As a kid, I absorbed and drew from my favorite films and the director’s notes, sketchbooks and concept art, as I attempted my own films from live-action, hand-drawn and stop-motion characters and carved out their adventures in rough Super 8, VHS and digital films. As the mediums evolved, my techniques adapted.
Having bought my own first Super 8 camera with money from a newspaper route and working through the decades with the available technology (8mm, video, and digital), each medium requires reinventing oneself repeatedly to stay up to speed. Animation opened my eyes to an endless ocean of imagination and creative endeavors.
When I became a teacher, I swore I would share everything I ever learned to help others bring their own visions to life. Then, I discovered Story Xperiential, which reminded me to return to the core of storytelling to support the animation I was imagining.
I enrolled in Story Xperiential, ready to learn storyboarding from professionals, in the hope that I could apply the techniques in the building of my own portfolio. Immediately, it was evident that this formula of story spine and feedback would be beneficial to the students aspiring to have their stories told.
Having completed the course, and after receiving only positive feedback from the other writers and artists, I proposed to my school administrators that Story Xperiential will change the way they work in the Visual Arts.
Students jump at the opportunity to plug in when they can apply their own skill set and see evidence of their efforts.
X in a Box invited students to participate in Story Xperiential and the Middle School students from Virginia Beach Friends School met for an hour after school, once a week.
Each week, I showed the highlight recordings from the Story Xperiential Livestream guest speakers. Each livestream hosts an industry expert who shares their career path into the industry, which brings attention to different careers and the fact that there are many ways to enter into the industry. I would explain to the students the guest speaker's important contributions to the field. I would pass on the wisdom and techniques they generously shared with us. For the remainder of the class, we would focus on the students' creative work.
Characters would emerge from our dialogue and exchanges, followed by stories that conveyed their individuality. Students proudly posted their progress and were pleasantly surprised when someone a thousand miles away gave positive feedback on their submission, the exchange of peer feedback being an essential part of the program.
Small technical difficulties were answered promptly by the X in a Box team. This allowed for smooth transitions from one stage to the next.
In the beginning, a lot of time was spent in character development. Appearances and purpose, at this age, are the strongest elements in arriving at a character. Successful motion is a powerful motivator so a user-friendly, age-appropriate application is key. Story Xperiential provides that safe space.
For educators, outdated second-hand systems and financial budget restraints can hold back the best of minds. Frustration required continued reassurance that an artist works with the tools in front of them. Old school traditions supersede the latest in technology to prove theories, and the approach to visual challenges are more important than the latest device. Story Xperiential encourages the individual to focus on the core of storytelling. Even the simplest drawing can be expanded following the steps of story development.
Supportive administration and sponsors allowed me to participate. Patience and consideration are invaluable in a creative educational community.
Teaching in person allows the immediacy of reaction from the students as they acquire the skills. We used the techniques the Story Xperiential formula recommends: using open-ended questions to create the story spine, character development, locomotion, environments and dramatic lighting - all traditional forms of preliminary work in animation and in the visual and performing arts.
A student's imagination now propels itself across the field, taking us down whatever path they choose. Like swimming lessons: minimal hand holding, verbal support, constructive suggestions on technique and the student is thriving in a new element. In the visual arts, I encourage them to break borders and cross boundaries.
“So I ask: What other possibilities can the Story Xperiential thematic formula be applied to? Answer: Students will never cease to amaze you.”
- James O’Connor -
What the students have to say about Story Xperiential?
Eve and Luke Hudson-Rudenstein and Jordan Iwanowski, Visual Arts students at Virginia Beach Friends School, have been participating in Story Xperiential for a year.
Eve: “Story Xperiential really helped me with the story. I had my animation idea, but the question was, how? Doing the steps, what if, story spine, all the way up to act 2 and 3, really broke it down: how the story advanced with the steps. Animation is definitely one of my favorite hobbies. I’m an aerialist, and watching the professionals work and to see behind the scenes, has helped me with my personal story.”
Luke: “The story spine is the best part of learning with Story Xperiential, because it can organize your thoughts, walking you through the steps into a complete story.”
Jordan: “A great experience comes with the freedom of animation. Story Xperiential definitely has helped me with my art skills keeping my images straight and even.”
James O'Connor
Head of Visual Arts at Virginia Beach Friends School and Instructor at The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
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