EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog

In the Dark is a US series that I recently finished watching. My taste is eclectic, but I recognize that the plot of the series had me begging for me!

There are 3 seasons out, but today I would like to focus on season one!

So, you may ask, Ana, why did you like the first season?

The plot was interesting; let me break it down for you using the  Disney formula!

Once upon a time, there was a blind woman in her twenties named Murphy Mason.  She used to drink a lot and have meaningless sexual encounters. She used to work at Guiding Hope, a company created by her parents, to train service dogs. She lived with her best friend (Jess), who she had known since childhood, a vet who ALSO worked at Guiding Hope; Jess was Murphy’s handler. Murphy is depicted as a very sarcastic, inconsiderate, and emotionally detached character.

Here are some moments that bring to life the funny, yet irreverent nature of Miss Mason from season one  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUnSHCEaYCc

One day, Murphy goes to her usual spot where she  smokes in an alley close to her apartment and calls out to her best friend (underage and super cute!) Tyson Parker. ( Click here to see Tyson Parker’s cuteness! https://cwatlanta.cbslocal.com/2019/05/03/in-the-dark/)

How did this unlikely pair meet?

Tyson saved Murphy from a violent mugging.

Tyson is usually in this alley since he is a dealer, and the alley is where he moves his product.  Murphy finds Tyson lying on the ground and is non-responsive; she identifies him by feeling his face.   Murphy leaves the alley to get help, and when she comes back with the police, the body is gone.  The police are skeptical to look for Tyson since Murphy is intoxicated. The way she identified the body was not considered substantial evidence to assume Tyson was dead or kidnapped.

Because of that, Murphy engages in an unskilled investigation to find Tyson or Tyson’s body. This gives her life purpose.

Because of that, Murphy undergoes a series of events where she, her best friend, and another Guiding Hope worker (Felix, who pretty much got roped into this mess) go against drug dealers, steal illegitimate money,  and go to jail. The unfortunate events keep rolling in; Murphy gets stranded in the woods and has a fallout with her best friend Jess…You get the picture!  Towards the end of the season, the police discover Tyson’s body. Murphy is not content because she wants to know WHO killed Tyson. Her search for answers continues.

Until finally, in the last episode of season 1, Murphy learns that Tyson’s killer was actually one of the detectives (Dean) assigned to the case, who was giving information to a drug dealer (Nia)  in exchange for financial support. Nia was Tyson’s boss!.

Murphy sleeps with Dean and gets him to confess that he killed Tyson, also offering that he killed Tyson because the latter found out about his agreement with Nia (Murphy secretly recording this conversation!). Murphy tries to escape with the recording, but Dean catches up to her and forces her into a car. Murphy physically assaults Dean while he is driving, which causes him to hit her back and lose control of the wheel. The car literally falls off a bridge and FLIPS OVER. Somehow, Murphy and Dean make it out alive!

Oh yeah….. The culmination of season one happens when  The drug dealer Nia forces Murphy, Jess, and Felix (new owner of Guiding Hope) to launder money for her (The best part of the season!).  Also, even though Murphy gave the recording to the police, Dean gets out scotch-free!  If you are interested to see the trailer for season 2, click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIEnbqve3rY

Besides the plot, I like the portrayal of characters. They are complex individuals driven by various factors to behave in specific manners.  While usually inconsiderate, Murphy cares deeply about her friend Tyson because she actually made an emotional connection with him; it shows her humane and gentle side. However, it came at the expense of creating tension with Jess. Murphy does not appreciate anything that Jess does. On the other hand, Jess realizes the unfair manner in which Murphy treats her. Furthermore, I enjoy watching relationship dynamics and seeing how characters navigate complex emotions. I believe a series is good when there is character development, which happens very slowly for Murphy, by entering a romantic relationship, developing a relationship with her service dog, and recognizing her unfair treatment towards Jess.

Thank you for reading my review! Let me know if you have watched the show and share your favorite moments!

For my blog entry I am going to discuss The Princess Bride the movie which is loosely based on the book by William Goldman. I first saw this movie as child and I am not sure if it was the princess, the masked hero or the ROUS’s that hooked.

Emotional Investment and the Once upon a time….

A simple farm girl Buttercup who falls in love with the farm hand Westley, who then goes over seas to earn money and is presumed dead. Then heartbroken she vows to never love again.

The but one day….

Years pass and the prince sets his eyes on her for his bride Prince Humperdink that is. Buttercup is adored by all the commoners adore because she was one of them, her and the prince get engaged.

But then….

Following that up with a kidnapping of the princess to be, a strange, masked man coming to the rescue her and then uncovering that the masked man was no other than her Westley who not really killed overseas. He joined a pirate ship and took over for the dreaded pirates Roberts who is known to never leave survivors. The Prince was searches for his kidnapped Princess to be and chases Westley and Buttercup to the Fire Swamp forest where they cross fire shooting out of the ground, quicksand and the ROUS’s, you know the rodents of unusual size.

But then …..

Westley is capture by Princes Humoerdink and tossed into the pit of despair to be tortured and left as basically dead, so that him and Buttercup can’t be together. The kidnappers find Westley and get him brought back to life because they want helping getting into the castle and Westley needs to get in to stop Buttercup from marrying Prince Humperdink. They dress up as the great pirate Roberts to get through the gate and group of guards.

But then ……

They get in the castle and the knidnappers go after the castle main guard for killer his father. Westley finds Buttercup who thinks she is married but really isn’t and confines Prince Humperdink.

Until finally ….

They get out of the castle and ride off into the horizon together.

This movie hit everyone with investment it has comedy, a love story, excitement with fencing, fighting and escapes, it literally leaves no one out.

And ever since then …..

They lived happily ever after.

Gosh, I have watched so many online shows and movies that it makes it hard to pinpoint on a particular one. The trend or genre that I find myself leaning towards is comedy romance. As embarrassing as it is to admit as a +30 year old, teen romance draws my attention the most as it takes me away from my own reality and to have a good few chuckles. Recently, Never Have I Ever on Netflix is the one that fits the criteria and got me hooked episodes after episodes. 

I Binged it

Having a lifetime job as a mother and a full-time day job, life is hectic and time just goes by within a blink. As I am creeping to my mid-life, I can’t help but reminisce about the good old school days, being carefree and young. Never Have I Ever is a teen comedy revolving around the school and personal life of a first generation Indian American high school girl from school, friendship, love and family, which are all checkpoints everyone will experience in their lives. The title gives out a big clue as to what the story spine is about; the protagonist will experience a first in her lifetime and it is usually something significant and worth learning from. Each episode title adds on to the drama title Never Have I Ever: Pissed off everyone I know and it is the level of reality mixed with humor that makes it real and engaging, and also foreshadows what struggle the protagonist is able to face. 

The Rooting Character

Having an ethnic background, I am automatically drawn to the protagonist, Devi, as I can relate to the same feeling, stereotype, cultural heritage, minus being an academic genius, that she experiences. Devi’s personality is witty, nerdy and outgoing, however her struggle with controlling her emotions tends to get her into trouble. Her character shows vulnerability on what a typical high schooler would face from social pressure (a major one), school and family expectations. The story takes us on Devi’s emotional roller coaster ride, which “inspire empathy, love and bonding”, sharing those “universal feelings” on what makes us humans. Even though Devi makes questionable decisions and is a great anti-heroines, she is the character that I support, because she depicts some of the true raw personality we may have, normalizing that we may all make bad decisions but it is up to us to make that change, especially for the better. 

A Good Strong Narrat[or]

One unusual thing about the drama was the choice of the narrator. As the story centers around a high school girl with Indian ethnicity background, the story was narrated by an older American tennis player, John McEnroe. These pairing seems to be the polar opposites but McEnroe’s voice and humor blended so well together and made you think Mindy Kaling yet again, is a brilliant screenwriter, as she was the one who got McEnroe to be the narrator. There are a couple other narrators that play the inside voice of other characters. I don’t know about you, but I often find myself talking/thinking to myself inside my head, reflecting, reacting to a situation and that we all have the “angel/devil” conversation to ourselves.

It will be another long wait until season 3 comes out but the choices on Netflix are endless, it will keep me well entertained. 

One of my favourite shows to watch is the hit tv show on HBO called Insecure, written, directed and played by herself as the main character is Issa Rae, a LA native and Stanford University graduate. The show is based around the awkward experiences of the black women in America and was created off of her hit Youtube web series The Mis-Adventures of the Awkward Black Girl. 

Issa has made it very clear in interviews that she wanted this show to portray the ordinary lives of black people especially black women and not the usual negative stories often told that are associated with black content on television. 

When the show aired in 2016, I have been hooked from the first episode. I saw myself on the screen, I saw my awkwardness and the woman trying to find herself and navigate her way around in this world, where women like us are not particularly seen, introverted and shy, and seeing that being portrayed on this show stuck with me and it is now 5 seasons in with the final season that has just aired a week ago.

The storytelling from this show is simple, raw, and current. The show is narrated by Issa about how she and her friends go about dealing with friendships and relationships, their jobs and social lives. The show speaks to millennials not knowing which direction to take in their lives and struggling to make important life decisions. It also tells a story about friendship, the ups and downs and how people evolve and the things and people that they once shared a great love for might be outgrown. 

Taking a look at a few of the principles of Pixar storytelling:

1. Stories are universal: Although this show is made to tell a story about black women growing up in a LA city it has resonated with so many women around the world, dealing with breakups, friendship or being stuck in a particular place in their lives.

2. Clear structure and purpose: The story has structure and referring to the story spine that it has a beginning, starting with Issa at a job that had her stuck for many years and in a relationship with a partner that had no ambition, The middle of the story a few seasons in and Issa decided to make a change, find a job she would be passionate about, dating people that had more purpose in their lives, and finding what truly makes her happy. In the end, while the show is still currently airing, [insert ending here], I have my own predictions on how the show will end. I’m hoping she finds her one true love, she becomes a very successful events planner for her community and continues to grow in all other aspects of her life. 

3. Good stories are simple: The story is focused on Issa and the people she has relationships and friendships with. How they deal with certain situations and overcome them.

4. Good stories give you a character to root for: Issa being the main character of the show, starting off with her having a hard time at the beginning of the show and how she has evolved for when the show 1st started – everyone wants to see Issa win!

What is so unique about Insecure to me is how the story focuses mostly on black culture, but how Millenials worldwide can relate in so many different ways, A great part of the show’s storytelling too is in particular scenes when Issa is going through something, there are scenes created of her in her bathroom, looking in the mirror and talking to her self, but this conversation turns into a rap battle with her self and her conscious (in the mirror) answering back at her which speaks greatly to her audience that love rap music. These rap sessions are a huge part of the storytelling and how she does her thought process, which has been a huge takeaway from the show. 

In many interviews, Issa Rae has been asked about her creative process and how she finds inspiration to tell the stories that she does and her answers are always that she creates for her audience, the people that look like her and have experienced what she has — The story is honest, it’s personal and real and that’s why this show will be stuck with me for many years to come. 

One of my favourite movies is the science fiction cult classic, The Fifth Element.  The movie first hit the big screens in 1997, giving it the longevity required for the moniker, cult classic. 

The Fifth Element has stayed with me over the last 25 years because of its imagery, future based science fiction, striking characters, innovative special effects and age old story lines of good versus evil and “Love Conquers All”.

The fantastical story line is simple and focused, mainstays of successful story telling.

 The Fifth Element contains the conflict, climax and resolution requirements of a story as follows:

1. Every 5000 years, the Great Evil, from somewhere far away, attempts to destroy earth
2. Only the Fifth Element, Leeloo, also from somewhere far away, can eliminate the threat
3. Hero, Korben Dallas and Leeloo successfully navigate every obstacle and treachery in their path
4. Leeloo learns of the atrocities humans have committed towards each other and the human penchant for war. Overwhelmed, Leeloo shuts down, unable to defend Earth against impending doom
5. Korben Dallas declares his love for Leeloo. She is revived and understands that because they love, humans must be saved. Leeloo miraculously rallies and decimates the Great Evil.

Find a more robust Story Spine, prepared by yours truly, here.

The uncomplicated story line of the Fifth Element is easy to appreciate and comforting in its predictability.  The characters are straight up, forthright, single natured. There is no “dark side” in the good guys.  There is no “goodness” in the bad guys.  They are who they are, hero or villain.  Throughout the movie they portray single minded focus on their goals – either to save or destroy. 

As noted by Ashley Fell in her You Tube presentation demonstrating the Visual Mind, digital stories should also have the three components of color, picture and movement.

The Fifth Element contains all the ingredients of a good story while being a visual delight.

The cinematography is exceptional. 

The Fifth Element does not incorporate the dark, gloomy, ominous atmosphere of most science fiction movies. Apart from the deep space scenes that are naturally dark, the movie is well lit, even bright.  No evil lurking in shadows waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting. 

The world of the future is presented as over-populated, high density yet somehow orderly (apart from the techno garbage heap at the airport to remind us we are a consumer driven throw away society). It is clean and unpolluted, like how we want our world to be. Another universal principal engrained in the message of the film.

The Fifth Element is a feel good movie.  The classic battle of good versus evil plays out with victorious heroes and defeated villians. 

And the Fifth Element ends with the principal of “Love Conquers All”.  Hopeless romantic or not, “happily ever after” stories are memorable. They reinforce our belief in basic goodness, giving cause for optimism and hopefulness.

For me, The Fifth Element is escapism at its best, fun, entertaining, memorable.

Like many children over the past few decades, I grew up with a catalogue of Disney VHS tapes lining my family’s basement bookshelf. I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I pulled Cinderella off the shelf, but no one was stopping this nearly-black haired grade one student from dressing up as her favourite Disney princess for the school Halloween parade.

The Cinderella that most of us have come to know was brought to life on the big screen by Walt Disney in 1950, but the folk tale is told in thousands of variants around the world. In fact, the earliest known version of the Cinderella story dates back to ancient Greece sometime between 7 BC and 23 AD with the story of Rhodopis.

To me, Cinderella extends far beyond the girl loves princesses stereotype, but rather brings about one of my fondest memories, with my favourite person. As a child, whenever my Gran came to visit, she would sit at the end of my bed and recite Cinderella to help me fall asleep. Much like The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Ashley Fell, Cinderella evokes emotion in me, and is therefore my first favourite story. I often thought of my Gran as my fairy godmother, and that I was Cinderella when I spent time with my older cousins who were two sisters that by default, picked on me. So while I didn’t come from rags, or evil stepmothers, as a child I still found a way to connect with the story.

Disney: Pixar before Pixar

Disney followed a formula long before Pixar, and Cinderella is no exception. The story adheres to Pixar’s four storytelling principles:

1. Great stories are universal. Cinderella is recounted in hundreds of countries around the world in many languages, and has been reimagined in several remakes over the past 70 years. From the love story to the troublesome family, to the friends cheering her on, everyone can find some element of Cinderella’s story relatable. 
2. Good stories have a clear structure and purpose. As with many fairy tales, Cinderella follows the story spine as imagined by Kenn Adams. It has a clear structure beginning quite literally with “once upon a time.” More on this later.
3. Good stories are simple. They are focused.  At the core of Cinderella is a story about acceptance, love, and kindness. 
4. Good stories give you a character to root for. Every viewer is rooting for Cinderella to escape her wicked stepmother and stepsisters and win the Prince’s heart. 

The story spine

When told via the story spine, Cinderella goes a little something like this:

Once upon a time, a young girl named Cinderella lived with her evil stepmother and stepsisters and was forced to work all day looking after them and the house. 

Everyday, she woke early to cook the meals, scrub the floors, and stoke the fire, all while enduring ridicule from her family members.

But one day, the King and Queen decide to host a ball to find the Prince his Queen, and invite all the young ladies in the land.

Because of that, with the help of her Fairy Godmother, animal friends, and a little magic, Cinderella goes to the ball in the most beautiful gown and glass slippers. 

Because of that, when the clock strikes midnight, Cinderella will turn back into a normal girl. After dancing with the Prince, the clock ticks near and she rushes out of the ball leaving behind one glass slipper. 

Because of that, the Prince searches the land for the foot that fits the glass slipper, belonging to his one true love. 

Until finally, the Prince arrives at Cinderella’ home only to discover that her foot fits perfectly into the glass slipper.

And, ever since then, Cinderella married the Prince and lived happily ever after.

I first watched Uncle Buck when I was about 10 or 11 years old and fell in love with it instantly. It’s a movie that I have watched easily 50 times over. Uncle Buck is a John Hughes written and directed movie, which if you are my age, you know that he directed some of the most successful comedy films of the 80s and 90s.

John Candy is the star of the story, playing the character Uncle Buck that we all fall in love with and are cheering for. The story follows a proper story structure in that it has a beginning, an event, a middle, a climax, and an end.

In the beginning….

Once upon a time…. there was an unemployed bachelor man named Buck who loved horse racing and had a girlfriend named Chanice.

Every day…. Buck would live his unemployed life in his messy bachelor pad, but the next morning he would be starting his new job at Chanice’s tire shop. Buck promises that he will show up for his first day in the morning.

But, then…. Bob (Buck’s brother) and Cindy Russell receive a phone call in the night informing them that Bob’s father-in-law has suffered a heart attack and they need to head back to Indianapolis and find a suitable babysitter for their three children, Tia, Miles, and Maizy.

Because of that…. Bob calls Buck (even though Cindy is anxious about the idea) to house-sit and watch the kids for a few days. Buck agrees, gets into his dilapidated vehicle, and heads to Bob and Cindy’s.

Uncle Buck’s attempt at adulting….

Then.… Uncle Buck quickly befriends Miles and Maizy, the younger children, but has a hard time with Tia who is rebellious, brash, and hostile towards Buck.

Then…. Buck and the kids go through various situations such as all going to a bowling alley, making enormous pancakes for Miles on his birthday, removing a drunk birthday clown from the property, and handling laundry when the washing machine breaks.

Then…. Tia meddles in Buck’s relationship with Chanice by leading her to believe that Buck is cheating on her with the neighbour. Chanice comes to the house to confront Buck, see’s Buck dancing with the neighbour, is obviously furious, and leaves.

Then finally.… Tia has had enough of Buck and sneaks out to a party with her boyfriend Bug. Buck decides to go look for her instead of going to the horse races. He convinces Chanice to come over to watch the two younger children while he searches for Tia. When he gets to the party, he thinks he sees Bug taking advantage of Tia in a bedroom, drills out the lock of the door, only to find Bug with another girl.

Then…. He leaves the party to continue looking for Tia and finds her in an emotional state. She apologizes to Buck for being hostile towards him and acknowledges that he was right about Bug.

In the end….

In the end…. back at home, Tia helps to mend the relationship between Chanice and Buck, admitting she lied about the alleged affair.

Bob and Cindy come home to an emotional hug from Tia, who appears to have a new appreciation for her mom and dad.

Chanice and Buck are back together and leave feeling as though Buck is now a valued member of the family.

Buck and Tia exchange a warm wave goodbye.

How we can relate….

The story of Uncle Buck follows Ashley Fell’s Four I’s which is why we all can relate and this movie has stuck as one of my favourites for years.

Interest

The interest is maintained throughout the movie as we watch Uncle Buck go through various life issues, most of those we can all relate to, such as his relationships, his bad habits (gambling, drinking, cigar-smoking), and his desire to be a good person.

Involve

The conflicts that Uncle Buck goes through are the same ones any one of us might face. Unemployment, relationship issues and breakups, putting someone else first ahead of ourselves. The story involves all of us as humans and situations we may face in our day-to-day lives.

Instruct

There are many teachable moments in the movie, but the most upfront theme I found was that Uncle Buck teaches us the importance of family.

Inspire

Uncle Buck is a loveable character with a big-hearted personality. He is the fun uncle we all want or maybe already have in our families. As he grows up a little throughout the movie, so does the teenager Tia, and we are easily inspired by these parallel transitions.