Pratique du Shadowing: Characters: Internal vs. external features - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

Création de la leçon...
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Hi.
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I'm Christian Roman and I'm a story artist at Pixar.
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I'm your host for this second lesson on storytelling.
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which is on character development.
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and I have a few friends joining me.
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I'm Austin Madison.
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I am a story artist.
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My name is Afton Corbin, and I'm a storyboard artist.
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My name is Louise Smyth, and I am a storyboard artist.
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My name is Ronnie Del Carmen.
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I am a story person, director, designer, and all -around troublemaker around here at Pixar.
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The goal of this lesson is to explore our character development process.
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by which we go from simple character concepts, such as a robot or a fish or a girl, to complex characters people can actually care about.
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Take Wall -E.
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He's not just a robot.
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He's a lonely, curious robot who fears, thinks, and ultimately loves. or Nemo.
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He's not just a fish.
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He's a young fish who craves independence from his father.
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but endangers himself in trying to achieve it. or MERDA.
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She's a young princess who wishes to pursue her own hopes and dreams.
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rather than conform to her parents' expectations.
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We can call these characters fully developed.
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This means we've gotten to know them so well that we can imagine them in almost any situation.
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Creating a fully developed character isn't easy.
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You're basically creating a new life from scratch.
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but it's really special when you get there.
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So, How do we begin character development at Pixar?
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We can talk about characters in two ways.
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They have their external features, which is their design, their clothes, what they look like.
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And then much more interesting is the internal features.
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Are they insecure?
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Are they brave?
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Are they jealous?
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pretend like I'm having a conversation and getting to know a friend.
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and think, "Okay, well, what do they like to do?
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What are their beliefs?
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What do they enjoy?
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What do they not enjoy?" I think actually I work more externally first now that I think about it.
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You know what they're wearing, how they style their hair, and that kind of informs internally what's going on.
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You know one of my favorite Pixar characters is Syndrome.
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You look on the outside and he actually kind of looks like a superhero.
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He's got the superhero costume on, he's got a cape, he's got this dazzling hair, but inside he's totally a villain and he wants to actually do away with all the supers.
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So you kind of have that great little contrast there with that character that makes him feel really rich and really real.
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- Characters have to come from authentic human emotions and experiences.
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And that doesn't necessarily have to mean make every character you.
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It could also be draw from people you know, things from real life.
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Listen to that little voice saying, "Oh, that's just like what my mom used to do," or, "Oh, that's just like this friend I had in high school," or,
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"Oh, my little brother was like that when we were growing up." Because it's much easier to go from your
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family members or a friend when you're trying to search for a character.
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The specificity that
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people bring that you can't make up on your own is something that I
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look forward to and I enjoy when I'm trying to pinpoint down a character.
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I was working on Up, I was the story supervisor.
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Now, I'm a little invested in Carl's journey because back then my father was not well.
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He also had a full head of white hair.
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So when he gets to the Teppui, Carl actually has to be alone in his house.
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essentially looking back at the life that he had led. with Ellie.
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And he does this.
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silently.
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At that point, when I was storyboarding that sequence, my father was already in the hospital, and he was unable to speak.
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And when I actually talk to my father, he can only communicate to me through his eyes.
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and with smiles and facial movements.
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That actually helped me storyboard those moments when Carl silently thinks about his life with Ellie.
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And without dialogue, we understand the emotions that he's going through.
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And without my experience with my father, I wouldn't have been able to actually tackle that moment in the movie and storyboards credibly.
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And I told him that Dad, I'm drawing you. as Carl.
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Understanding a character, both inside and out, will help you figure out what the character really desires.
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which is what drives them through their journey.
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In this first exercise, you'll have a chance to think about the difference between internal and external character traits.
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Remember, The more you know about your character, the more real that character will feel.

Context & Background

In this informative video titled "Characters: Internal vs. External Features," Christian Roman, a story artist at Pixar, leads a discussion with a group of talented colleagues in the storytelling field. Together, they explore the nuances of character development, illustrating how simple concepts can evolve into deeply relatable characters. By using familiar Pixar characters such as Wall-E, Nemo, and Merida as examples, the team emphasizes the importance of both external features (like physical appearance and design) and internal features (such as emotions and beliefs) in creating fully developed characters that resonate with audiences.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “He’s not just a robot.” - This phrase highlights the need to delve deeper into a character's psyche.
  • “Creating a new life from scratch.” - Referring to the creative process of building a character.
  • “What do they like to do?” - Encouraging an inquiry into personal preferences.
  • “Draw from people you know.” - A reminder that real-life experiences are valuable in storytelling.
  • “Authentic human emotions.” - Essential for making characters relatable and engaging.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

If you're looking to improve your English speaking skills using the shadowing technique, here’s a structured guide based on the video content:

  1. Choose the Right Shadowing App: Select a quality shadowing app that allows you to play the video at variable speeds and isolate segments for practice.
  2. Understand the Context: Before you start shadowing, take a moment to watch the video to grasp the context and main ideas regarding character development.
  3. Listen and Imitate: Play a short segment, focusing on the phrases highlighted above. Listen closely to pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Repeat the phrases out loud, mimicking the speaker’s style.
  4. Record Yourself: Use the shadowing site’s features to record your attempts. This will help you identify areas for improvement in your delivery and accent.
  5. Reflect and Refine: After practicing, listen to your recording and compare it with the original audio. Make necessary adjustments and repeat the shadowing process until you feel more confident.

This step-by-step guide will assist you in utilizing the videos effectively for your IELTS speaking practice, deepening both your understanding of character development in storytelling and enhancing your English speaking skills through the art of shadowing.

Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?

Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.