The storyboard shows a young Monk who nurtures a Ginkgo seedling by caring for it day in, day out. However, when the Monk becomes distracted by a far greater tree in the distance he abandons his seedling and it suffers exposure to the harsh seasons. Eventually the Monk returns to his seedling and is shocked to find it almost dead. Once again, he cares for it every day and makes sure to never leave it unprotected. The final frame shows the Monk in old age as he stands beside the matured Ginkgo tree and is at peace.
This poster has been my favourite to create. Not only because I was able to try out a new technique but also due to the reflective elements of the narrative I chose and the theme it represents.
The first step in my design process was ‘World-building’ (Armaral, 2020). For the setting, I chose to create an ambiguity of time, the Monks and seedling depicted in my story could be placed at any moment in history. The setting is inspired by the Kingdom of Bhutan, this peaceful nation is predominantly of Buddhist faith and also the only country with a negative carbon output due to the preservation of its vast forests (Lonely Planet, 2020) (Youn, 2017). This setting enabled me to create a tranquil, natural environment in which my narrative would take place. Through this choiceof environment, I was able to play with the forces of nature for the key moments of the story such as when the seedling is abandoned.
I made sure to incorporate elements of Soseki’s Haiku into the storyboard using semiotics (Amaral, 2020). The Ginkgo seedling represents the force of creativity, originality and ideas. The Monks describe the meditation and introspection needed to create one’s own values in a world formed by social norms.
In my final poster, I chose to emphasise the first and last frame by making it larger than the others. These frames highlight the narrative’s nurture theme as the Monk and his seedling grow old together.
Works Cited:
Amaral, C. (2020, April 6). Des101 Week 3 lecture. Colour Theory, Typography, Semiotics. Auckland, New Zealand: The University Of Auckland.
Armaral, C. (2020, March 30). Des101 Week4 Tutorial. Storyboarding. Auckland, New Zealand: The University Of Auckland.
Blake, Q. (2020, April 9). Illustration. Retrieved from Quentin Blake: https://www.quentinblake.com/gallery/illustration
Lonely Planet. (2020, April 9). Buddhism in Bhutan. Retrieved from Lonely Planet: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/bhutan/background/other-features/40d0d3a5-3b14-437c-8091-53bb83349239/a/nar/40d0d3a5-3b14-437c-8091-53bb83349239/355819
Pulvers, R. (2010, September 19). Summer's heat is spent, the leaves are about to turn, an equinox nears. Retrieved from Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2010/09/19/commentary/summers-heat-is-spent-the-leaves-are-about-to-turn-an-equinox-nears/#.Xo2ygi2B2Ax
Youn, S. (2017, October 17). Visit the World's Only Carbon-Negative Country. Retrieved from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/asia/bhutan/carbon-negative-country-sustainability/
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