Aoife and myself arrived early for our second session with Ballyneale N.S. (seeing as I only live down the road) so we went in and got the class started, handing the groups back their characters.
Once Astrid arrived (all the way from Cork) she got everyone ready to do out their storyboards. The volunteer group was Issy’s two person group, both third class students. This group’s characters were ‘Mrs Lovemum’ (one of my favourite names so far) and Swimmer who is coincidentally, a swimmer.
Issy and her team-mate step up to the board.
Unlike many stories which start of in all sorts of far-flung worlds, this story starts off in the actual classroom, with these tiny pop-up people dwarfed by us, the students and all the giant furniture. To make it clear that the story takes place in the real world we had the girls pick a place in the classroom that would really show how tiny they are compared to their surroundings, so the girls picked the bookshelf.
The rest of the class listens attentively.
Swimmer true to her name decides she wants to go for a swim in the beautifully crafted cardboard aquarium (with cardboard fish of course).
Here’s the box aquarium, being used for another group’s story.
After a brisk swim Mrs. Lovemum and Swimmer find the super cool classroom rocket and decide to go on a little off-world adventure…to…well, that would be spoiling it. Let’s just say it will be interesting to see how we can pull off the scenery for next Thursday’s class!
Issy setting up the rocket scene.
Lovemum next to the rocket (just for a size comparison).
With Issy’s group having set a good example for setting up a story that flows nicely and fits together soundly, the rest of the groups set to work on their own stories, experimenting with different props and locations in the classroom.
The little lad looks quite like Tom Hanks I think.
We had adventurous characters:
A whole bunch of characters clambering up the blinds.
Mythical characters:
Check out this mermaid on her mermaid rock!
Well, really, all shapes and sizes of pop-up people.
A whole gang of pop-up people, all made by the same group.
An alien and a living bomb!
The students at Ballyneale are inventive when it comes to setting scenes and their collection of encyclopedias also made for a great collection of backdrops.
Testing out a background for an island scene.
…and here’s Issy ‘photobombing’ the shot!
The fearsome dragon from the scene above by Quinn.
Another group working with the box aquarium.
I must say, Astrid, Aoife and I had lots of fun that day out in Ballyneale, and I’m sure the Ballynealers did too.
Some students even had time to make super cool glasses.
As well as a Ninja Turtle mask or two.
All the kids were eager to show the teacher their work.
We also found out that one of the students, Quinn, runs his own blog where he writes about and reviews video games! Very impressive. He’s been at it for longer than I have and all, since the end of 2013!
One of Quinn’s Mincraft builds from his blog.
The kids at Ballyneale are light-years ahead and have some great stories worked out, so I’m sure shooting them this coming week during our last class won’t be a bother.
I made this Blu-tac Yoda to give us some encouragement anyhow.
It was time to wrap things up and head home, but not before the students at Ballyneale all volunteered to help us carry our art supplies to the car. Imagine that! The teacher picked three of them, leaving the rest very dissapointed. Next time though a different group can help us out. What a well behaved bunch! The don’t do things by half in Ballyneale.
Hope you enjoyed this post…
Pop Up People 