Beamuse Designs

In learning the art of storytelling by animation, I have discovered that language has an anatomy – Walt Disney

Some say telling stories is a gift, and some say it comes with reading. However, telling stories doesn’t mean you need to hold a pen and write it, perhaps you do need to craft a skeleton in point form. That said, in this write-up, I’ll be sharing on incorporating creative storytelling basics into my students’ projects for both my course subjects – Digital Video and Digital Animation 1 (2D Animation). I will focus on how the narrative thread weaves everything together, giving the project purpose and direction.

For the semester of April 2024, I was entrusted with teaching Digital Video and Digital Animation 1 where the students are guided and trained in the technical aspects of production. Students are trained to observe and use the basic tools to craft a production that is worthy of commercial value. Nonetheless, keeping to my main focus, I’ll discuss how I guide my students to incorporate storytelling into their work, ensuring they not only engage their audience but also effectively convey their intended message.

Every story begins with a core idea or message.

Before diving into any exercise be it a simple class exercise, assignment or project, I make it a point to consider their driven goal – what they want their audience to feel or understand. This could be an emotional journey, a moral lesson, or even a simple yet powerful statement. The key is for them to have a clear understanding of the “why” behind their story, as this becomes the foundation upon which all other elements are built. To further emphasize this a small case study discussion is shared in the class that features some existing productions that ranges from amateur work to professionally.

As a good story needs a beginning, middle, and end—a structure that helps guide the audience through the narrative, it’s also crucial to have well-developed characters and a compelling setting. In this case, we can delve deeper into how Shiki’s winning entry “Banana Kid” not only addresses the issue of youngsters struggling with their mother tongue, but also explores the broader themes of cultural identity and the challenges of navigating between different cultural worlds. She demonstrates a creative narrative build-up through her character development with the support sound and music effects with color treatments.

That said, in Digital Video, this structure is crucial as it dictates the pacing and flow of the film; and for 2D Animation, the structure helps in planning scenes, character development, and key animation sequences. Bringing this into practice, I often ask my students to create a storyboard or a simple outline before they begin their projects. This not only keeps their ideas organized but also ensures that the story remains cohesive and doesn’t lose its direction as they move forward. It also engages and captures the students’ remembering skills as the constant practice of storyboarding and/or outlining prior to a project would become an innate practice.

Characters are the vessels through which stories are told.

Whether it’s a protagonist or an antagonist, or in simpler terms a hero or a villain in a short film or a figure in an animation, well-developed characters bring depth to the narrative with a strong tendency to carve an impact into its audiences. Taking into thought, we have some of the famous characters that are now icons created during the Golden Age of Animation era such like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny or the newfound screen heroes and villains (Ironman, Captain America, Thanos, etc.) made known by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thus, I encourage my students to think beyond surface traits and explore their characters’ motivations, backstories, and arcs. In 2D Animation, this might involve designing characters whose visual elements reflect their personalities or roles in the story. In Digital Video, it’s about capturing these traits through performance, dialogue, and visual cues.

When delving into Digital Video and 2D Animation, the visual aspect of storytelling is paramount. My students learn to use color, composition, and movement to convey mood and emotion. For example, in a 2D Animation project, a scene might shift from warm tones to cool tones to reflect a change in a character’s emotional state. In Digital Video, camera angles and lighting are tools that help tell the story without needing words. I push my students to think about how every visual element they choose contributes to the overall narrative.

Drawing emotional “call-to-action” with SDGs

In today’s world, creative storytelling isn’t just about entertainment—it’s also a powerful tool for raising awareness and promoting change to mindsets and societies. As educators, we too have a responsibility to prepare our students not only for their careers but also for their roles as global citizens and role inspirational models. That’s why I emphasize the importance of integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their projects.

With the emergence of the SDGs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2021, we would notice how it covers a wide range of global challenges, from climate action to gender equality, and offers a rich source of inspiration for storytelling. By educating my students about these goals, I encourage them to think critically about the world around them and use their projects as platforms for advocacy. Whether it’s highlighting the impact of environmental degradation in a Digital Video project or addressing social justice issues through a 2D Animation, the thought and act of incorporating the SDGs allows students to add depth and relevance to their stories.

Visual storytelling of one kind or another has been around since cavemen were drawing on the walls – Frank Darabont

Additionally, this approach helps students understand the broader aspects in which their work exists. It pushes them to reflect and consider the societal impact of their stories and to create content that not only for entertainment but also serves to informs and inspires action. The educational focus on the SDGs ensures that the stories my students tell are not just creative, but also meaningful and aligned with the global efforts towards a more sustainable and equitable future.

Moving forward, I incorporated the theme of International Design Day 2024, “Is it Kind?” into my teaching. Through the subtle insertion of this theme, students were encouraged to reflect on the ethical dimensions of their creative work, prompting them to ask themselves: Does the story they are telling promote kindness? Does it foster understanding, empathy, and positive change?

Through this incorporation into their projects, the students were able to ensure that their narratives contributed to a kinder, more compassionate world, be it addressing serious global issues or crafting light-hearted animations. Additionally this prompt made openings for me to guide them into driving the underlying messages to be aligned not only with the IDD 2024 theme but also the Taiwan International Student Design Competition 2024 wherein the driven theme was “Equality”. This reflective practice aided students to understand that storytelling showcases more than creativity – it is also about responsibility.

Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today – Robert McAfee Brown

That being said, I’d like to highlight some of the exemplary works created by my students. These projects demonstrated the integration of creative storytelling, the SDGs and the mentioned themes. Hence being able to demonstrate how, with thoughtful guidance, students can achieve creative yet powerful narratives that desires to resonate with the audience and to inspire a positive change in society.

1. Puppet – Lim Yi Yan, Koo Yin Thong, Ng Xin Di, Wong Zheng Yi: This short tackles the theme of women empowerment, while subtly weaving in the elements of equality and the need for mental wellness. The narrative arc is tightly structured with the emphasis of signs and symbols incorporated to compel deeply with the audience.
   
2. Work & Play – Tursina Mohd Zain, Jamie Allyson Tan, Koo Jia Jet: Focused on the theme of good health and well-being, this animated short uses innovative visual storytelling techniques to address how one may be driven into a pitfall due to negligence and pressure. The use of simple lines, colors and composition is particularly noteworthy, as it enhances the emotional impact of the story.
   
3. Black Cat – Tan Shi Jie, Lim Shun Khor, Boo Yu Xuan, Tee Jun Yong: Addressing the theme of kindness towards animals, this animation stands out for its strong alignment with the SDGs, particularly Goals 4 and 12. The story is told with a sense of empathy and understanding, encouraging the audience to reflect on their own actions and behaviors.
   
4. A Change for the Better – Ashley Teh, Karina Boltenkova: A creative exploration of color and treatment to achieve the Wong Kar Wai-feel while pushing the boundaries of traditional narrative structures. The desired theme to address in this film strongly resonates with Goal 8 while desiring to resonate a voice for the silent among the audience.

While certain storytelling principles remain consistent, I believe in fostering a classroom environment where students have the creative freedom to explore and experiment with the tools and techniques provided. This might involve exploring non-linear narratives, abstract visual styles, or unconventional storytelling techniques inspired by some of the renowned directors in the entertainment world. Both Digital Video and Digital Animation offer ample opportunities for innovation and with an added push, I would encourage my students to challenge the boundaries of traditional storytelling. Therefore, aiding them to develop their unique voices while also preparing them for the dynamacy and demands of the creative industry.

Teaching creative storytelling is more than just guiding students through scripts or sequences of images – it is about leading them in a way to connect with their audience on an emotional level. Hence, further emphasizing my goal to instill in my students the skills to craft experiences that sings, whether they choose to follow traditional path to carve out new storytelling approaches. Through the integration of the SDGs and the various themes, my students not only become skilled storytellers but also thoughtful, responsible creators who understand the power of their work can influence a new shape to a better world.