Digital Graphic

Narrative
Development
Benjamin Ashton

Shape Task

Shape Task

Evaluation
What did you like about your
image?
The effects and colour which I used allowed the images to appear
much more realistic

What would you improve if you did

it again?
I would improve the backgrounds and perhaps add more detail in the
animals to make the image even more realistic

Rotoscope

Evaluation
What did you like about your
image?
My image is closer to the original than I was expecting and I was able
to capture much more detail in the rotoscoping process by including
small shadows and light spots in the eyes

What would you improve if you did

it again?
I would improve the background and some features of the clothing
and hair

Film Quotes

Evaluation
What did you like about your
image?
I was able to use the image I wanted, which was low quality and
pixelated by using the cut-out filter to make the image look like a
comic book, I also used a font site to replicate the font from the film

What would you improve if you did

it again?
I would improve the quote that I used, I would possibly use a different
image that is much more minimalistic

Text Based

Text Based

Evaluation
What did you like about your
image?
I used a different method of editing the font each time, for example I
used leading, tracking and different effects such as bevelling

What would you improve if you did

it again?
I would choose an image that makes it easier to read to text as it is
currently quite difficult

Comic Book
(Grimes)

Evaluation
What did you like about your
image?
The image maintained a realistic look while been different from the
source image

What would you improve if you did

it again?
I would pick an image with more background and colour

Photo Story

Evaluation
What did you like about your
image?
The photo story is easy to follow and looks like a comic book

What would you improve if you did

it again?
I would take the photos in a different location because the lighting
was not that good

Illustration

Evaluation
What did you like about your
image?
The image is a very basic idea of a character for my book and it is
simple which is good for a children's book

What would you improve if you did

it again?
I would spend more time and draw several more characters

arrative Environment

Evaluation
What did you like about your
image?
The image has a very similar aesthetic to my book

What would you improve if you did

it again?
I would make a better character for the scene and spend more time
on the landscape in the scene

Initial Ideas

The Matsayuma Mirror

http://www.worldoftale
s.com/Asian_folktales/
Japanese_folktale_59.
html

Yggdrasil
http://norse-m
ythology.net/y
ggdrasil-in-no
rse-mythology
/

The Robe of Feathers

http://www.worldoftales.com
/Asian_folktales/Japanese_f
olktale_46.
html

Idea Generation
The Maiden of
Unai
http://www.world
oftales.com/Asia
n_folktales/Japa
nese_folktale_45
.html

Mood Board Evaluation

My mood boards are themed around classic Japanese art. The

images all feature darker colours which contrast with the use of
red, pink, blue and green. The use of pink and red is especially
apparent in the images which feature trees and plants, this is
because a lot of Japanese art includes cherry blossom trees and
other fauna. I have chosen these images because they all fit into
my vision of what the story would be like, the main character is a
maiden so I got a variety of images from Japanese history all of
which depict women, I have mostly stuck to the same aesthetic
but some are different because I didnt want to limit myself to one
idea in case the other is too difficult to achieve in the timeframe.
The images of beaches, mountains and plants are important
because these all feature in the setting of the story.

Proposal
Dimensions
20 x 25 (10 pages)
Export Format
PDF and JPEG
Advantages: Makes it so the book can be viewed by anyone
Disadvantages: JPEG images are compressed so the image would lose
quality over time
Story Overview
The story is set in Mio Strand, which is in Japan. There are two main characters
in the story, a fisherman and a maiden. The maiden is one of the strange
people who visit Mio Strand. The fisherman finds a robe made from Dove
feathers, which he is planning to keep, when the maiden returns to retrieve it
from him he refuses to hand it over. He asks the maiden who she is and she
tells him she is a fairy, it is never explicitly said where she is from but she says
she is from the Moon and High Heaven. The strange people dance on the
sand in Mio Strand and the fisherman asks to see this dance in exchange for
her robe. She agrees and dances and sings for him, then flies away into the
sky, with the fisherman looking on in awe.

Production Methods
I am going to use several tools in Photoshop to create the book. I
will use images as inspiration and create characters and scenes
using the shape tool and rotoscoping. I am going to rotoscope
elements which require more detail as it is difficult to achieve detail
using the shape tool. For the text I am going to use a font from
DaFont and edit it with the character menu, where I can change the
leading, tracking and size of the text. I will use different blending
modes and image filters to make the pages look more suitable for a
childrens book.
Audience
My audience is going to be children aged 6-8. the story is not
aimed at any gender or ethnicity in particular so this will not
impact the production of the book. The social grade of my audience
would be based upon the parents of the children, so it is difficult to
tell which group to aim the product at.

Deadline
19th November 2016

What are the strengths of the proposal?

What areas of the proposal need further work?

In the proposal you give a clear understanding on

how you are going to produce different aspects of
the book. The proposal also gives a clear outline
the story's synopsis.

In the audience section of the proposal you could

improve upon your detailing by finding more
information on what your audience other interests.
The books audience will also need to include the
parents as they will be buying it.

What are the strengths of the idea generation?

What areas of idea generation could have been

further developed?

The mood board shows a clear understanding on

the what the character will look like as well as this
the mood board also shows clearly what the
landscape will look like. and your inspiration behind
each character.

Your idea generation could be improved by using

images to shows the colour pallet you are going to
use.

What are the strengths of the proposal?

What areas of the proposal need further work?

The proposal is good and clear to understand.

You have spoke about all the different types of
methods you are going to use in the making of your
book and it is clear as to why you are going to be
using them.

To improve you can add how many pages you wish

your story book to be.
You could do a little more research on children
books which are similar to yours to find out their
interests for more information.
You can also add the deadline date.

What are the strengths of the idea generation?

What areas of idea generation could have been

further developed?

Overall, your idea generation is good, you have

labelled stories off different context so you have a
wider range to choose from.

To improve you idea generation you could write a

little story overview instead of the website address.
This will save time for the reader of the Idea
generation.
Research more stories to give you a wider range of
choice.

What are the strengths of the proposal?

What areas of the proposal need further work?

The storyline is detailed

The story is different to other books and stands
out
The production methods is detailed

There is no deadline
The audience part could be improved upon. Its
a little vague currently (especially with the
social grade part)
You havent written how many pages the book
will be

What are the strengths of the idea generation?

What areas of idea generation could have been

further developed?

Nice looking spider diagram

There are a lot of pictures on the mood board

The spider diagram could be more detailed

The evaluation could be longer
You could make a little paragraph explaining
each story that you have researched, instead of
just showing links
You could show what the font you have picked
out is going to look like
You could show your colour pallet if you have
one

Feedback Summary
Sum up your feedback.
My mood boards are good, as is my proposal. However I need to add a
section for colour ideas and I also need to expand slightly on the
audience section of the proposal.

Which parts of your feedback do you agree with and why?

The idea generation is detailed but could use a colour pallet. The
proposal is good, with a decent summary of the story and detailed
production methods, however I need to improve the audience section
to include social grade.

Which parts of your feedback do you disagree with and why?

The slide with several story ideas couldnt really include descriptions of
the each story as they are quite long and cant be boiled down to a few
points. Also, I could have picked more stories to research but I knew
what kind of story I wanted from the outset so I focused more on
getting ones which I would actually use.

Original Script
http://www.worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Japanese_folktale_46.html
Mio Strand is in the Province of Suruga. Its sand is yellow and fine, strewn with rose shells at the
ebb tide. Its pine trees are ancient and they lean all one way, which is the way that the wild wind
wills. Before Mio rolls the deep sea, and behind Mio rises Fugi, the most sacred, the mountain of
mountains. Small marvel that the Strange People should come to Mio.
Of the Strange People not much is known, even at Mio, though it is sure they come there. It seems
they are shy indeed, mores the pity. They come through the blue air, or across the mysterious
paths of the sea. Their footprints are never, never seen upon the wet beach, for they tread too
lightly. But sometimes in their dancing they sweep their robes upon the sand and leave it ribbed
and ruffled; so, often enough, it may be seen at Mio.
This is not all. Once a fisherman of Mio set eyes upon a maiden of the Strange People, and talked
with her and made her do his bidding. This is a true thing, and thus it came about.
The fisherman was out in his boat all night. He cast his net here and he cast his net there, but he
caught nothing at all for his pains. It may be believed that he grew weary enough before the
morning. In the cold of the dawn he brought his boat to shore and set foot on Mio Strand, shivering.
Then, so he says, a warm wind met him and blew through his garments and his hair, so that he
flushed and glowed. The very sand was full of comfort to his chilly feet. Upon the warm wind a
fragrance was borne, cedar and vervain, and the scent of a hundred flowers.
Flowers dropped softly through the air like bright rain. The fisherman stretched out his hands and
caught them, lotus and jessamine and pomegranate. And all the while sweet music sounded.
This is never Mio Strand, cried the fisherman, bewildered, where I have pulled my boat ashore a
thousand times or flown kites upon a holiday. Alack, I fear me I have sailed to the Fortunate Isles
unawares, or come unwilling to the Sea Kings garden; or very like I am dead and never knew it,
and this is Yomi. O Yomi, Land of Yomi, how like thou art to Mio Strand, my dear home!
After he had said this, the fisherman looked up the beach and down the beach, and he turned and
saw Fuji, the mountain of mountains, and then he turned and saw the deep rolling sea and knew he
was at Mio and no other place, and gave a long sigh.

Thanks be, he said, and lifting his eyes he saw a robe of feathers hanging upon the branch of a pine tree. In the
robe were feathers of all the birds that fly, every one; the kingfisher and the golden pheasant, the love bird, the
swan, the crow, the cormorant, the dove, the bullfinch, the falcon, the plover, and the heron.
Ah, the pretty fluttering thing! said the fisherman, and he took it from the pine tree where it hung.
Ah, the warm, sweet, fairy thing! said the fisherman; Ill take it home for a treasure, sure no money could buy it,
and Ill show it to all the folk of the village. And off he set for home with the fairy feathers over his arm.
Now the maiden of the Strange People had been playing all this time with the White Children of the Foam that live in
the salt sea. She looked up through the cold clear water and marked that her robe hung no longer on the pine-tree
branch.
Alas, alas! she cried, my robe, my feather robe! Swifter than any arrow she sprang from the water, and sped,
fleet of foot, along the wet sand. The White Children of the Foam followed at her flashing heels. Clad in the cloak of
her long hair, she came up with the fisherman.
Give me my feather robe, she said, and held out her hand for it.
Why? said the fisherman.
Tis mine. I want it. I must have it.
Oho, said the fisherman, findings keeping, and he didnt give her the feather robe.
I am a Fairy, she said.
Farewell, Fairy, said the fisherman.
A Moon Fairy, she said.
Farewell, Moon Fairy, said the fisherman, and he made to take his way along Mio Strand. At that she snatched at
the feather robe, but the fisherman held fast. The feathers fluttered out and dropped upon the sand.
I wouldnt do that, said the fisherman. Youll have it all to pieces.
I am a Moon Fairy, and at dawn I came to play upon fair Mio Strand; without my feathers I cannot go back to my
place, my home in High Heaven. Therefore give me my feathers.
No, said the fisherman.
Oh, fisherman, fisherman, give me my robe.
I couldnt think of it, said the fisherman.

At this the maiden fell upon her knees and drooped like a lily in the heat of the day. With her arms she held the
fisherman about the knees, and as she clung to him beseeching him, he felt her tears upon his bare feet.
She wept and said:
I am a bird, a frail bird, A wounded bird with broken wings, I must die far from home, For the Five Woes are come
upon me. The red flowers in my hair are faded; My robe is made unclean; Faintness comes upon me; I cannot see
farewell, dear sight of my eyes; I have lost joy. Oh, blessed flying clouds, and happy birds, And golden dust in the
wind, And flying thoughts and flying prayers! I have lost all joy.
Oh, stop, said the fisherman, you may have your robe.
Give, she cried.
Softly, softly, said the fisherman. Not so fast. I will give you your robe if you will dance for me here on Mio
Strand.
What must I dance? she asked.
You must dance the mystic dance that makes the Palace of the Moon turn round.
She said, Give me my feathers and I will dance it. I cannot dance without my feathers.
What if you cheat me, what if you break your promise and fly immediately to the moon and no dancing at all?
Ah, fisherman, she said, the faith of a Fairy!
Then he gave her the robe.
Now, when she had arrayed herself and flung back her hair, the Fairy began to dance upon the yellow sand. In and
out of the feather robe crept her fairy feet. Slowly, softly, she went with folded wings and sang:
Oh, the gold and silver mountains of the Moon, And the sweet Singing Birds of Heaven! They sing in the branches of
the cinnamon tree, To entertain the thirty kings that are there. Fifteen kings in white garments, To reign for fifteen
days. Fifteen kings in black garments, To reign for fifteen days. I hear the music of Heaven; Away, away, I fly to Fairy
Places.
At this the Fairy spread her rainbow-coloured wings, and the wind that they made fluttered the red flowers in her
hair. Out streamed the robe of feathers bright and gay.
The Fairy laughed. Her feet touched the waves of the sea; her feet touched the grass and the flowers inshore. They
touched the high branches of the pines and then the white clouds.
Farewell, fisherman! the Fairy cried, and he saw her no more.
Long, long he stood gazing up into the sky. At length he stooped and picked up a little feather from the shore, a grey

Sto ry Breakd o wn
T here is a place called Mio Strand in Japan
A group of st range people come there of ten
One of them leaves a robe behind
A fisherman finds t he robe
A maiden comes to claim it
He refuses to give the robe back t o her
She t ells him about herself
He asks her to show him the dance of her people in exchange for the robe
She agrees
She get s the robe back and leaves
T he f isherman finds a feather f rom her robe and put s it in his belt and t hen goes home

Draft Script

The village of Mio Strand is in the Province of Sugura, Japan. The village is right next to the sacred
mountain, Fuji.
Every week a group of strange people would come to visit, they would dance on the golden sands but
they would never leave any footprints because their footsteps were so light, however they would often
leave trails in the sand where their robes would sweep along the ground. The people who lived in the
village did not know much about them, only that they were very shy and didnt speak, they didn't even
know where they came from, perhaps from the ocean or the sky.
There was a fisherman in the village, he had been out all night but he didnt catch any fish. He went
back to shore empty handed, disappointed that he hadn't been able to get any fish for the villagers. But
then, a warm wind blew through his hair and his clothes, the warm wind carried the scent of fresh
flowers and leaves from lotus flowers and jessamine.
He could not believe that this place was Mio Strand, he thought he had unknowingly
wandered into the Sea Kings Garden, but then he turned and saw the mountain, Fuji and he knew he
was home. Thanks be he said, and lifting his head he saw a robe hanging from the branch of a cherry
blossom tree, it was made from the feathers of the most beautiful white doves.
He took the robe, he wanted not to sell it but to keep it for himself, it was the most delicate, precious
thing he had seen in a long time and he wanted to show the villagers what he had found. But before he
could move a muscle a maiden appeared, she seemed upset and lost. Earlier in the day she had been
dancing in the calm blue waves and had lost her robe. She ran to the fisherman, asking if he had seen
it, no he said, but he had not yet hidden it away and the maiden spotted it.
Give me my robe she said, holding out her hands. Why, I found it so I'm keeping it the fisherman
was reluctant to give it back, knowing that he wouldnt ever see anything like the robe again. It is mine,
and I want it back she replied, I am a fairy. Farewell, fairy he said, expecting her to leave, but she
would not, she was pleading with him without my robe I cannot go to my home on the Moon, in High
Heaven. This was her final plea, but he would not listen to her.

Draft Script
She was crying now, and the fisherman felt guilt rising in him, it was a heavy feeling, like the weight of
the world was pressing on his shoulders. He agreed to give her the robe back, but only if she would
show him the mystical dance of the strange people. He said I have wished to see it since I was a
young boy. She pondered on it for a long while, but she realised she had no choice so she took her
robe and wrapped herself in it.
She threw her hair back and started to sing and dance. Oh, the gold and silver mountains of the Moon,
and the sweet singing birds of Heaven! They sing in the branches of the cinnamon tree, to entertain the
thirty kings that are there. Fifteen kings in white garments, to reign for fifteen days. Fifteen kings in
black garments, to reign for fifteen days. I hear the music of heaven, away away I fly to Fairy Places
At this the fairy spread her rainbow-coloured wings, and they caused a wind that made all the flowers
and trees flutter. Then, out streamed the robe of feathers, bright as ever. The fairy laughed happily, her
feet touched the waves of the sea, the grass and the flowers, they touched the sky and the clouds.
Farewell fisherman she said, she was smiling at him and he was glad to see that she was no longer
upset. Then she vanished, into the sky. He didnt know where she went, or if she would come back. As
he was getting ready to leave he saw a feather that had fallen from the robe, he took it and smoothed it
out with his hands. He hoped that one day he could see the fairy again and learn of her people and her
home. He placed in into his belt and went home alone.

Final Script

The village of Mio Strand is in the Province of Sugura, Japan. The village is right next to the sacred
mountain Fuji.
Every week a group of strange people would come to visit, they would dance on the golden sands but
they would never leave any footprints because their footsteps were so light, however they would often
leave trails in the sand where their robes would sweep along the ground. The people who lived in the
village did not know much about them, only that they were very shy and didnt speak, they didn't even
know where they came from, perhaps from the ocean or the sky.
There was a fisherman in the village, he had been out all night but he didnt catch any fish. He went
back to shore empty handed, disappointed that he hadn't been able to get any fish for the villagers.
But then, a warm wind blew through his hair and his clothes, the warm wind carried the scent of fresh
flowers and leaves from lotus flowers and jessamine.
He could not believe that this place was Mio Strand, he thought he had unknowingly
wandered into the Sea Kings Garden, but then he turned and saw the mountain, Fuji and he knew he
was home. Thanks be he said, and lifting his head he saw a robe hanging from the branch of a
cherry blossom tree, it was made from the feathers of the most beautiful white doves.
He took the robe, he wanted not to sell it but to keep it for himself, it was the most delicate, precious
thing he had seen in a long time and he wanted to show the villagers what he had found. But before
he could move a muscle a maiden appeared, she seemed upset and lost. Earlier in the day she had
been dancing in the calm blue waves and had lost her robe. She ran to the fisherman, asking if he had
seen it, no he said, but he had not yet hidden it away and the maiden spotted it.
Give me my robe she said, holding out her hands. Why, I found it so I'm keeping it the fisherman
was reluctant to give it back, knowing that he wouldnt ever see anything like the robe again. It is
mine, and I want it back she replied, I am a fairy. Farewell, fairy he said, expecting her to leave, but
she would not, she was pleading with him without my robe I cannot go to my home on the Moon, in
High Heaven. This was her final plea, but he would not listen to her.

Final Script

She was crying now, and the fisherman felt guilt rising in him, it was a heavy feeling, like the weight of
the world was pressing on his shoulders. He agreed to give her the robe back, but only if she would
show him the mystical dance of the strange people. He said I have wished to see it since I was a
young boy. She pondered on it for a long while, but she realised she had no choice so she took her
robe and wrapped herself in it.
She threw her hair back and started to sing and dance. Oh, the gold and silver mountains of the Moon,
and the sweet singing birds of Heaven! They sing in the branches of the cinnamon tree, to entertain the
thirty kings that are there. Fifteen kings in white garments, to reign for fifteen days. Fifteen kings in
black garments, to reign for fifteen days. I hear the music of heaven, away away I fly to Fairy Places
At this the fairy spread her rainbow-coloured wings, and they caused a wind that made all the flowers
and trees flutter. Then, out streamed the robe of feathers, bright as ever. The fairy laughed happily, her
feet touched the waves of the sea, the grass and the flowers, they touched the sky and the clouds.
Farewell fisherman she said, she was smiling at him and he was glad to see that she was no longer
upset. Then she vanished, into the sky. He didnt know where she went, or if she would come back. As
he was getting ready to leave he saw a feather that had fallen from the robe, he took it and smoothed it
out with his hands. He hoped that one day he could see the fairy again and learn of her people and her
home. He placed in into his belt and went home alone.

Digital Flat Plans