Ethel & ErnestLearning Resource

Storyboarding

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StoryboardingEthel & Ernest

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Storyboarding

Ethel & Ernest is based on a graphic novel by Raymond Briggs, who has also written and illustrated other well-known books including Fungus the Bogeyman, Ivor the Invisible, Ug and The Snowman. Ethel & Ernest is a hand-drawn animation recreating Raymond Briggs’ instantly recognisable style.

In this activity learners will focus on the part storyboarding has to play in the creation of an animated film.

Resources needed:• Video on Storyboarding, Richard Fawdry, Storyboard Artist and Head of Additional Design

(in Video)

• Video on Foley, Richard Overall, Editor (optional) (in Video)

• Ethel & Ernest backgrounds (in the Gallery)

• Ethel & Ernest character sheets (in the Gallery)

• Ethel & Ernest script extract (below)

• Camera Shots Sheet (below)

• 3Cs and 3Ss Question Card (in the Work with the 3Cs and 3Ss activity sheet)

• Sheets of A4 paper

• Pens and pencils

• Craft materials

• Tablets with iMovie or similar editing software (optional)

Teacher instructions

1. Watch the Ethel & Ernest trailer and discuss with learners what this story is about and the characteristics of the characters. You may like to use the questions on the 3Cs and 3Ss Question Card as a basis for discussion.

2. Watch the Video on Storyboarding, Richard Fawdry, Storyboard Artist and Head of Additional Design. Ask learners to identify how Richard and the Director, Roger Mainwood, created a storyboard for the film of Ethel & Ernest, and why creation of a storyboard is so important for an animated film.

StoryboardingEthel & Ernest

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3. Explain that learners are going to create their own storyboard for a sequence in Ethel & Ernest. Provide learners with Ethel & Ernest backgrounds and Ethel & Ernest character sheets. Ask learners to close their eyes and try to visualize the scene as you read out the Ethel & Ernest script extract.

4. Provide pairs of students with the Ethel & Ernest script extract and/or display it on the whiteboard. Ask learners to discuss what images they saw, thinking about the setting, colours, character’s body language and expressions, sounds and dialogue and camera shots and angles. You could use questions from the 3Cs and 3Ss Question Card to lead discussion. As you discuss the scene description annotate it with students’ ideas.

5. As a whole class work with students to mark up the description to divide it into six sections. Suggested sections: the opening aerial view, the traders in the street, the chasing of the young boy, Ernest saying goodbye to his Stepmother, Ernest speaking to the traders, and Ernest cycling off.

6. Assign each group or pair of students one section to storyboard into six shots and provide students with six sheets of A4 paper and drawing materials to illustrate their six shot storyboard. Provide students with a Camera Shots Sheet, if necessary, so that they can use appropriate shots in their storyboard.

7. At the end of this exercise you class will have 36 hand drawn shots, which make up a storyboard for the described scene. These can be assembled around the wall of your classroom.

8. Groups could photograph their storyboard and insert the stills into iMovie and record the relevant dialogue and/or soundtrack using the microphone. These movies could then be edited together to create an animatic. See the Animation Process Viewer to see the storyboard and animatic for this scene. To prepare for creating the soundtrack watch the Video on Foley, Richard Overall, Editor to learn about how authentic sounds were created for Ethel & Ernest.

9. If students are able to watch Ethel & Ernest at the cinema or on television, ask them to look out for this sequence and compare how Richard Fawdry and his team interpreted it with the students’ ideas. Discuss the challenges involved in animating a long sequence with a large team and how students think these can be overcome.

Resources available on the Ethel & Ernest website: ethelandernestthemovie.com

StoryboardingEthel & Ernest

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ETHEL & ERNESTby Raymond Briggs

Screen adaptation by Roger Mainwood

Live action opening involving Raymond Briggs at his Sussex home. He is seen working on a drawing of Ethel and Ernest. He looks through a magnifying glass at the figures he is drawing, and when he is finished he pushes the magnifying glass away. As he does so the edge of the magnifying glass acts as a wipe to the first scene of animation.

London - 1928.

Autumn, early morning, misty. High angle view of the London cityscape.

The caption LONDON 1928 appears. A de Havilland Hawk Moth plane flies through shot, and the camera starts to pan down and focus in on one south west London street.

Traders’ horses and carts are getting ready for the day’s work. We focus in on the house where Ernest and his Stepmother live. A horse is led through shot and leaves a fine deposit of manure on the road in front of Ernest’s door. Two street traders are getting ready for the days work ahead of them.

Ernest comes out of the front door with his bicycle. His Stepmother is glimpsed behind him.

ERNESTBye, Mum.

ERNEST’S STEP MOTHERBye, dear.

Ernest lifts his bike up and steps over the horse manure as if it is a common occurrence. One of the street traders turns to Ernest.

FRUIT MANTa ta, Ern mate.

ERNESTTa ta.

Ernest gets on his bike, and as he rides off he waves at his friends, and one of them waves back.

ERNEST

Ta ta.

Mid shot

Long shotEstablishing shot

Close up Extreme close up

Camera Shots

Careers in Film - PrimaryWorksheet

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Our resources are designed to be used with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org

StoryboardingEthel & Ernest