How narratives can aid memory

"A compelling story line, however off the wall, can help us remember the facts we're trying to learn ... Stories, then, are at the root of our ability to communicate and understand what's going on around us. Because understanding and memory are intertwined we shouldn't be surprised that they are also very powerful mnemonic devices." @Guardian

Anatomy of a Film Project Part 2 - The Story Maker

Story Maker Flow Chart

The Story Maker Flow chart is proving a success! Its designed to help pupils get started and develop their story ideas.

 It is NOT designed to write stories for you. Its for kids with no Ideas.


I mean, common kids! - by the time you are 8 years old you will have seen hundreds of hours of creative content, read books, played games, traveled, experienced life etc. you will have amassed a vast array story making matter which will be floating around in your head.

This flowchart is meant to help you organise free-floating ideas into a narrative that you can turn into a short film, a short story, a book, a multimedia presentation a game, the list is endless! 

An Easy Stop Motion Animation Project

Equipment Needed: Digital Camera, Small Tripod, Table, Set or Backdrop, Characters, Editing Software


1. Before you start, press the menu button on your camera and set your picture quality to 2 mega pixels


2. Place you camera on a tripod in front of your Set or backdrop (make sure the maximum amount of light is falling onto your Set.


3. Decide what the physical movements you want for your characters and take a picture. 
IMPORTANT: Keep your camera and tripod still during picture taking. Get someone to hold the base legs of the tripod.


4. Take 50 pictures for 25 seconds of action


5. Open your software and copy your pictures to your computers hard drive.


6. Open your editing software and import your pictures


7. Ensure that you set your still image options to 0.5 seconds (In Windows moviemaker XP  'Options', 'Advanced' 'Picture Duration  In iMovie 09 - 'Project properties', 'Timing' 'Photo Duration'.


8. Place your pictures in numerical order on the timeline


9. Play your animation on the timeline


10. Checkout the 'Adding a Narration' post to add a dialogue soundtrack to your animation.