Unit Task:
Students are expected to absorb core vocabulary and take quality notes. There is no major project yet, but the groundwork will be laid for three upcoming projects. Gender Issues in Literature, Identify Your Character, and Allegorical Narrative Screenplay all use this foundation.
Icebreaking - Patterns in Music Because Patterns Are Everywhere
Because it is easier to detect patterns in songs (3-4 minutes each) than stories (much longer), listen to the recipes in music.
Musicians spend a good amount of time making sounds and noises
Video: 10SPM Who-oo-ah Supercut - Cutting Room - January 27, 2015
Video: The Evolution of Singing "Na Na" in Songs - fr0zenintimeee - November 14, 2018
Video: The Evolution of Singing "La La La" in Songs - fr0zenintimeee - October 11, 2019
Musicians use certain four sound combos in their music more than others
Website: Famous Chord Progressions - HookTheory.com - TheoryTabs (C G am F)
Video: 2 GUYS 25 SONGS 1 BEAT - Ten Second Songs - September 19, 2017 (Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back)
Video: Another Four Chords - Human Jukebox - BennytheJukebox - Benny Davis - July 1, 2013 (F#m A E B)
Video: Six Chords - BennytheJukebox - Benny Davis - July 30, 2013
Introduction to Archetypes
Some things you hear just blow your mind. I read this article announcing in 2010 that Robin Hood is about to me made for the 53rd time. An IMDB search for Robin Hood is huge. What is it about some story patterns and certain types of main characters that are so appealing? The same article says Cinderella has been done 98 times, Frankenstein 117 times, Dracula 162 times, and Sherlock Holmes 217 times. Certainly more since 2010. There are story patterns that are used all the time and main characters that we see time and time again.
Archetypes are all about patterns and the ongoing repetition of the past. There are only so many flavors of people and only so many spices you can add to make them seem different. Stories have patterns, music has patterns, the now rips off the older, and nothing is original. The only thing an author can do is recombine things in different ways, or take something old and freshen it up to match the zeitgeist.
The primary focus of our class discussions and activities will be on character archetypes, also called stock characters. We will single out for discussion the Outsider, the Messiah, the Everyman, and the Voice of Reason. We will talk about the basic role of side characters and foil characters and their influences by analyzing the Father Figure and the Mother Figure. We discuss protagonist/antagonist balance, growth rates of characters. We will analyze group frequently used group protagonist story designs like the Comedy Duo, the Character Twin, The Hero's Journey, and the Five Man Band.
Presentation: Archetypes 1 - Introduction: Patterns, Archetype, Character, Characteristic, Epitome, Adaptation
Presentation: Archetypes 2 - Basic Character Combinations: Protagonist, Antagonist, Character Twin, Foil Character, Comedy Duo
Presentation: Archetypes 3 - Common Character Archetypes: Outsider, Savior, Everyman
Still to do: Detail the Everyman, Add in the Trickster, Expand the section
Presentation: Archetypes 4 - Common Supporting Characters: Father Figure, Mother Figure, Voice of Reason
Everything is a Remix by Kirby Ferguson - Copy Transform Combine
Website: http://www.everythingisaremix.info/watch-the-series/
Video: Everything is a Remix Remastered - September 12, 2015 - Kirby Ferguson
Part One: The Song Remains the Same
Part Two: Remix Inc.
Part Three: The Elements of Creativity
Part Four: System Failure
Bonus Video: Embrace the Remix - TED - August 10, 2012 - Kirby Ferguson
Bonus Video: Everything is a Remix: The Force Awakens - May 19, 2016 - Kirby Ferguson
Bonus Video: Everything is a Remix: Kill Bill - October 6, 2011 - Kirby Ferguson (Will Not Be Shown In Class: Violence/Gore/Some Sexuality/Some Language)
Video: Where Does a Book Begin for You?—How I Came Up with Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson - May 21, 2020
The Hero's Journey
Website: Hero's Journey - Rebecca Ray
The call to adventure
Refusal of the call
Supernatural aid
Crossing the threshold
Belly of the whale
The road of trials
The meeting with the goddess
Woman as temptress
Atonement with the father
Apotheosis
The ultimate boon
Refusal of the return
The magic flight
Rescue from without
The crossing of the return threshold
Master of two worlds
Freedom to live
Video: Breaking down “The Heist” Plot Archetype — Mistborn, Ocean’s 11, and The Italian Job - Excerpt 4m50s - End - Brandon Sanderson - April 14, 2020
Why do people love heist movies? Because we see talented people encountering the unknown and the impossible and succeeding through smart analysis and decision making. It gives us hope against the unknowns of our own futures. It is a pattern that matches what we ourselves want to conquer.
The Ocean's 11
We're going to do this impossible thing (Foreshadowing/Audience Expectations)
Gather a team of Highly Competent characters and one newbie/outsider
Explain the problem, (Talk to the Newbie so you can Talk to the Audience)
Break the problem into little pieces, (Detailed Expectations/Anticipation/Audience Feels Progress)
At the end there is a big piece missing that is not explained, (Mystery/Suspense/Audience Frustrated)
Had that problem solved all along (Surprise/Audience Relief)
Everything went according to plan
The Italian Job
We're going to do this impossible thing (Foreshadowing/Audience Expectations)
Gather a team of Highly Competent characters and one newbie/outsider
Explain the big problem, (Talk to the Newbie so you can Talk to the Audience)
Break the problem into little pieces, (Detailed Expectations/Anticipation/Audience Feels Progress)
Suddenly something changes so that their plans are no good. (Surprise/Audience Expectations Frustrated)
Scramble the team's talents and on the fly assign new solutions using resources from Plan A B C D into new problems EFGH (Mystery/Suspense)
On the fly improvisation is successful (Audience Relief)
Bonus Material - Terminology of the Screen and some whatevers
Collecting for now. Might be an expansion in later years.
"Breaking the Fourth Wall"
Video: How to Break the Fourth Wall - Now You See It - August 22, 2015
The knowledge gained early in the story is often the key to success later in the story.
Animation: The Shadow
Wilhelm Scream - Distant Drums 1951