Peculiar Portals Syllabus Grade 9 Honors English
Peculiar Portals
Dossier Ref: #1940-0903
"We cling to our fairy tales until the price for believing them becomes too high." — Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Unit Overview
Welcome to the peculiar. Over the next six weeks, we will dissect Ransom Riggs' modern gothic masterpiece, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Together, we will travel from the ordinary, sterile suburbs of Florida to the misty cliffs of Cairnholm Island, Wales. We will study how Riggs integrates vintage photography to construct an unsettling narrative space, and explore how "peculiarity" functions as a complex metaphor for historical trauma, adolescent isolation, and identity.
Essential Questions
How do we navigate the boundary between childhood myth and painful historical reality?
In what ways does "peculiarity" serve as a literary metaphor for otherness and trauma?
How do cinematic adaptations reframe character and setting to alter narrative tone?
Key Learning Objectives
By the conclusion of this unit, students will be able to:
Analyze how Riggs utilizes gothic tropes and setting to establish atmosphere.
Evaluate characterization through Jacob's psychological development.
Compare textual and cinematic narratives, detailing directorial intent.
Assessment Breakdown
Reading Dossiers (5) 30%
Weekly reading guides focusing on textual evidence, character studies, and gothic literary analysis.
Peculiar Projects 25%
Socratic seminar participation and photographic analysis of Riggs' integrated vintage images.
Comparative Essay 30%
A formal 3-4 page comparative paper contrasting Tim Burton's 2016 adaptation with the original text.
Socratic Seminar 15%
Active participation in debate regarding truth, escape, and the cost of complacency.
Required Assets:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Ransom Riggs, Quirk Books)
Active Reader Notebook / Folder
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC PAGE 1 OF 2 SECURE DOSSIER
Sequence Calendar
Six-Week Curricular Roadmap
WEEK 1
The Ordinary World (Chapters 1-2)
Active Reading Guide 1
Investigate Jacob's relationship with his grandfather, childhood myths, the tragic incident in Florida, and the psychological defense mechanisms surrounding reality and trauma.
WEEK 2
Cairnholm Island (Chapters 3-4)
Active Reading Guide 2
Explore the bleak shores of Cairnholm Island, Wales. Analyze the change in setting from sunny Florida to the gothic, gloomy ruins of the orphan house, representing Jacob's grief.
WEEK 3
Into the Loop (Chapters 5-6)
Active Reading Guide 3
Cross the threshold into the September 3, 1940 loop. Meet Miss Peregrine and the peculiar children. Deconstruct "peculiarity" as an allegory for historical displacement and trauma.
WEEK 4
Shadows and Specters (Chapters 7-9)
Active Reading Guide 4
Unpack the dark mechanics of hollowgasts and wights. Trace Jacob's profound realization of his unique, hereditary peculiarity and how it forces him to claim his agency and destiny.
WEEK 5
The Peculiar Stand (Chapters 10-11)
Active Reading Guide 5
Examine the breakdown of the loop's safety net, the climactic battle against the wights, and Jacob's definitive choice to abandon his ordinary world to join the peculiar family.
WEEK 6
Burton's Peculiar Lens (Cinematic Analysis)
Film Assessment Bundle
Screen and analyze Tim Burton's 2016 film adaptation. Track key script modifications, character power swaps (Emma and Olive), stylistic gothic set designs, and prepare the Comparative Essay.
A Note on Atmosphere and Content
This novel deals with themes of loss, historical trauma (specifically the Holocaust via allegory), and psychological struggle. We expect everyone to engage with these discussions with empathy and maturity. Please complete all readings in advance of the weekly discussion classes.
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC PAGE 2 OF 2 SECURE DOSSIER
Ordinary World Worksheet Reading Dossier 01 • Chapters 1-2 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
Ordinary Suburbia & Monsters
Exploring the inciting incident, Grandpa Portman's tales, and Jacob's initial skepticism.
A The Architecture of Belief
In Chapter 1, Jacob reflects on how his grandfather's vintage photos transitioned from magical truths to "obvious fabrications" as he grew older. Read the excerpt below and answer the questions:
"As I got older, I began to have doubts. It wasn't just that my friends laughed at me; it was that the pictures didn't make sense... My grandfather wasn't just a storyteller; he was a master of the double exposure."
1. Why is Jacob so eager to dismiss his grandfather's stories as he enters adolescence? What does this rejection reveal about Jacob's desire for "normalcy" in his Florida suburb?
2. Examine how Grandpa Portman is characterized. Is he portrayed as a reliable veteran of a traumatic past, or as a delusional old man? Cite one piece of evidence.
B The Woods of Cairnholm & Florida
The climax of Chapter 2 forces Jacob into the dense, dark woods behind his grandfather's house, where he discovers the dying old man and catches a glimpse of a "monster."
3. Contrast the setting of Smart Aid (the sterile, brightly-lit pharmacy where Jacob works) with the dark, primeval woods of the backyard. How does this setting transition reflect Jacob's mental state?
4. In the aftermath of his grandfather's death, Jacob's parents and his psychiatrist, Dr. Golan, attempt to "rationalize" what Jacob saw in the woods. Explain their explanation and why Jacob struggles to accept it.
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 1 • DOSSIER 01 DO NOT DUPLICATE
Ancestral Trunk Activity Creative Artifact Lab • Week 1 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
The Ancestral Trunk Challenge
Deconstructing Grandpa Abe's luggage: Curating relics that walk the line between myth and memory.
Context Dossier: The Weight of Relics
In Chapter 1, Jacob discovers Grandpa Portman's metal steamer trunk filled with old photographs, letters, and unexplained trinkets. To Jacob's father, this trunk is a painful reminder of Abe's abandonment and trauma. To young Jacob, it was a magical treasure chest. Today, you are the curator.
Task 1: Cataloging Abe's Artifacts
Select three specific artifacts mentioned in the early chapters (e.g., the vintage camera, the collection of monochrome photos, the letter from Miss Peregrine, or the military medals). Explain what they physically represent versus what they symbolically represent.
Relic 01: _____________
Student Sketch Area
Symbolic Truth:
Relic 02: _____________
Student Sketch Area
Symbolic Truth:
Relic 03: _____________
Student Sketch Area
Symbolic Truth:
Task 2: Your Personal "Peculiar" Artifact
Imagine a future descendant of yours opens a dusty trunk belonging to you. Design a single, seemingly ordinary artifact from your life that could be easily misinterpreted as "magical" or "peculiar" by someone who doesn't know the full context.
Artifact Name:
Provide the "Peculiar" Legend (What others might believe it does):
Provide the "Ordinary" Context (The real-world history behind it):
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 1 • CREATIVE LAB SECURE DOSSIER
Gothic Island Worksheet Reading Dossier 02 • Chapters 3-4 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
The Mist & The Ruins of Cairnholm
Analyzing gothic conventions, geographic isolation, and the architecture of grief.
A Geographic Isolation as Grief
In Chapter 3, Jacob travels to Cairnholm Island, Wales. Riggs describes the island in terms of confinement, weather-worn rock, and decay.
1. Describe Cairnholm Island using three specific details from Chapter 3. How does this remote, dreary, and isolated setting serve as a physical metaphor for Jacob's psychological grief after losing his grandfather?
2. Upon arriving, Jacob discovers the "Priest Hole," a damp local tavern, and a landscape dominated by peat bogs. What tone do these atmospheric details establish for his quest?
B The Ruined Sanctuary of Chapter 4
In Chapter 4, Jacob scales the bog to find the children's home, only to discover it has been bombed into a skeleton of its former self.
"The house was a shipwreck on an island of shipwrecks... the shell of a house, hollowed out by fire."
3. Analyze Riggs' choice of words in the quotation above. How does comparing the home to a "shipwreck" connect with the history of the children who lived there, and what does it suggest about their fate?
4. At the end of Chapter 4, Jacob encounters a group of strange children in the ruins, including a girl who can hold fire in her hands. How does this encounter challenge Jacob's reliance on rationalism and psychiatric explanations?
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 2 • DOSSIER 02 DO NOT DUPLICATE
Cairnholm Cartography Activity Visual Geography Lab • Week 2 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
Cairnholm Cartography Challenge
Mapping the physical cliffs of Wales as a topographical representation of Jacob's emotional landscape.
Landscape as Psyche In gothic literature, the setting is never merely a backdrop; it is an active reflection of the protagonist's mental state. Cairnholm Island, with its constant fog, historic peat bogs, and skeleton of a ruined orphanage, mirrors Jacob's internal journey of grief, isolation, and mystery.
Interactive Map Plotting Scale: 1 inch = 1 mile of isolation
Gothic North
Cairnholm Topography
Sketch the rugged shoreline of the island, including the harbor, the peat bog path, and the high cliffs. Place and label the 4 key coordinates shown below.
01. PRIEST HOLE The skeptical present
02. PEAT BOGS The treacherous transit
03. THE SHIPWRECK Discarded histories
04. RUINED MANOR The skeletal sanctuary
Topographical Analysis
A. Choose two locations on your map. Explain how the physical conditions of these environments (mud, rain, dark, cold) directly mirror Jacob's emotional stages of grief or acceptance.
B. The peat bog has preserved a "perfectly intact" ancient mummy ("The Cairnholm Man"). Why is this discovery highly symbolic for Jacob right before he enters the 1940 loop?
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 2 • CARTOGRAPHY LAB SECURE DOSSIER
Gothic Devices Worksheet Literary Devices Lab • Week 2 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
Gothic Figures of Speech
Analyzing the figurative architecture, eerie personifications, and haunted imagery of Cairnholm Island.
A The Anatomy of Gothic Prose
Ransom Riggs uses vivid figurative language to turn Cairnholm Island into an active, breathing character. Match each quote from Chapters 3-4 with the primary literary device it employs, then explain its tone.
Quote 01
"The house was a shipwreck on an island of shipwrecks... the rotting frame of a giant creature."
Device Options: Extended Metaphor Imagery
Target Mood:
Quote 02
"The wind howled down the chimney, a low moan that sounded like a dying beast in the dark."
Device Options: Simile Onomatopoeia
Target Mood:
Quote 03
"The peat bog reached out with cold, sticky fingers, threatening to swallow our boots whole."
Device Options: Personification Imagery
Target Mood:
Deconstructing the Atmosphere
1. Why does Riggs personify inanimate objects (like the house, the wind, and the mud bogs) so aggressively in Chapters 3 and 4? How does giving the setting "intent" and "movement" affect the reader's expectation of danger?
2. Examine how Riggs describes the transition from sunny, flat Florida to rocky, misty Wales using sensory language (tactile, olfactory, visual). Give one textual example.
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 2 • LITERARY DEVICES DO NOT DUPLICATE
Peculiar Allegory Worksheet Reading Dossier 03 • Chapters 5-6 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
Crossing the Cairn into 1940
Exploring the mechanics of time loops, maternal isolation, and peculiarity as a social metaphor.
A The Paradoxical Sanctuary
In Chapter 5, Jacob crawls through the damp stone cairn and emerges on September 3, 1940. He finds the home completely intact, warm, and bustling with strange children.
1. Miss Peregrine describes the Loop as a perfect shelter from a hostile outer world. However, what are the implicit "traps" of living inside a single, repeated day? Consider the psychological toll of never aging or progressing.
2. Analyze Miss Peregrine's dual role as both a protective mother-figure (an "Ymbryne") and a strict warden of routine. Why is absolute chronological precision so critical to her survival and the children's?
B Deconstructing the Peculiar Metaphor
Historically, the children were sent away from their families during World War II. Many scholars read "peculiarity" as an allegory for refugee displacement, trauma, and identity.
Historical Context: During WWII, thousands of British children were evacuated from major cities to rural safe zones (like Wales) via Operation Pied Piper. Concurrently, Jewish children fled Continental Europe to escape Nazi persecution.
3. Choose one peculiar child (e.g., Millard the invisible boy, Bronwyn the exceptionally strong girl, or Emma who generates heat). How can their physical "peculiarity" be read as a psychological coping mechanism for child refugees fleeing war?
4. At the end of Chapter 6, Emma begins to trust Jacob, noting his striking resemblance to his grandfather Abe. How does this connection initiate a shift in Jacob's own sense of identity?
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 3 • DOSSIER 03 DO NOT DUPLICATE
Chronological Ledger Activity Chronological Lab • Week 3 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
The Chronological Ledger
Dissecting Miss Peregrine's timetable: Balancing safety and stagnation within a single repeated day.
The Clockwork Prison Inside the loop of September 3, 1940, Miss Peregrine enforces a rigorous, military schedule. Every breakfast, garden walk, and bomb shelter retreat happens at the exact same minute. Routines prevent variables; variables risk exposing the loop to hunters.
Task 1: Designing Your Ultimate 24-Hour Loop
If you were forced to live in a single 24-hour time loop forever, what would your schedule look like? Draft four key blocks of your repeated day below. Be specific—remember, you will repeat these exact hours for centuries!
08:00 AM
The Morning Act:
01:00 PM
The Midday Focus:
06:30 PM
The Twilight Event:
11:00 PM
The Midnight Reset:
Safety vs. Stagnation
How does this perpetual routine change a person's relationship with time? In your opinion, does avoiding future risks make up for losing the ability to learn new things, experience surprise, and age naturally? Refer to Enoch's dark hobby or Emma's letters to Abe.
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 3 • CHRONOLOGICAL LAB SECURE DOSSIER
Shadows and Specters Worksheet Reading Dossier 04 • Chapters 7-9 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
Shadows, Specters, and Sight
Exploring the biology of hollowgasts, the camouflage of wights, and Jacob's genetic legacy.
A Hollowgasts & Wights: Hidden Evils
In Chapters 7 and 8, Jacob uncovers the terrifying history of the "Hollowgasts"—monstrous, invisible executioners born of a failed experiment for immortality—and the "Wights," who are hollows that have consumed enough peculiar souls to pass as ordinary humans.
1. Wights are described as terrifying because they look completely ordinary, lacking only pupils in their eyes. How does this ability to "blend in" with ordinary humanity complicate Jacob's ability to trust his family, mentors, and psychiatrist (Dr. Golan)?
2. Historically, Hollowgasts hunt and consume peculiars, while ordinary humans are entirely blind to them. Read this as a social metaphor. Who or what do these "invisible hunters" represent in our world?
B The Gift of Sight
In Chapter 9, Jacob makes a staggering realization: he is not a mere baseline human who stumbled into a magical loop. He possesses his grandfather Abe's exact peculiarity—the rare ability to see and track Hollowgasts.
"I was the only one who could see the monsters. I wasn't just a bystander; I was their secret weapon."
3. How does this revelation redefine Jacob's understanding of his grandfather's life and death? Why is it both a terrifying burden and an empowering source of identity for Jacob?
4. At this point in the novel, Jacob must balance his loyalty to his real-world father (who is depressed and struggling on Cairnholm) with his obligation to the peculiar children. What does this tension reveal about his maturing character?
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 4 • DOSSIER 04 DO NOT DUPLICATE
Peculiar Census Activity Peculiar Registry • Week 4 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
Ymbryne Registry & Census
The Council of Ymbrynes: Official Registry Record #MPHPC-1940.
The Census Dossier Under the direction of Miss Peregrine, all loops maintain active records of their wards. For this activity, you will act as a clerk for the Council of Ymbrynes. Select either one existing character (e.g., Jacob, Emma, Millard, Fiona, Enoch, or Bronwyn) OR design a completely original peculiar character of your own creation.
Official Record
WARD INDEX CARD
Full Name:
Peculiar Class:
Chronological Age:
Apparent Physical Age:
Loop Location:
Peculiar Specialization (Describe their power/ability in detail):
Metaphorical Burden (How does this physical trait represent an emotional trauma or psychological fear?):
Place Photo or sketch
Historical Background & Entry into Loop:
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 4 • CENSUS REGISTRY CONFIDENTIAL FILE
Peculiar Prose Worksheet Figurative Language Lab • Week 4 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
Monstrous Metaphors & Stasis
Deconstructing the photographic motifs, horrific animalistic descriptions, and stylistic contrasts of Chapters 7-9.
A The Biology of Nightmare: Eerie Figurative Language
In Chapter 8, Miss Peregrine explains the terrifying origin of the Hollowgasts—creatures that are invisible, rotting, and hungry. Riggs uses extreme animalistic metaphors and eerie sensory adjectives to make these invisible monsters feel tangible and heavy.
1. Riggs describes a Hollow's tongue as "a cluster of black, prehensile eels slithering from an empty jaw." What does the comparison to "eels" suggest about the monster's predatory nature and the psychological disgust it is meant to evoke?
2. When Jacob notices a Wight's lack of pupils, he describes their eyes as "hard-boiled eggs dropped into sockets." What does this bizarre and grotesque simile suggest about the lifelessness or moral emptiness of the Wights?
B Photographic Stasis as a Motif
Throughout the novel, photographs represent time trapped in silver nitrate. This matches the concept of loops, where people are physically preserved but culturally stagnant.
"A photograph is a loop of silver and chemicals... it preserves the moment of death, but denies the rebirth that comes after."
3. How does the camera or photograph serve as an extended metaphor for the protective but stagnant time loops? How does a photograph "deny rebirth"?
4. Creative Prose Transformation: Rewrite this mundane sentence into a dark, gothic sentence using personification or a creepy metaphor:
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 4 • FIGURATIVE ANALYSIS DO NOT DUPLICATE
Peculiar Choice Worksheet Reading Dossier 05 • Chapters 10-11 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
The Broken Loop & The Road Ahead
Evaluating the breakdown of shelter, active defense, and the sacrifice of comfortable normalcy.
A The Shattered Nest
In Chapters 10 and 11, the wights breach the loop, kidnap Miss Peregrine and Miss Avocet, and prevent the loop from resetting. For the first time in 70 years, the children are exposed to the cold, forward march of real-world time.
1. The destruction of Miss Peregrine's strict routine symbolizes the end of childhood security. How do the peculiar children react when forced to act outside of their safe "playground"? Cite an example of a child displaying unexpected leadership or courage.
2. During the battle on the cold Welsh pier, Jacob uses a firearm to kill a hollowgast. How does this act of violent self-defense separate him forever from his mundane childhood and mirror his grandfather's secret past?
B Leaving the Ordinary World
At the conclusion of Chapter 11, Jacob stands at a crossroads. He can return to his wealthy, safe life in Florida with his grieving parents, or embark on a dangerous rowboat voyage across the open ocean with the children.
"I had a family here, too. A family that actually needed me. I looked at the boats, bobbing on the gray sea. I was ready to leave."
3. Jacob writes a letter to his father, explaining his departure. In your opinion, is Jacob's choice to abandon his parents selfish, or is it a necessary step in claiming his authentic identity and maturity? Explain.
4. By taking to the rowboats at the novel's end, the children escape their protective loops and enter the flow of unpredictable history. How does this rowboat voyage function as a metaphor for entering adulthood?
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 5 • DOSSIER 05 DO NOT DUPLICATE
Farewell Dispatch Activity Narrative Craft Lab • Week 5 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
The Farewell Dispatch
Exploring character voice and sacrifice through Jacob's final letter to his father, Franklin.
The Inciting Departure At the close of Chapter 11, Jacob stands in his father's messy hotel room. Franklin is asleep, exhausted and defeated. Jacob writes a letter explaining why he must leave with the peculiar children. It is his ultimate break from the ordinary world.
Letter Writing Instructions:
In Jacob's voice, write the actual letter he leaves on Franklin's desk. Your draft must incorporate:
At least one specific physical detail from their hotel room (e.g., Franklin's bird-watching notebook, the sleeping pills, or the rain on the window).
A clear acknowledgement of Grandpa Abe's legacy and why Jacob is the only one who can carry it on.
A tone that balances grief, finality, and profound love for his ordinary parents.
Lined Scroll Block
Dear
Dad,
Your son,
Jacob
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 5 • NARRATIVE LAB SECURE DOSSIER
Burtons Lens Worksheet Cinematic Analysis • Week 6 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
Burton's Celluloid Peculiarities
Deconstructing Tim Burton's director choices, physical power swaps, and stylistic transformations.
A The Power Swap: Emma vs. Olive
In Tim Burton's 2016 film adaptation, Emma Bloom (who has fire manipulation in the novel) is swapped with Olive Abroholos Elephanta (who is lighter than air and wears lead shoes in the novel).
Riggs' Novel Dynamics:
Emma's fire is volatile, passionate, and dangerous. It represents her fierce, protective nature and her anger about the past. Olive is a small, quiet, floating child.
Burton's Film Dynamics:
Emma is the weightless girl wearing heavy lead boots, tethered to the ground by Jacob. Olive is a teenager who generates heat, working as a secondary romantic lead for Enoch.
1. Why do you think Tim Burton chose to swap the powers of Emma and Olive? Consider the visual possibilities of CGI weightlessness (underwater scenes, floating in air) vs. hand-held fire. How does this alter Emma's relationship with Jacob?
B Atmosphere: Eerie Gothic vs. Cinematic Whimsy
While Riggs uses authentic, unsettling, monochrome photography to ground the novel in WWII-era historical horror, Burton injects saturated Technicolor, whimsical set design, and a major battle climax set in a modern Blackpool carnival.
2. Contrast the tone of the book's final chapters (gloomy, rain-soaked, dark, and historically tense) with the film's climax at the Blackpool pier (which includes skeleton fights set to electronic music). Which medium is more effective, and why?
3. Samuel L. Jackson plays Mr. Barron, a film-only compilation character who acts as the lead Wight. How does introducing a charismatic, eccentric villain change the horror element compared to the book's faceless, lurking monsters?
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 6 • FILM ANALYSIS DO NOT DUPLICATE
Comparative Essay Guide Final Assessment Portfolio Subject: ELA Grade 9
Celluloid Peculiarities
The Final Novel-to-Film Comparative Analysis Essay Guide
The Assignment
Now that you have finished reading Ransom Riggs' novel and screened Tim Burton's 2016 film adaptation, you will write a formal, 3-4 page comparative analytical essay. Your task is to craft a cohesive, thesis-driven argument that analyzes how these two distinct mediums construct, manipulate, or resolve key literary themes.
Select One of the Following Prompts:
PROMPT 1 • THE EMBODIMENT OF TRAUMA
In both works, "peculiarity" functions as a central metaphor. Contrast how the novel and film utilize the physical traits of the children (focusing heavily on the Emma-Olive power swap) to express adolescent isolation. How does swapping Emma's internal, hot-burning fire for quiet weightlessness alter her narrative agency?
PROMPT 2 • THE GOTHIC CANVAS
Riggs uses black-and-white photography to ground his gothic atmosphere in real historical trauma (WWII, evacuations), while Burton employs whimsical, vivid, and carnival-like elements. Compare how these two distinct visual palettes establish tone. How does the choice of imagery impact the reader/viewer's emotional connection to the setting?
PROMPT 3 • REJECTING THE ORDINARY
Jacob's journey is defined by his decision to abandon his mundane family in Florida for a precarious future with the children. Compare how Jacob's identity struggle and final decision are framed in the novel's quiet, reflective ending versus the film's fast-paced, action-driven resolution.
Recommended Structure
I. Introduction
Hook, introduce both texts (novel & film), and state a complex, thesis-driven comparative statement.
II. Textual Analysis
Analyze the specific literary craft in the novel (imagery, characterization, dialogue, historical subtext).
III. Cinematic Analysis
Analyze Burton's directorial choices (CGI, pacing, performance, musical scoring, script alterations).
IV. Synthesis
Compare the two mediums. Explain how the medium differences alter the central message of identity and escape.
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC PAGE 1 OF 2 FINAL ASSESSMENT
Assessment Instrument
Analytical Essay Grading Rubric
Criterion Exemplary (4) Proficient (3) Developing (2) Emerging (1) Thesis & Argumentation Thesis is arguable, highly sophisticated, and masterfully contrasts both mediums.
Storyboard Strategy Activity Media Production Lab • Week 6 Name: _______________________________ Date: _________
The Director's Chair
Directorial Vision: Translating Riggs' gritty historical gothic tone onto the silver screen.
Directorial Strategy As a director, you control how a book's prose translates into visual emotion. Many fans felt Tim Burton's 2016 film was too colorful, whimsical, and fast-paced. Today, you are the chief director. Select one critical scene from the book (e.g., Jacob finding Abe in the woods, Jacob scaling the foggy bogs, or entering the loop through the damp cairn) and storyboard it to preserve the original, eerie, historical atmosphere.
FRAME 01 • ESTABLISHING
Sketch Key Angle / Composition
Shot Type:
Lighting/Color:
FRAME 02 • THE CLIMAX
Sketch Key Angle / Composition
Shot Type:
Lighting/Color:
FRAME 03 • THE REACTION
Sketch Key Angle / Composition
Shot Type:
Lighting/Color:
The Director's Notes
Sound Design & Score:
Describe the background music, diegetic sound effects (bogs squelching, sirens, bird wing flaps) you would mix into this sequence:
Atmospheric Styling:
Explain how your color grading and set dressing capture the 1940s wartime reality and the metaphor of WWII persecution:
UNIT NO. 9-MPHPC WEEK 6 • STORYBOARD LAB SECURE DOSSIER
