let s learn from the winners

8/12/2019 Let s Learn From the Winners

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Top of the crop

By EMILY CHAN

[email protected] Here's a sneak peek at the six storyboards that made it to the Tale Spin 2013 finals.

THE storyboard concept of the Tale Spin 2013 contest encouraged students to go wild with theirimagination, but it took a whole lot more than that to come out tops as finalists.

Organised by Star-NiE (Newspaper-in-Education) and Pizza Hut, the contest saw over 51,000 entriesfrom students hoping for a chance to win some of the contest's attractive prizes.

After tireless sorting and careful deliberation, the discerning judges - Pizza Hut senior marketingexecutive Michelle Wong and marketing manager Yoko Neng; Taylor's School of Communication

dean Josephine Tan; Ogilvy & Mather creative director Andrew Loh, planning director Ajay Bangiaand account manager Sumana Ratilal; The Star deputy group chief editor (II) Leanne Goh; NiEeditorial manager SharonTwo teams from each category - Primary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary - were selectedand these teams will be pitting themselves against each other in a "live presentation" during the finalsslated for Sept 30.

Here, Tan shares her thoughts on the storyboards that have been selected for the finals.

PRIMARY

This year, pupils are evaluated based on their storytelling skills. The storyboard concept opens up aworld of imagination as it allows them the freedom to express themselves in fun and ingenious ways.

This concept encourages creative and logical thinking. Creativity can be seen in the plot andillustration of the stories while a logical sense is essential in linking sequences coherently.

Pupils are required to include at least one moral value in their stories and this requirement makes itinteresting as we get to see how pupils in this age group go about doing it.

It is good for them to learn how to create a story that not only entertains but also benefits readers.

This concept also enables pupils to develop their English writing skills in a more conversationalmanner.

The Magical Bo ots Team Junior EinsteinSK Bandar Utama Damansara (4), Petaling Jaya
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


2/7

This group did a very good job with their storyboard. The conversations, though short, express thesituation in the frames more effectively.

The choice of words is appropriately aligned with the genre and main point of the story.

The selection of elements in the story - cast, wardrobe and backdrop - are all relevant. The cameraangle is well thought out as they are able to emphasise the things they want to highlight.

This group is also enterprising. They have incorporated the logo and products of the contestorganisers - The Star and Pizza Hut - to capture more attention.The Boy Wh o Hated Mother Nature Team Galaxy GirlsSK Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur


3/7

The title of this entry is straightforward and tells a lot about the story.

The flow of the story shows good logical and creative thinking skills.

While this storyboard relies on images and narration to convey its message to readers, it can also usesome conversational elements.

One challenge in creating storyboards is that one needs to put his point across with fewer words.

Visuals and texts need to be used effectively to bring about the message of the story. In this case, thestory is simple and conveyed clearly.

LOWER SECONDARY

The requirements are more challenging for the Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary categories.

As the storyboard is limited to nine frames, students need to choose which part of the story they

would like to feature and create a continuous flow of the plot until the cliffhanger.

The visual communication aspect in these storyboards are good; the angles chosen for the framesare appropriate.

It is worth noting that not many at this age group would be exposed to camera skills so what theyhave applied so far would be what they have seen on television.

Oliver in Wond er land Team Totally PieSMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4), Petaling Jaya


4/7

The storyline is very imaginative and its title, aptly chosen. When one hears of "Oliver in Wonderland",one automatically recalls the popular Alice in Wonderland story. Most readers are familiar with thestory and they have a rough idea of what to expect.

The font used for the title and colours used for the illustrations are also appropriate. At a glance, thecover captures attention as it appears fun.

Angles in the storyboard frames are carefully chosen and the images clearly show the intendedmessage.

Overall, the story is well presented and is easy to grasp.

The One That Got Aw ay Team Stainless StealSMJK Perempuan Cina Pulau Pinang, Penang


5/7

This story is original as it does not borrow from the stories of its crossover characters. The characters,Harry Potter and Loki, though from two entirely different stories, are well selected as they are current.

These characters are also given slightly different roles in the storyboard, which are well described onthe cover page.

Although the storyboard is illustrated in black and white, its content is well portrayed and the imageshave an emotional appeal to them.

The story, which is about running away from home, relates to teen issues that exist in real life. Thisstory will speak out to anyone who is facing a similar scenario.

The title though, is not very catchy and the cover may appear uninteresting, so this entry may notcapture one's attention adequately from the outside.

However, when one flips inside, the progression of the story is rather exciting.

UPPER SECONDARY

The effort that the Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary categories have put in for the visual part ofthe storyboard is beyond our expectations. They did extremely well.

The English proficiency level is not far from that of the Lower Secondary category and can beimproved. More conversation bubbles can also be included in the scenes.

It would seem that the entries in the Upper Secondary category focused more on the illustrations.They should keep in mind that the written part is just as important.

Some of the crossover characters are not very popular so some readers may have difficultydifferentiating them from the normal characters.


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The Ant idote Team TaletellersSMK Bukit Mewah, Seremban

The title is not clearly illustrated. Some visuals can be included to relate the title to the story inside.

The storyboard, however, is very imaginative, creative and full of excitement. We can see a lot ofaction-packed scenes.

Based on the visuals, one can almost hear the sounds from the illustrated effects. The images arewell done as it shows the emotional state of each character.

But the description of characters on the cover page is lacking. Traits can be added to give them moredepth and explain what their roles are in this particular story.

The story ends with a good twist and cliffhanger. It makes readers want to know what will happennext.

After Apoc alypse Team After ApocalypseSMK USJ 4, Subang Jaya


7/7

The visuals in this storyboard are very well illustrated.

A lot of effort and creativity can be seen in the artworks, though more thought can be put into thewriting and plotting of the story.

The storyline is quite direct and straightforward. Its content can definitely be enhanced further.

More description can also be given to its crossover characters while conversational elements can beadded for a more expressive story.

Taken from: http://contests.thestar.com.my/nie/News.aspx?ids=story_0908

let s learn from the winners

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