Season Finale
This week, I started by thinking of the next chapter of the narrative: “Protective Dissociation.” Along with that, I started sketching out the main character (for The Purgatory).
Protective Dissociation – Initial Brainstorming:
I started with the same approach for this one as I did for “The Purgatory.” I put down sticky notes on a FigJam board and started making the following notes:
- This chapter starts with the main character coming home after a visit to the ER because of an asthma flare-up.
- The scene is set in the main character’s apartment. I think it is mostly set in the living room, but I might have to add another setting of the room as I flesh out the narrative.
- There is a main character and a Protective Dissociation character.
- As I did in the “Protective Dissociation” illustration earlier in this semester, I have the main character in very casual sweatpants and a hoodie with a backwards hat.
- The protective dissociation character is also the way I made him in that illustration: a very translucent figure in the same clothing as the main character.
- The conversation happens along the topics of “pretending to be fine.” It is a dialogue between the main character and someone on the other end of text messages.
- The main lesson to take away from this chapter is not to pretend to be okay when you are not; it is okay to talk about your fears, pain, and trauma, get out of the dissociation phase, since it is not healthy, and it is okay to reach out for help.
- I am still thinking of the different choices and interactions I want in this chapter.
Character Design – Main Character
I wanted to create the main character with the same outfit as the Grim Reaper, as this is a theme I am following throughout the narrative now. The Purgatory has two characters, the main character and the Grim Reaper, both are reflections of one another to show the concept of learning through one’s own experiences and reflecting on them as we grow. So I created the main character with the same red hoodie, white t-shirt, light blue denims, and white sneakers.
Overall Reflection:
I really enjoyed this semester. It was a good balance of thesis workdays and other assignments that gave us a chance to step away from our thesis projects and take a mental break while still working on something, so we don’t dry off our creative juices. As far as these journal entries are concerned, I liked sitting down for a specific window of time and just reflecting on what I did for the week, gathering all the documentation, and taking notes. I think it was a good way for us to assess ourselves and see where we lack, and where we succeeded, and get a chance to organize for the week ahead. I didn’t have quite a direction when I started the semester; I was confused and all over the place, but thankfully, I found my way eventually (thanks to my committee), and now I am in a way better position than I thought I would be.
Next Steps:
- I will now use the break to stay focused and move with maximum effort, so I can accomplish as much as possible.
- I recorded a test voice-over to try some hi-fi frames and see how the voice-overs work. If they work, I will plan out time slots to work with a few people and do a complete, proper voice-over.
- The one thing that I will keep working on is illustrations for my hi-fi frames. It’s a tough mountain to climb, but I will hike it one step at a time!
- Other than that, I will take breaks from the illustrations to work on the “Protective Dissociation” chapter’s narrative structure. As I mentioned earlier, it will follow the same process as “The Purgatory” chapter: Brainstorming, Script, Flowcharts, Tabular Prototype, and Storyboarding.
- I’m hoping to be done with the high-fi frames from “The Purgatory” by the time the break ends, so I can also figure out how much pace I need to pick up.