Power of Narrative

Power Of Narrative

The art of visual storytelling is not a modern invention.

George Miller – Producer and Director

Mesopotamia – World first written language

Found by Austin Henry leyard 

First ever written story about the first built city, Uruk in southern Iraq

Gilgamesh one mans search for eternal life, defeats monsters and defies gods.

A Hero is defined by their actions and circumstance.

Ashar Bangapow devised the ground breaking storytelling technique of pictures, using 4 freeze frames of Gilgamesh’s heroics depicting himself as Gilgamesh.

He had his war displayed in pictures, first ever-gripping blockbuster of an epic battle.  Visual storytelling techniques never seen before, has beginning middle and end but also subplots.

With no emotion in characters, so you don’t feel the emotional connection, the audience were not engaged.

Greeks were obsessed with storytelling and myths, Homers story of Odysseus.

On his way home after the war, Odysseus and some of his men landed on the shore of the island where the Cyclopes live. Odysseus, hearing the goats and sheep, took twelve of his best men and went off to investigate.

Odysseus and his men soon found a great cave, far from the other caves of the Cyclopes. The cave was full of round cheeses and pens with lambs and young goats. His men urged Odysseus to steal the cheeses and goats and flee, but he wanted to see the giant for himself. Instead, they built a fire, made a sacrifice to the Gods and ate some cheese.

The Cyclops returned, herding his sheep and goats ahead of him into the cave. He placed a huge rock over the entrance, far too large for Odysseus and his men to move. Odysseus spoke to the giant, who was surprised to find them there. The Cyclops promptly dashed two of Odysseus’s men on the floor and ate them before falling asleep.

The next day, Polyphemus left, leaving the stone in place to trap the men inside, although not before eating two more of Odysseus’ men.

Odysseus thought of a plan. Polyphemus had left a great staff there, as big as a ship’s mast. The Greeks modified it, making a giant spear out of it. Polyphemus returned and ate two more men. Odysseus proceeded to get him drunk on wine. When the giant asked his name, Odysseus replied “Noman.” A drunk Polyphemus promised to eat him last as a favor. When he was asleep, the remaining men drove the spear into his one eye, destroying it.ead on 

Polyphemus bellowed for the other Cyclopes to come to his aid. When they came, they asked him who was attacking him. He replied “No man (Noman) is murdering me by treachery.” The other Cyclopes thought that if no man was injuring him, then it was surely the Gods and there was nothing they could do and they left him. In the morning, Polyphemus had to let his flocks out but did not want the Greeks to escape, so he spread his mighty arms across the entrance to the cave after moving the rock. Odysseus and his men escaped by clinging to the bellies of great shaggy rams: the not-too-bright Polyphemus only felt their backs.

Odysseus and his men herded the great flocks to his ship, where he was met with much rejoicing. Once they were away, he called out to Poyphemus to taunt him, saying that even though he was not as strong as the giant, he was cleverer and was the agent of Zeus’ wrath for eating guests. Polyphemus, enraged, threw great boulders at the ship, almost capsizing it. Once he was a safe distance away, Odysseus continued to taunt him, telling him his real name.

By depicting the high climactic part of the story audience becomes more engaged

The Romans constructed the world’s most ambitious storytelling monument.

Trajan’s Column 35 meters high it stood above all other building is ancient Rome. Movie Epic Proportions.

Anticipating movie techniques. Multiply view points for drama. Like Alfred Hitchcock.

Summarising the most dramatic parts. Made the worlds first trailer LOL J

Spoil of war and a demonstration of power.

Cambridge University.

Northern Australia, cave paintings date back 40 thousand years

World’s first art galleries.

Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer. Found something here he’d never seen before, they were obsessed with painting. They kept painting the same images, what this meant was there was an artistic link to the past from today. They were passing on stories.

Sir David Attenborough!!!

Linguistics:

Views communication as the production of meaning and suggests that one message is going to mean different things to different people depending on different factors.

It focuses on the receiver and the social, political and economic environment in which they live.

This theoretical approach to design applies not only to graphic design but fashion designers, product designers, illustrators and architects.

Culture as goods or as tools.

The values of any culture are incorporated into the sign system we use

Homework:  Find definitions for the word paradigm