Background Research

For our project, we have decided to make a motivational 2D animation. We'll attempt to teach people the power of being humble by telling a story about a jester and their king. To do this, we first need to know how to create an animation that utilizes the concepts of this idea to its full potential.

The animation takes place in the 15th century, the Middle Ages of Europe. Henry the 8th was a former king of England from 1491 to 1547. He is known for starting wars with Scotland and France. He beheaded around 57-72,000 people. He remarried five times because his wives either did not give him a male heir, were beheaded, or died.

Jesters are servants whose jobs are to deliver messages and entertain the royal family. They first started in the 14th century and are still used today for comedy or shows. They are displayed in odd, tacky, colorful, and immature clothing for humorous purposes. Because of their job, they get the advantage of criticizing royal titles; however, they can take it seriously and punish the jesters.

Teaching morality, or on any subject in general, is better done with examples, so our animation's story will have to contain examples of humility. A way to do this was discovered in the Middle Ages. It was called a morality play, in which characters representing a specific part of society try to lead each other to either good or evil. This format of storytelling makes it easier to explain complex topics simply.