keep her around to trigger sun-drunk nostalgia? Donna pulled back a little from those that loved her most and spent far more time alone, learning who she was without the expectation of Wonder Woman above her head. All that soul searching meant she found herself a secure idea of who she was - and that person loved her sister, regardless of the expectations it put upon her.

So the decision was made. Donna continued to train. Head down, working hard, becoming someone her sister could be proud of too. When she was ready, when she had been given her own Amazon armour and a lasso hung from her belt, Donna took her mother's hands and apologised for all that she was about to do. She kissed her mother and told her that she had to go forth into man's world. Hippolyta allowed it and Donna promised that she would find Diana - that they would take care of one another.

She did, in the end. Donna took off into the mortal world, seeking her sister like chasing smoke, and yet, she found her. They found each other over and over again. The reality was better than the stories. Diana was wonderful and incredible and infuriating and Donna loved her, oh gods, she really did. When Cassie came along, their family became even stronger. It was the happiest time of Donna's life, if truth be told. When Diana agreed to join the Justice League, Donna struck out on her own - knowing that she could do so without there ever being ill will between them. She found her own team, working with the Titans for a while and finding friends to call her own there. Donna was a hero in her own right.

And then came a most fateful mission. A meeting between the Titans and Young Justice led to the activation of a Superbot that went rogue. It would have decimated the entire world. Donna Troy sacrificed herself in the name of man's world. To keep the world she had come to love as her own safe. It had been an easy decision in the end.

Her story ended there.

Or so she would have thought.

PRESENT ;; 

She does not know how long she has been dead. She does know that she came to, swinging in the cell of some ridiculous, overwrought organisation of villainy and listening to them detail all the terrible things they'd do to her in order to draw the superheroes out of hiding so they could enforce the Sokovia Accords. Donna decided to bide her time. This place would prove no match for her in brute strength but there was no need to spill unnecessary blood. She gathered intel, prepared for an escape in the dead of night, and trusted that she would be able to do so with ease.

For all their organisation, the ISA did not count on their own guards causing their downfall in this case. One got too bold, too used to Donna's easy, relaxed energy every time he visited, and in an attempt to rile her up, he threatened her sister. He threatened Cassie. Donna doesn't stand for that. It took her less than three minutes to tear the facility from its foundations.

Donna, unsure where to start, took to the internet to scour for clues and, spotting the news headlines about Wonder Girl, she rushed to her sister's aid. When she got there, she found nothing but a scorched out shell of a building and roasted bodies. She had to hope for the best. Hope is incurable.

[ba1bphoebeowen]

The Art of Storytelling - You are a Storyteller

Note taking made during the Pixar lessons for the ‘art of storytelling’. A lot of  the content retraces the information we’ve already been told, but from the perspective of someone in the animated film industry.

I myself am more interested in animated television, but I thought that working through this might be helpful. 

https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar/storytelling

(These notes were typed up originally on a word document so it’ll be messier here than where it was first typed up. I haven’t done all of the activities, but did the majority). 

Character  Story Structure Visual Language Film Grammar Pitching and Feedback

Why do you think you connected with these stories? Come up with at least one reason for each. What, if anything, do these three films have in common? How are they different? Three favourite movies - How to Train your Dragon: This film is about a human and a dragon becoming friends despite all odds, both of them being disadvantaged in some way. I think I was drawn in by the visuals first of all, but later it was the work that the characters put into their friendship. For me personally, I think it was the close bond the characters formed, because at the time of watching I didn’t have this and perhaps desired it. - Tangled: This is a retelling of the fairy tale ‘Rapunzel’. Rapunzel has a dream but is held back by her ‘mother’, and works with a rogue to achieve more than she anticipated. This film has a strong sense of passion for a goal and doing whatever it takes to achieve it, which is an idealistic desire I share with it. It also had a believable and cute romance shush. - Bambi: This older film follows a baby deer growing up and becoming the great prince to replace his father. Throughout the film Bambi endures happiness and hard times, a more realistic look at life despite the age rating, and as a child I think I could relate to this. It also had a minor theme of saving the forest / environment, something we learned a lot about at that age and fervently supported. These 3 films are all visually appealing and were obviously able to grab and hold my attention, and are definitely part of the reason I come back to watch them again. They all feature a character that feels lost and alone for at least one section of the film, before growing into more of a unit with friends and family.

‘What if’ questions How to train your dragon: What if dragons were real? Tangled: What if the princess was the hero? Bambi: What if deer lived in the forest?

What if fairies were real?

What if cats could talk?

What if magic was real?

What if the clouds were dying?

What if earthquakes happened every week?

Part A: Return to your 3 films. Identify the worlds and characters in each. Write these down.

Who are the main characters? - Hiccup and Toothless - Rapunzel and Flynn Rider (Pascal and Max) - Bambi, Bambi’s Mother, Thumper

Is there a character you identify with most? - Hiccup, he doesn’t fit in with the others but finds his way through his hobbies. - Rapunzel, she’s ‘trapped’ in one way or another, and her arc involves a strong theme of achieving her dreams. - Bambi, due to the amount of responsibility that was put on him so young. 

Where does the movie take place? Is it one world or multiple worlds? - How to train your dragon takes place in a single world on a single viking island, in a more medieval era. - Tangled takes place in a small section of a medieval kingdom, between a hidden tower and a bustling fantastical city. - Bambi fully takes place in a woodland forest, in an era where humans have gunpowder. 

Part B: Try mixing a character and world from different movies. Try this a few times and see what happens. - Hiccup in a woodland forest, modern(ish) era. Without the magical element of the dragons, Hiccup might have been in the same boat as he was at the start of his own film. Having a similar threat (as the humans are to Bambi) may be the same as the dragons, however, and perhaps he would try to stop the conflict by communicating with them. - Rapunzel on a viking island inhabited by dragons. It’s likely that due to Rapunzel’s nature she would have wanted to befriend the dragons, much like Hiccup was inclined to do. - Bambi in a fantastical world. Bambi’s story would have most likely been less tragic in these circumstances, as animals are seen as more humanoid to the characters. Perhaps he would have had the support of humans instead of them being a constant threat. 

Part C: Return to your three "what if" statements from the previous exercises. Pick your favorite one. Can you imagine a possible character and world? (Optional) Draw or write about what life would be like in this world. What if the clouds were dying? The main character may rely on the clouds for their survival, for water, or maybe they’re something insignificant that only the main character seems to care about. I think I would want to go for the character living within a larger population, and they are the only one that seems to notice the clouds and their usefulness. This would be a child character trying to warn the adults that something has changed in the clouds, and that it’s a bad sign for future harvests / their survival. None of the adults seem to take much heed however, but the main character feels stuck. They meet someone who agrees with their hypothesis and gives them something magical in order to start their journey, which will involve a lot of time in the sky. Perhaps there are cities in the sky that no one can see from the ground that she gets to explore. 

Always remember your initial feeling / idea when you’re refining something. 

Something that might affect you might not affect someone else in the same way, you need to find a way to get in touch with the whole audience’s emotions. 

Elevator Test: Put the character into an elevator and trap them there, see how they would react in a crisis. 

Step 1: Pick a character from one of your favorite films. How would they respond to being trapped in an elevator? Draw or write a single page about what happens. Rapunzel: She would be quite calm and logical in this situation and would be keen to find a way out.

Step 2: Return  to a character you are in the process of creating and do the same thing. Juniper: She would try to be calm but the situation of something not going exactly to plan would put her on edge. She would try to quickly find a way the fix the problem (pushing buttons, tapping the door to try and activate the missing mechanism etc), and if this didn’t work she would then start to panic. 

You want to be able to imagine the character in any situation and know what they would do / how they would react.

External features, internal features. Sometimes external features can suggest internal features when you’re designing the character’s personality. 

‘Characters have to come from authentic human emotions and experiences’, being based on real people that you know personally. These are things that are hard to make up on your own, especially to make them believable and relatable. 

External Features: Long blonde hair, fantasy-like purple dress, energetic stance. Internal Features: Naivety, optimism, curiosity

External Features: Thin, rough and dated clothing, long face Internal Features: Smart, inventive, stubborn

External Features: Large head, large eyes, spindley but flexible form Internal Features: Curious, energetic, cautious

Return to one of your character ideas from the last lesson. Brainstorm some possible answers to the following questions (Aeli)

Is your character a human, animal, object? - Human, but with some Fae DNA that gives her magical properties. 

What kind of clothing do they wear? - A large celtic poncho/cloak, leggings

How does your character move? - Without much grace, much like a child playing in a playground, but graceful to an extent when using her powers. 

What's the first thing you'd notice when looking at them from a distance? - The conflicting colours between her cloak and hair, as well as the weird shape of her hair. 

Internal features:

What do they like to do? - To explore and to push her boundaries, climbing trees and talking to new people.

What do they fear? - Disagreements, as these often lead to shouting which she is fervently afraid of. 

What emotion do they most often feel? - She’s usually happy, and goes with this emotion, allowing it to motivate a lot of her actions until they get received badly. Her second most frequent emotion is sulky anger. 

How would they respond if trapped in an elevator? - She might try to attack the elevator, hoping it’ll just know what to do.

What does your character WANT? It’s the most important thing about a character, it pushes the story. 

They will NEED to do something in order to be fulfilled or happy, this will be a conflict within the character - what they want and need.

The NEED is the emotional heart of the story, what the audience will remember afterwards. 

Rapunzel: She wants to see the lanterns, but ends up needing the connection with Eugene (this leads her to also ‘needing’ to find out who her true parents are). Hiccup: He wants to fit in with his people and make his dad proud, but needs to instead revolutionise them, doing the exact opposite of fitting in. Bambi: Bambi wants his carefree life, but ends up needing to grow into the great prince he was born to be. (?)

I want to make a cartoon of my own, but I first need to approach my own independence and see how far I am able to push it in order to accomplish this goal. Perhaps I ‘need’ to work on someone else's project?

What do they want most? - Aeli most wants the power that she sees Juniper have, and the freedom it must grant. 

Who do they want to become? - Someone who people look up to, who can solve any problem. 

What might they need in order to succeed? - She needs to realise that not everything is black and white, good or bad, and that some situations are more difficult than others to solve.

What’s the best way to get a character to realise what they need to accomplish?

Force your character to react, what choice would they make and how would that obstacle reflect their character?

Rapunzel: Mother Gothel, her hold on Rapunzel emotionally and later in the movie, physically. Hiccup: His father, who disagrees with him ideologically and later takes control from him - taking his dragon. Bambi: Bambi’s mother dying, as this means his ‘safety net’ is gone and he needs to learn to fend for himself. My parents splitting up meant financial and emotional instability for me growing up, which proved to be an obstacle when it came to doing what children ‘should’ be doing, like school trips, playdates, parties etc. 

Aeli is in a world where she has power but is not nearly as strong as those around her. If someone disagrees with her and decides to use brute force to get their way, there’s not much she can do to stop them. Another obstacle is just how naive she is to the world she is really in, and she needs that knowledge to accomplish her goals. 

Character, obstacle, goal. Obstacles change the character as their arc continues, before they reach their goal. 

The character is formed as the story continues, they develop as it progresses. 

If you get something for nothing, you won’t value it, it’s the same for the character.

Rapunzel: She wants to see the lanterns in the beginning, and realises that she instead needs to make connections with people like Eugene and pursue the outer world. Hiccup: He starts the film wanting to fit in with his village, and realises that no, he needs to flip their beliefs on their head for the good of their future - he had to ostracize himself. Being less ‘spoiled’ with financial gain, I find it easier to do without certain things, and learn to do my best to be prepared for the worst financially. Aeli starts her story wanting to be strong enough to essentially get her way, but as she proceeds she learns that what she wants isn’t always right, and there are many ‘right’ ways of doing things. She’ll still fight for what she believes in, but won’t force it on others if she sees there could be another way. 

Why do we care? What’s at risk if the characters fail - if the stakes are low the film won’t be very entertaining. 

Early in the arc the stakes might not be too extreme, but  as it progresses it might get more and more important that the character wins. 

The stakes should be very important to the character, it should be the world to them. 

Externals stakes - physically what will happen to the character or the world? 

Internal stakes - what’s the character feeling emotionally or mentally? What do they care about, what will happen to them internally?

Philosophical stakes - the values of the belief system of the world (if Frodo doesn’t throw the ring into the fire, the world will be under the control of evil forever). Good vs evil, greed vs generosity etc. Underlying ideas or values. 

Rapunzel: When she was back in the tower, Rapunzel figured out that she was the lost princess, and had to make the decision to blame Gothel, which would make her hostile and would result in Rapunzel being imprisoned more forcefully than before, and Eugene’s ‘death’. This would be a physical stake, perhaps also internal as it puts Rapunzel under a lot of emotional distress. Hiccup: When fighting the ‘alpha’ dragon, Hiccup had to decide to lead the threat away from everyone else, sacrificing his and Toothless’ safety in the process. He lost his leg because of this. This would have been a physical stake, and perhaps a philosophical stake as it changes the vikings’ view on dragons forever. 

Aeli needs to choose to pursue what she thinks is right, in comparison to what her family says is right. She holds the power and the people she loves find her almost terrifying, and she needs to put her own desires aside for their sake. The relationships she has are at stake in this situation, as well as her safety. This is a physical stake, but could also count as an internal one, as her stubbornness and pride are pulled into question. Perhaps it could even be philosophical due to the decision being one that many people make at some point in their life, but it doesn’t reflect the world very much. 

What do you want the audience to know, and when? Introduction, buildup and pay off, it’s important to get the order right otherwise it won’t have an impactful affect. 

Structure can affect how the audience reacts.

The structure of the story is the most important part, before you start to work on dialogue and the extra bits. It’s the concrete foundation of the story, and needs to be solid before adding anything to it. 

Story beats: the most important parts of your story. Don’t get into a detailed plot, but identify if the protagonist is making a decision that’s important, and if it could affect the rest of the plot. (Buzz lightyear looking at the rows of toys like him and realising that there’s more like him, this would quantify as a story beat).

Story spine: ‘once upon a time, every day, until one day, because of this, because of that, because of that, until finally, ever since then…’

Choose a format (outline form, using index cards, sketchbook, etc.) to identify and describe the beats that are part of the structure in each of your three favorite films

How to train your Dragon:

Beginning:

Once upon a time - there was a viking boy who lived on an island.

Every day - Dragons would attack, and he wouldn’t be able to help.

Until one day - He shot down a Nightfury.

Middle:

Because of this - He learned he couldn’t hurt dragons, even though it’s what he wanted at first. Because of this - He trained and became friends with the dragon. Because of this - the vikings found out about his dragon and took him away. 

End:

Until finally - The boy’s dad accepts him.

Ever since then - The vikings became friends with the dragons, and they respect the boy. 

Tangled:

Beginning:

Once upon a time - A princess was kidnapped for her magical hair. 

Every day - She sat in her tower, never leaving but wanting to go. 

Until one day - A thief breaks into her tower, giving her the opportunity to leave.

Middle:

Because of this - She became close to the thief. 

Because of this - She comes to the kingdom and learns about the lost princess. 

Because of this - When the thief is framed to have left her, she goes back home with her mother. 

End;

Until finally - She realises that she was the lost princess and rebels against her captor.

Ever since then - She’s lived in the kingdom with the thief.  

What are you trying to say in your story? 

The theme is connected to the moral, this is what your character learns by the end of the story. 

Something without a core idea or theme is quite unmemorable - it needs this so that if the audience tries to refer back to it, they can simply summarise the theme. 

Finding out what the protagonist needs is often the theme of the production. 

It’s important to know the theme or moral before you start the story, although this can develop as you work on this. You don’t need to start with a theme, but you need it to be clear before the story is finished. 

 Part A: Describe the moral or theme of your three favorite films. Can you identify the lesson that the main character(s) learns by the end of the film?

HTTYD: Accept people for their differences. 

Tangled: Follow your dreams.

Part B: Think of a story from your own life. What was the moral of your story? What did you learn and why?

Throughout secondary school I thought there were certain things I could / couldn’t do due to a ‘status’ I perceived myself to have. As I grew up I realised that anyone can do whatever, no one cares. So the moral would be along those lines - be an individual.

Part C: Return to the story you are developing and try the following:

Brainstorm ideas for the moral in your own story (return to the needs of your main character from the Character lesson) Aeli needs to learn throughout her story that not every problem has a black and white answer, and this can encompass a few morals. Perhaps the core one is to ‘accept people for their differences’, or to ‘think about others’. She’s a child so it’ll be something simple at first.

Most common film structure is the 3 act structure - beginning, middle and end. 

Act 1: We find out where the story is taking place, and what type of product they’re about to watch, we see what’s normal for the characters and what’s going to set the story into motion. Can also feature an antagonist. 

You meet the character and see their place in the world, and grow an affinity for them, so you want to follow them through their story. 

Inciting incident - will introduce a conflict that will force the character into action. This will generally happen at the end of the first act. 

 Part A: Identify the First Act in your three favorite films.

Who is/are the main characters, and why do we care about them? HTTYD: Hiccup is our main character and we care about him because he is the underdog of his village, and we see his determination to succeed. We also see that he’s picked on a lot, and we sympathise. Tangled: Rapunzel is the main character and we know that she’s been kidnapped, even if she doesn’t yet know. This is already morally bad so we want her to be reunited with her parents. 

Where and when does the story take place? HTTYD: On a viking island. Tangled: In a fantastical kingdom. 

How do we learn what type of movie it is? HTTYD: We see that Hiccup wants to join in with fighting the dragons, but that everyone around him is discouraging, showing that this is quite like an underdog story. Tangled: We have an introductory sequence where we see baby Rapunzel being kidnapped, and we see that she’s entranced by lanterns flying every year on her birthday. We know that she wants this, even though it seems impossible. 

What is the inciting incident? (how is the world disrupted?) HTTYD: Hiccup lets a Nightfury go, realising he can’t hurt the dragon. Tangled: A thief, Flynn Rider, breaks into Rapunzel’s tower. 

What or who is the antagonist HTTYD: Hiccup’s dad is the main antagonist, although he’s not always seen as the ‘bad guy’. It could be argued that his dad’s ‘closed-mindedness’ is the antagonist that gets defeated in the end. Tangled: Mother Gothel, the woman who kidnapped Rapunzel in the first place. 

 Act 2: Progressive complications that make our characters make choices, some that are difficult for them to make. 

‘Beat your character up a lot’. ‘A story with no conflict has no shape’. It’s where you see the most growth. 

Act 2 shouldn’t go on and on. A series of challenges for the character, toward the ultimate ‘fork in the road’ where they have to make the most important decision. 

The low point - when it seems that all hope is lost. They could have achieved everything they want, but they feel unfulfilled because they haven’t gotten what they need. Force them to confront what they didn’t want to confront in act 1. 

Act 2 happens after the inciting incident. There’s often a choice that they can never come back from, or the low point. 

 Part A: Identify the Act 2 in your three favorite films.

What is the want/goal of the main character(s) at the start of Act 2? HTTYD: He wants to become friends with Toothless. Tangled: She wants to go to the kingdom to see the lanterns.

What (if any) is the point of no return or turning point (when the character learns something and changes their path)? HTTYD: Hiccup is pinned down by a dragon, and Toothless comes to his rescue, revealing himself to the other vikings. Tangled: Rapunzel is chased along with her new companion by palace guards?

What (if any) is the low point? HTTYD: Toothless is taken by the vikings, and they all head toward danger that he feels that he can’t save them from. Tangled: Rapunzel is taken back to the tower by her mother.

What did the character learn by the end of the second act? HTTYD: Hiccup learns to let other people in, teaching the others how to ride dragons. Tangled: Rapunzel learns her true identity, and the greed of Mother Gothel.

Act 3: We head toward the inevitable climax. The main character fears losing everything they care about. They face their ultimate test. They need to make choices they weren’t capable of making in act 1. 

After the climax, the characters return to their world, but better than they were in act 1. They’ve grown and everything might seem better. 

They sacrifice their wants for their needs - it’s time to demonstrate the change. 

SHOW that they’ve learned something - the reason you made the story in the first place. 

You don’t know how well the first and second act worked until it’s completed by act 3 - it should be satisfying. 

A satisfying resolution means that the character needs to complete their emotional arc (it needs to be emotional). 

Sometimes the resolution can come with a surprise / an unexpected ending. 

Part A: Identify Act 3 in each of your three favorite films.

What was the crisis? HTTYD: Hiccup and Toothless defeat the large dragon, but they both fall into the flames. Tangled: Gothel chains Rapunzel up, stabs her companion and is about to take her away. 

How is it resolved? HTTYD: Toothless caught and protected Hiccup, solidifying his dad’s trust in the dragons. Tangled: Eugene cuts Rapunzel’s hair, killing Gothel. Rapunzel cries and this brings Eugene back from the dead. 

How does the main character demonstrate that they learned what they needed? HTTYD: Hiccup wakes up to a world where vikings and dragons are living together. Tangled: Rapunzel meets with her birth parents, becomes princess and eventually marries Eugune. 

What was the theme or moral? HTTYD: To accept people for their differences. Tangled: To do what you feel is right / follow your dreams. 

Was the character arc emotionally satisfying? Why or why not? HTTYD: Yes. Hiccup started the film not fitting in and wanting to be one of the proper vikings, but through his relationship with Toothless he stops caring about this, and revolutionises his original goal. Tangled: Kind of. Rapunzel does find out who she is, and follows her dreams to what she was meant to be. She loses some of her naivety from the start, but I’m not sure if she has a strong emotional arc.

 Work backwards. Know where you want it to end, so you know how to set it up.

Expose yourself to as much as you can, as many stories as you can. Find a new story. 

Study structure in films and tv shows, how it would typically go. You can then invent your own way, once you understand what is standard at the moment. 

What is important to you? Write what you know - what you care about. 

You have to be willing to tear it down and try again. 

 The bigger something is in a frame, the more important they are. Everything you see on screen is a choice. 

Value (light or dark) can make something stand out more. 

Line

Where a character looks, it’s like that’s where the audience will look. 

The different thicknesses and directions of lines can suggest different things, these translate into the final film. Can suggest motion, emotion etc. 

How would a line move with certain personality attributes?

Part A: How is line used to convey meaning and emotion within the frame below? Can you identify the primary direction of lines that direct your eyes to different parts of the frame?

The line of the birds beak points you toward Carl, and this is emphasised by the horizon line of the opposite cliff - it’s less prominent but adds to the effect. So we are pushed to look at Carl, and are led to look at the dog and Russell afterwards. 

Part B: On a blank sheet of paper write down two different feelings that you’ve had recently (one at the bottom left, and the other at the bottom right). Visually represent the feeling on the left as a line traveling across the paper to the right. Then transform the line as it starts to take on characteristics of the feeling on the right.

Frustration

Melancholy

Part C: Create a character with just one line and give it a name and short description. Try creating additional characters using multiple lines.

Boffry: A short tempered line, but he has a soft side. 

 Shape

Start with primitive shapes like circles, squares and triangles - different shapes represent different traits the character may have. 

Circle is friendly, triangle is active, square is reliable / robust. 

More detail = more information and more emotion

Characters should be easily identifiable from their silhouette. 

Using basic shapes you can plot out a scene to help tell the story. Notice how these help to draw the eye, how they suggest the character personalities in a scene. A rectangular shape around a character could suggest they feel boxed in etc. 

Contrast between characters’ shapes could also suggest certain things. 

   Part A: Study the above image for a few minutes.

Can you locate the main shapes in this image? - Sully is a rectangular shape, Mike is a circle. They have a rectangular shape behind them, and the shadow of Boo could almost be triangular. 

How does shape influence where you look and what meaning and emotion is conveyed? - Sully being the largest and most stable shape is what draws the eye immediately, and then you read the image from right to left, looking at Boo’s shadow and to Mike, following the rectangular structure of the blinds behind them. 

  Part B: Find a frame from one of your three favorite films. Notice how shapes are used.

What are the unique characteristics that help establish the mood and story? - Rapunzel is conformed into a rectangular shape in the background, and when we look at her we follow where she’s looking, to Pascal. He’s wearing a mini dress, so his form becomes more triangular. As he’s posing in this shot, the activeness of his shape makes sense - Rapunzel being a more stable rectangle makes her feel like more of a background image. The circular table contains the two and we focus on whatever is within that area. - Hiccup is in the foreground here, forming a strong rectangular shape in the corner, and our eyes are drawn to Toothless, the more active of the two with a more triangular shape. The scene is contained by the cliffs behind them, so we focus solely on this interaction. 

On a piece of paper, draw the composition using the simple shapes. Feel free to overlay each frame and trace on top of it with a highlighter.

  Part C: For your own story, identify the main shape for your main character(s).

 What does the shape of the character imply? She’s mostly rectangular with a more circular head. She’s stable and friendly, and her hair has small triangular spikes that suggests her activity. 

Does their shape change over time? Not much, her cloak might flow a lot behind her when she’s gliding through the air, forming more of a triangular shape.

    Space

Linear perspective. Positioning vertical lines can create an illusion of depth, and changing the line density can emphasise this. 

Make things smaller to appear further away etc. 

One point perspective, showing depth at a single point. All the lines converge at that one point. 

Force your eye to know where to look in the image. 

Can make story suggestions - have a character feeling cramped in a space, or the space never seems to end etc. 

Part A: Study the above image for a few moments and then answer the following questions:

How is the illusion of depth achieved? - The lines on the road leading backward, and the cars getting smaller as they stretch behind the characters. The buildings in the background also add to this, but they don’t go very far. 

Are there any objects that show size differences? - The cars and the buildings. 

Can you see how shapes and lines contribute to the depth of this scene?

Try answering the same questions using the frame you found from one of your favorite films. The circular table has a lot of area, taking up most of the screen so it appears mostly in the foreground. The objects in the background are much smaller than the foreground characters.

Here is a partially finished example as a reference:

 Movement

Motion lines extend from an object along its line of action to suggest it’s movement. 

Line of action, an imaginary line that runs down the spine of the character, it guides the pose and makes it feel more dynamic. 

Motion lines don’t need to be blatant, they can be included in the background, framing the movement. This could separate the subject from the rest of the background. 

 Part A: What kind of movement (motion lines or line of action) is implied in the above images? Compare the role lines play in achieving a sense of movement in both.

The cars are being led in more of a direct line, leading them straight into the side of the frame as indicated by the lines. They’re moving really quickly, as demonstrated by the motion lines. The mouse has very fluid movements, having a lot of curve to his spine in his movements. He seems to move a lot slower than the cars do, the straightness of the lines in the cars indicate a lot more speed, which the curved lines of the mouse does not have. Logically a character that is so curled up wouldn’t be able to move very fast, and this comes across quite clearly.

 Part B:

Find a frame from one of your three favorite films which shows movement. On a sheet of paper, swiftly sketch the line(s) of action or motion lines that provide the sense of movement in the image.

  Part C:

Draw a character from your story performing different movements. Use a line of action to guide each pose.

Combine lines of action in a character with motion lines to create a scene with lots of movement from your story. Don’t be shy with your use of lines and shapes!

  Tone

Adjusting the light and shadows can be another way to direct the viewer’s eyes in a scene. 

Contrast is the relationship between light and dark - this can be more or less extreme. 

Our eyes actively move to the point of highest contrast in a scene. 

Everything in the foreground could be darker, framing the subject more clearly, etc. 

Gradients can put across an emotion too. 

We can also control what information gets revealed to the audience using tone. 

 Part A: In the above image, how is tone used to help create emphasis and direct the viewer’s eye?

What mood is conveyed? - We get the sense that the two characters are meeting in secret - the darkness framing them hides them from observers. The only light rims them slightly, the majority of their forms being in shadow, suggesting that they want to be hidden in this interaction. 

What kind of contrast is used (low, higher, highest?) - There is a high amount of contrast between the lamp, the light source, and the characters in the frame, who are a lot more shadowed. 

   Colour

Contrasting colours can divert our attention, colours that are closer are more unified. 

Different colours can demonstrate different emotions and personality traits. Different colours can solely represent different characters. 

Cold & warm colours can suggest different things too. 

Warmer light often represents the end of something / sunset. 

Colour isn’t used very often in storyboarding, unless it puts across a different idea / point, to emphasise its importance in a scene. 

 Part A: In the above image, how is color used to help create emphasis and direct the viewer’s eye? What mood or emotion is conveyed? What kind of colors are used (similar, contrasting, complementary?) The character in the scene is the darkest, contrasting the light, and this is where our eye is drawn first. We then drift over the scene to the light. The colours are pale, suggesting a softness / fragility, and the colours are almost complementary, just toned down. We get the sense that it’s early in the morning, and the character is still weak and tired from sleep. 

  Look up storyboarders from films you like, look at their work, ask them questions relevant to that field. 

Keep drawing. Look at life and draw from this. 

Do a lot of quick and fast drawings with the elements of visual language, and slowly you’ll forget them and it’ll become natural. 

Do really small and quick thumbnail sketches through a scene, see how it works and if it matches what you see in your head, before working on the real storyboards. 

 Stringing a sequence of shots together to tell a story. 

Film is an emotional medium.

Framing, staging, motion, editing.

A scene defines a particular time and location - something that is happening at one point in time before moving on to another scene. It could also take place in one particular arc of the character, where they might change locations quickly but it’s focusing on this one idea. 

Each scene gets broken down into minor beats, following the character throughout the scene to see what new thing they learn and how this changes them through the mini ‘arc’ of the scene. 

Basic Shot Types

Common to start with a wide shot to give a broad perspective of a new environment and characters. Often followed by a medium shot, focusing more on the character. 

Close up shots are good to punctuate more emotional points. 

What do you want the audience to know, and what do you want them to feel?

You want a variety of shot types to put emphasis on certain plot points in a scene, to make it feel more dynamic. 

Framing story points clearly is essential. 

Center frame offers stability or neutrality - easy to direct attention.

Rule of thirds!

Extreme Shot

Extreme wide shots can make details difficult to see, and show a larger world.

Extreme close ups can make it much more intimate. 

Up shots give a character the feeling of power or dominance. 

Down shots, trapped, fear. 

Plant your camera where it needs to be to sell the story beat.

Avoid extreme angles that don’t mean anything, make sure they’re where they are for a reason. 

Don’t use them too much, they’re there for emphasis. 

Rules can be broken as long as you understand film grammar before you do it. 

 Dynamic Shot

Static shots - when the camera doesn’t move. 

Sense of speed, change of focus.

Pan, Dolly shot (parallel to the ground), zoom, tracking shot. 

Reveal information to the audience when you want it revealed, focus on a character during an emotional speech, keep the action in the shot. 

Handheld shots can give a spontaneous and unstable feeling. 

Always keep the audience in mind, what you want them to feel at the time of the shot. 

A moving camera brings attention to itself so you have to be careful with how much you use it. 

Storyboarding

Think about what composition you might want before you start drafting (does a character need to assert more dominance in a shot, do they feel afraid etc). 

What’s the dynamic between characters in your scene?

Complimentary shot - when you have an over the shoulder shot, you want to show the reverse. Show the other character’s over the shoulder, but keep the dynamic consistent (if one character takes up most of the space, keep this going). 

Do rough sketches of the key points in a scene, experiment with different ways of expressing it, keeping an eye on what the composition means. 

Each scene will have a ‘change’, a climax that we build to, even if it’s a small one. 

Camera movements can be sketched out to emphasize the point of the scene further - to focus more on the dominant character etc. 

 Take the most important part of the scene and draw an image for it. This will help you move quickly through the product, letting you see what you want to focus on when you come back to fully board it. 

Research how films are put together, listen to what directors say about their work and why they did what they did to build their film.

Pitch your stories early on, get feedback while you’re still able to refurbish the whole thing. You have to be willing to rethink it.

Do what you can to find out what works and what doesn’t. 

When pitching, let the story unfold one idea at a time (refer to the pitch for Finding Nemo!). 

You don’t have to explain every detail of your drawings, just fill in details not shown in the boards, and be descriptive with this. 

Try to put yourself into the story while you pitch, if it’s an action scene it’ll move quickly, and if it’s an emotional scene it’ll be much slower. 

“Make the movie feel like the movie”, don’t over explain. 

Don’t just read, perform the pitch.

Giving Feedback

Listening to a pitch: Identify what the storyteller wants to say, what’s the point of the story? How do they say the lines, how this relates to the timing or energy level of a shot. How will a scene be incorporated into the bigger picture?

Performance, pacing, does it work?

Start with the positive, give specific examples of the things that you like. Know that the person worked really hard on their pitch, have a sense of respect. 

Make it personal - make it clear that it’s your personal perspective. Use ‘I’ statements. You don’t know how other people will interpret anything.

Be specific, allow them to see what they can do to improve. Don’t be vague on things that they can improve. 

Make suggestions, don’t dictate what you think should happen.”What were you trying to achieve with this, what were you trying to do with that” etc. Identify problems but don’t fix them. 

Digesting Feedback

Try your best not to take critical feedback personally, they just want to improve the scene. 

Focus on the work, not the person. 

Take a step back to analyse the notes that you’ve been given. 

Put some distance between you and your work, take a break from it so you can look at it objectively.

Look for the ‘spirit’ of the note, what problem is it really addressing - maybe it says that a part of the scene isn’t very clear, maybe an emotion isn’t getting across. 

Storyreels

Once a pitch is approved, it moves into editing and is made into a story reel (an animatic).

Timing and sound are very important. 

Start with the dialogue, and time them out. Then add the storyboards, timing these out to work with the dialogue, then you add the sound and music. 

Sometimes the scene will change after being made into a story reel, and won’t have the same effect. 

Cut out as much stuff as you can, shoot more stuff so you have the ability to cut it later. Try every variation of a shot, feel it out and experiment with many avenues.

Tenacious beats talent - the more you want it and the more you work toward the better. 

Apply yourself to your craft as much as possible. The harder the problem, the more proud you are of the solution you come up with. 

Draw for yourself, based on your inner self. Don’t draw to get a job. 

Immerse yourself in different kinds of stories. 

Use your experiences to write your stories.