So having chosen the animated title sequence as my brief for the next module, all that remains is to choose the book which will be the subject. This task is made a little more tricky as the brief stipulates that the book must not have previously been adapted for film and television, and it seems that the vast majority of books have been filmed at some stage. While there is still time to visit a bookshop or library to find a completely new story, of the books I have read three stand out in my mind, and don't appear to already exist on screen.
The first is The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Penman, which is a historical novel spanning 30 years of the Wars of the Roses, mainly focussing on the future Richard III. I thought that this may be an interesting novel to construct a title sequence for as it suggests a very distinct visual style, has a rich tapestry of characters, and an absorbing narrative. There is also the opportunity to use the symbolic image of a struggle between two roses, rather than a more literal depiction of characters. The book is aimed at an adult audience and adopts a sympathetic tone towards the controversial and much vilified figure at it's centre.
The other two are both by the same author, David Clement Davies, and are novels for older children and young teenagers. Firebringer is effectively a political allegory, constructing a story of persecution and dictatorship akin to Nazism, but within a red deer herd in ancient Scotland. Yet there is also a fantastical element to the story, with the central stag being gifted with the power to heal and communicate with all animals. The Sight has similar themes of ancient magic in the animal kingdom, this time amongst a pack of wolves.
The first is The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Penman, which is a historical novel spanning 30 years of the Wars of the Roses, mainly focussing on the future Richard III. I thought that this may be an interesting novel to construct a title sequence for as it suggests a very distinct visual style, has a rich tapestry of characters, and an absorbing narrative. There is also the opportunity to use the symbolic image of a struggle between two roses, rather than a more literal depiction of characters. The book is aimed at an adult audience and adopts a sympathetic tone towards the controversial and much vilified figure at it's centre.
The other two are both by the same author, David Clement Davies, and are novels for older children and young teenagers. Firebringer is effectively a political allegory, constructing a story of persecution and dictatorship akin to Nazism, but within a red deer herd in ancient Scotland. Yet there is also a fantastical element to the story, with the central stag being gifted with the power to heal and communicate with all animals. The Sight has similar themes of ancient magic in the animal kingdom, this time amongst a pack of wolves.
Despite being aimed at children, both these novels deal with dark themes such as death, separation, isolation and sacrifice. Characters which may be expected to survive are dispatched with cold suddenness, while even the young and vulnerable characters are not spared from danger and peril. As such, the animation style for title sequences for either of these stories would not, in my mind, be Disneyesque, but somewhat darker and less comforting.
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