Films Studies and Cinematography/ Project 1: Story Development

24/04/2025 - 30/05/2025 / Week 1 - Week 6

Lim En Yu / 0354452

Films Studies and Cinematography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor’s University 

Project 1: Story Development

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Instructions

2. Lectures

3. Project 1: Story Development

4. Feedback

5. Reflection

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Instructions

Fig 1.1 Module Information

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Lectures

Week 1/ Topic 2: Story Idea

Fig 2.1 Topic 2: Story Ideas

Week 1/ Miro Board

Fig 2.2 Week 1 Miro Board

Week 2/ Topic 3: Creating Character

Fig 2.3 Topic 3: Creating Character

Week 2 Miro Board

Fig 2.4 Week 2 Miro Board

Week 3/ Topic 4: Story Structure

Fig 2.5 Topic 4: Story Structure

Advanced Story Structure

Fig 2.6 Topic 4: Advanced Story Structure

Week 3 Miro Board

Fig 2.7 Week 3 Miro Board

During the tutorial class, Mr Kamal has explained about 3 acts structure. Normally, the story will be divided into 3 parts, and the act 2 length will be equal to act 1 and act 3 plus together.

Fig 2.8 Week 3 Tutorial Miro Board

Week 4/ Topic 5:Screen Writing

Fig 2.9 Week 4/ Topic 5: Screen Writing

Week 4 Miro Board

Fig 2.10 Week 4 Miro Board

Week 5/ Topic 6 Visual Storytelling

Fig 2.11 Week 5/ Topic 6: Visual Storytelling

Week 5 Miro Board

Fig 2.12 Week 5 Miro Board

Week 6/ Topic 7 Film Grammar

Fig 2.13 Week 6/ Topic 7 Film Grammar

Week 6 Miro Board

Fig 2.14 Week 6 Miro Board

Week 7 Miro Board

Fig 2.15 Week 7 Miro Board

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Project 1: Story Development

For this project, we are required to develop the story from each week activities progressively:

1. Story Ideas - get ideas on various techniques such as write what you know, what if statement and character & world.

2. Character Development - from your ideas, develop your main character by visualising his/her external features. Then, give the character some internal features (personality) so that the character would react accordingly when encountering external obstacles as external goals (WANT) which drive the story arcs. Establish the character NEEDS, things that character should learn, change or evolve throughout the story and how it forms the CHARACTER ARC.

3. Setting - putting the character into the right setting such as era, world

4. Story Arcs and Theme - inciting incident, 3 acts structure, log line

Deliverables:

Write a report in word document which consist of:

1. Story Title

2. Logline 

3. Synopsis

4. Theme

5. Character Description

6. World Description

7. Script

Story Ideas

Fig 3.1 Original Story Idea

After I have consulted with Mr Kamal about my story, he thinks that my story idea might be too long, may be the outcome will be around 7-8 minutes. Mr Kamal has inspired me with another idea which is almost similar to the previous one but will be easier and have a simpler concept that will take shorter time.

Fig 3.2 Feedback from Mr Kamal

Second version of story idea

Isadora, a 30 years old woman, who is also the writer of a fairytale storybook is having a tough time. Her book keeps getting rejected, poor sales and creative burnout, and she starts feeling like a failure.

Snowflake, a curious and naive 14-year-old fairy living in a magical storybook world. She loves exploring, making friends, and enjoying her beautiful home. But one day, strange things start happening — a dark and scary monster called The Inkblight suddenly appeared in the storybook world and started to destroy everything Snowflake loves. This is because when Isadora was writing another monster-related story, she accidentally copy and paste the monster from another story document into Snowflake's storybook world.

Even though she’s small and clumsy, Snowflake decides to be brave. She tried her best to beat The Inkblight. She has used all the strategies but still not managed to beat the monster. At this moment she has thought of what if someone could help her and provide her a weapon that could really hurt The Inkblight. All of a sudden, Snowflake's hand appeared a set of bow and arrow with magical power. Snowflake realised that there's actually someone who can hear her and provide help. It turns out it was Isadora helping Snowflake by typing the storyline out. When Isadora came back, she saw the laptop was typing the story itself. The words started to appear on the screen and the story was developing by itself. At the moment Isadora saw Snowflake asking for help, she decided to change the story by typing out the plot she wished to happen.

With the help of an unknown or maybe the god (Snowflake's POV), Snowflake has beaten The Inkblight successfully. By defeating the monster, Snowflake has indirectly completed the whole story of the storybook. The storybook has been published and it was popular and loved by a lot of readers. Isadora became a famous writer and continued to publish more and more good stories after this.

Character Development

Name: Snowflake (Leucojum)

Age: 14

Gender: Female

Height: 20cm

Weight: 350g

Attitude: Positive thinking

Personality: Naive, bumbling, curious

 Fig 3.1 Character Design Draft

 Fig 3.2 Character Reference Sheet

Internal Personality Traits

1. Naive: As she lives in a fantasy story world that does not have any bad things, she hasn't experienced any complicated issue.

2. Curious: Snowflake always curious about new things emerge in the storybook world, like a new species of animal or another giant flower.

3. Optimistic: She always surrounded by positive things, this makes her always think of good side and leaves her with little to worry about.

4. Brave: Although she is tiny, but she does not afraid of anything and believe in herself that she can do it.

 Fig 3.3 Character Pose Sheet from Animation Fundamentals

External Personality Traits

1. Expressive: She tend to express herself visibly and honestly. Whatever she feel, whether is happiness, sadness, excitement, fear, it is easy for others to see.

2. Big and Hopeful Eyes: Snowflake has big eyes on her small face which are orange and yellow tone, others are always attracted by her eyes.

3. Clumsy: Snowflake is a bit clumsy, she often trips, bumps into things.

4. Talkative: She likes to talk a lot, even to animals, flowers, or objects when she’s alone.

 Fig 3.4 Character Expression Sheet

Settings

The Storybook World

A fantasy world inside a magical storybook, originally full of color, floating sparkles, and impossible landscapes. This is the world where Snowflake live in. It's full with various plants and colourful flowers that are at normal size but seem big compared to Snowflake's tiny size. 

 Fig 3.5 Sketch for Background Design from Animation Fundamentals

Key Locations:

Glitterglade Forest

- Lush, glowing plants, oversized flowers, mushroom cottages.

- Home to tiny fairies, talking bugs, and streams of floating light orbs.

The Meadow

- Where Snowflake usually is, she always rests and plays here.

- Petal Stage: A natural clearing where flowers form a circular stage, often used for fairy gatherings, dances, and meetings.

The Inkblight’s Lair

- A cave that located deep in the forest

- Inky vines hang from the ceiling, dripping liquid shadow.

- Broken quills and torn book pages swirl in the air.

- This is where the Inkblight spreads its corruption and grows stronger.

The Real World (Isadora’s Space)

- Small, cluttered room filled with piles of rejection letters, empty coffee cups, and crumpled drafts.

- Dim lighting, cold window light, and walls lined with old storybooks and drawings.

- A neglected sketch of Snowflake hangs on the wall, faded and dusty.

Conflict

Internal Conflicts

Snowflake’s Internal Conflicts:

1. Self-Doubt about Her Size and Clumsiness

Snowflake often feels too small and awkward to make a difference, especially when the world is literally falling apart. She wonders if someone tiny like her could really save an entire world.

2. Loneliness & Helplessness

When everything starts collapsing, Snowflake feels alone and powerless against The Inkblight. She started to hope for a miracle to happen.

Isadora’s Internal Conflicts:

1. Self-Doubt & Impostor Syndrome:

Isadora constantly feels like she’s not good enough as a writer, believing her failed books mean she isn’t talented or worthy of success.

2. Fear of Failure:

She’s terrified that this storybook might also flop, making her feel like she should give up writing altogether. She’s mentally and emotionally drained from constant rejection, struggling to find joy in something she once loved.

External Obstacles

Physical/Environmental Challenges:

1. Inkblight’s Corruption (Snowflake)

The spreading Inkblight makes places dangerous and unstable. The world started to corrupt, trees falling down, sky cracking, everything fading. The Inkblight might try to manipulate Snowflake by showing her false images (like her friends/Isadora abandoning her) to break her spirit. Snowflake is still not capable enough to beat Inkblight.

2. Rejection from Publishers and Social Support (Isadora)

Repeatedly facing publishers’ criticism and poor sales performance of her previous works. Society’s and possibly family’s expectations for her to “get a real job” or stop chasing unrealistic dreams.

Story Arcs and Theme

Theme

The theme of the story explores "Hope, courage, and the healing power of creativity can overcome darkness ", both in fantasy and reality. We should never give up even though we face a very big challenger. If you give up you will be defeated, but if you persist and keep holding hope, you will have a chance to turn defeat into victory.

Final submission for Project 1: Story Development

Here is the final submission document that involve logline, synopsis, character descriptions, world descriptions, story arc, theme and script.

 Fig 3.6 Final submission for Project 1: Story Development

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Feedback

At first, the probelm I face is that if I continue with a detailed story, it might takes 6 to 7 minutes. Mr Kamal has given me some idea on shortening the story but still maintain the essence of it. Then, we have also discussed about some shots of the scene while writing the script.

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Reflection

While figuring out the whole storyline, I didn't face much challenges as I used back the story in Animation Fundamentals. I really like that story very much and I hope to see more developments in it. Also, I can save the time to figure out the characters and the environment settings.

Overall everything seems okay for me, I have consulted Mr Kamal everytime and solved my confusions immediately. The progress was fun! 

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