Number 3! Four weeks in and we already have finished half of our final project before the break. These past few weeks have been pretty hectic, and the transition between the projects had not been easy. Since this is the last project in the first half of this quarter, the new system has become somewhat normal. The tough two hour periods have been gruelling but the amount of work our PLP 9 class has put in to our three projects, deserves a well earned break.
The name of this project was definitely one to remember. At first when I heard it, I didn’t have a clue of what it could be. Knowing that this project was based around the Industrial Revolution, I had an ever growing wonder of how the name could relate. Later that day when the project outline was given, I knew that the work ahead would be a roller coaster of ups and downs. As with most other projects in the past, Frankenstuffie 2020 was approached with a growth mindset. I decided that I would just ride the waves of the project and strive to always do my best along the way. I was already wiped-out from our last project, therefore I didn’t have quite the same “oomph”, going into it.
With support from our previous DQ, Rise of the Frankenstuffie project was lead by the Driving Question: HOW DO REVOLUTIONS TRANSFORM THE WORLD? As An individual, I came up with the answer: Revolutions transform the world by fundamentally changing the beliefs and ideas that society’s are based upon. This was revealed both in the Industrial Revolution through the global spread of ideas, and the American and French Revolutions through the spread of political, social, and economic beliefs.
The Ever Changing Road To My Answer…
The launch for this project consisted of the knowledge and skills needed in order to begin the learning process. In this case the skills were learning how to sew, and the knowledge was learning the key concepts of the Industrial Revolution. During this phase of the project, I developed my first understandings on why the Industrial Revolution may have worldwide impacts.
The construction of my frankenstuffie took a while, but after tearing apart multiple stuffed animals and sewing them together in my own creative way, milestone one was ready to be tackled. Since we had a physical creature, all that was left to do is to use our wild imagination to bring it to life. For this part of the process, I decided that I would tap into my inner creativity and let it all out into my Character Resume. Coming up with a name was easy peasy and by the end of that day, Dre had become as real as ever.
By milestone two, my answer had slowly began to form. Taking in all of the knowledge from what we had learned so far, I realized how much the ‘spread of new ideas’ was an out come of most Revolutions. I knew that that couldn’t be a finalized answer, so I continued learning and reflecting along the way.
The final product for milestone two was when we incorporated short fiction and the Industrial Revolution to make a creative short story, using the Designing Texts competency: Have I used writing and design processes to plan, develop, create, and refine engaging and meaningful texts considering purpose, audience, and message?, And the Comprehending Texts competency: Have I applied a variety of strategies to comprehend texts and express an understanding of how texts use features? After becoming masters on short fiction by learning many various skills such as the 6+1 traits of writing, it was time to begin the writing process.
Late nights and writers blocks were just the beginning of the difficulties I faced while writing. I struggled to incorporate all of my previous details from milestone one and two, and by the time that I realized that was not necessary, I was already nearly 2000 words in. Although it was a mentally strenuous process, I managed to have a completed story that met the criteria by the time that it was due. At the time I thought it was a bit of a mess, but when I started to reflect, I realized how much the work was worth it. I found that I not only extended in most of the criteria given, but I added the skill of precise, creative writing to my repertoire.
The forth, fifth, and sixth milestones seem to come with ought warning, and the calm after the storm of milestone two vanished as if it were never there. My answer to our driving question had altered once again. Using knowledge that we had been given from the leviathan book as well as how the Industrial Revolution effected lives around the world, I had curated a fresh perspective on my answer. Not only do Revolutions transform ideas around the world, but the once never question beliefs of societies, can fundamentally change as well.
After milestone four’s screenplay and video planning using the story spine, as well as my masterpiece of a story board, it was time to put my movie making hat on and get to work. I had travelled a far distance from when we first started. I learned how to make my descriptive writing more concise, I had learned new video and filmmaking skills, and most of all I had learned the history of the revolutions that allow me to be writing this at this very moment.
Milestone six was when my patience and determination to express my ideas was put the test. When I showed my teacher my story spine for my video and she warned me of the extensive work ahead of me, I didn’t realize how right she could’ve been. With the previos uses of competencies throughout the project, I really only used them as guidance and to see if I was on the right track. Although, in this milestone I took the creative communicator and the other competencies to heart. I made sure that in my final video I used as many of the applications I could access with this iPad. A few ten-hour-workdays later, I had created a piece of work that I could not have been more proud of. Although it was not Pixar-quality animation, the amount of time and patience I put into the video was incredibly visible.
My film followed the story of scientifically created, Dre and his journey to save his home, Greenland from the bitter chill of the frozen wasteland that the country had become. He ventures to Scotland in the midst of the Industrial Revolution and finds new ideas and skills that may be the solution to the problem.
As with most projects I had learned skills that I never knew existed.
With a finalized answer to the DQ and much needed rest, I stepped out into the light at the end of the once dark tunnel. It was only then that I realized the tunnel was lit all along.
Thank you for reading and make sure you comment any questions you have on this post or project.
Hey Ryder,
Super story and video starring the inimitable Dre of Greenland! If I may say, I think that Dre kinda resembles a cross between a tarsier, an emperor penguin chick and the Pink Panther! It sounds like you did some sewing, too? And then… It’s alive!
So cool to create a new creature and then place him into his own world by composing an introspective, imaginative, as well as, suspenseful, story within which he braves his own abilities and tests his fortitude by confronting a now “frozen wasteland” that threatens his colony’s survival. By facing the unknown, Dre is able to discover the means needed to meet the seemingly insurmountable challenge. By enduring to the point of exhaustion, he is able, at last, to provide the way for his brood’s salvation. A hero’s journey! And, I see that the story incorporates aspects of the agricultural and industrial revolutions into the plot to boot.
You know, I think that you have a talented writing style and great pacing…. And, also, write with uniquely descriptive and original language… just some examples that I like: “the moon cast ghostly shadows on the rabbit’s den” and “the sun intermittently hid between distant, fluffy clouds in the early morning breeze” and “the pale sky was filled with crystals of ice” and “I leapt into the frigid, uneven water”…
it seems that you are really imagining the experience of the character as well as the details animating the immediate surroundings…like was the case, also, as I remember, for the soldier at Louisbourg in The Four Ton Mortar…this really brings a sense of authenticity to the story and makes the reading engaging…
but, writing also can be really, really tough, i think… you mentioned writer’s block in your post…it’s a very creative process and can require a great deal of attention and energy i’ve found, but it’s fun and rewarding too…do you agree?
I wonder if you’ve read some of the classic adventure stories? I enjoyed reading just a few a while back…
And, then, you’ve brought your written narrative to animation! Sounds like you spent some substantial time creating An Echo Across The Atlantic? Well, you obviously have begun to develop skills in the visual arts realm…
What an excellent nighttime opening with the sound of crickets and the flickering light through the windows of the steel mill (the creature lives!) and with the smoke billowing out and, then, the slow zoom in…
Fun how you narrated the story, with accents too! Good use of sound fx throughout too… I wonder what apps you are turning to on your iPad and how you are doing the illustrations? You’ve got so many film elements all going on concurrently…well done.
I dig the shots such as: Tyson and Dre under the foreboding clouds while the ocean waves lap the shore… the speeding train seen through the open window… and the emotional, musically accompanied tear (ha, ha)… and I like the humorous wrecking ball falling out of nowhere!
So, congrats on your fine effort and accomplishment and thanks for introducing me to the world of Dre…
Well, someday, I’d be curious, how you decided on the name Dre? I don’t know why, but it’s catchy…
Thank you so much for the feedback!! Its so awesome that you can follow along with the work I do in class. This video was definitely one of the hardest and it was all made on the app keynote. Im so glad that you liked the specific shots that you mentioned. I intended for those to have mood and and to be the important story telling moments. When it comes to the name “Dre”… well it really stems back to the same creativity of the story. I would say that the ideas come from thin air, but really I think they’ve been waiting there all along for the right time to weave into the story. Anyways, In my recent post you’ll see the final videos of the course. I would definitely say that I came a long way, although, “The Echo Across The Atlantic” video was a crucial learning experience. I really appreciate that you took the time to read the post (which I know was really long) and that you could understand the message of the project. 🙂
Of course, you’re welcome, Ryder…it’s cool getting to check out some of your academic pursuits and creativity…and thanks for letting me know about the app keynote.
I look forward to reading your post about nationalism…
take it easy,