Sign up for Character Day on September 22, 2016!
Character Day is an annual global day with free films and resources devoted to developing who we are and who we want to be in the world. Sign up your school, classroom, organization, company, community, or family to participate. www.characterday.org
directed by @tiffanyshlain
produced by sawyer steele
animated by una lorenzen
writen by tiffanyshlain, sawyer steele, ken goldberg
sound design: dave nelson & outpost studios
Original Soundtrack written by DJ Spooky. Ending Music Courtesy of Extension Music, LLC: “Fortyfive,” Written by Jordan S. Smith, Performed by Bootstraps
Learn more about character strengths and how you can get a customized film for your school or nonprofit at letitripple.org
This is a story about grit – and why it might just be the key to your success as a student at Florida Virtual School. FLVS is exploring new and innovative ways to help you grow and learn more every day. Visit www.flvs.net to get started.
In a faraway land, a king governed his realm so well that his people were in want of nothing. As the years passed, the king noticed his people had become lazy and selfish, so he devised a simple test to show them the value of others. As a young boy unknowingly faces the challenge, the future of the kingdom is built on the strength of his character.
In the fall of 2007, Southern Adventist University’s animation students set out to create a three-minute short film based on a simple parable. This artistic venture, intended to be completed during one year, turned into a five-year journey. The result is the twelve-minute animated short, “Rock in the Road.”
The scope of the project grew as the team became interested in telling a longer form story. But as students who started it graduated, and other projects were begun, finishing the short became its own “rock in the road.” However, professors and students persevered, realizing the completion of the film would benefit everyone who was involved. A small, dedicated crew worked on it between other projects to finish the film at the end of the 2012 school year.
Before George Lucas finished his Star Wars trilogy, he carefully studied Joseph Campbell’s work on epic myths and the hero’s journey. In this video interview, conducted by Bill Moyers, Joseph Campbell discusses how well Star Wars maps onto the stages in the classic hero’s journey.
Isn’t it amazing that George Lucas was inspired by Joseph Campbell and that Joseph Campbell was able to reflect on the success of George Lucas’ epic hero’s story? There is more to the story of how George Lucas and Joseph Campbell met here. Even the some of the creators of Star Wars did not truly understand the deeper meaning in Star Wars until they heard Joseph Campbell give a lecture.
“Composer John Williams was in the audience for one of Campbell’s lectures at Skywalker Ranch and commented, “Until Campbell told us what Star Wars meant […] we regarded it as a Saturday morning space movie.” http://www.starwars.com/news/mythic-discovery-within-the-inner-reaches-of-outer-space-joseph-campbell-meets-george-lucas-part-i
The twelve stages in the hero’s journey as described by Joseph Campbell are:
- Call to Adventure
- Refusal of the Call
- Mentor Figure(s)/Supernatural Aid
- First Threshold
- Belly of the Whale
- Road of Trials
- Meeting with the Goddess/Temptress
- Atonement/Death of Mentor
- Apotheosis/Underworld
- Ultimate Boon
- Rescue from Without
- Crossing Back/Return
Revisit the extraordinary dialogues that fired the imagination and intellect of millions a quarter-century ago. In this clip, Campbell and Moyers discuss “Star Wars” and the human need for heroes, spiritual adventure and mythology.
Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal says we can, and explains how.
To those who feel like they don’t belong: there is beauty in being a misfit. Author Lidia Yuknavitch shares her own wayward journey in an intimate recollection of patchwork stories about loss, shame and the slow process of self-acceptance. “Even at the moment of your failure, you are beautiful,” she says. “You don’t know it yet, but you have the ability to reinvent yourself endlessly. That’s your beauty.”
Why you should listen
Writer Lidia Yuknavitch discovered her calling after an interrupted journey as a would-be Olympic swimmer. Her prose erases the boundaries between memoir and fiction, explodes gender binaries and focuses on the visceral minutiae of the body.
She was inspired by Ken Kesey (with whom she collaborated on a collective novel project at Oregon University); her latest book, The Small Backs of Children, stands as a fictional counterpoint to her memoir The Chronology of Water, which has garnered her a cult following for its honesty and intensity.
What others say
“Yuknavitch writes about art, violence, sex, ferocity, willpower and womanhood with explosive force, in a language that evokes modern mythology.” — LitHub.com, July 16, 2015
Stan Lee is known to millions as the man whose Super Heroes propelled Marvel to its preeminent position in the comic book industry. His co-creations include some of the most well-known and beloved superheroes of all time including, Spider-Man™, The Avengers ™, X-Men™, Iron Man™, The Incredible Hulk™, The Fantastic Four™, as well as hundreds of others.
He was inducted into the comic book industry’s The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. And now Stan is all set to launch his first original superhero for India, ‘Chakra The Invincible,’ on Cartoon Network.
Lesson by Matthew Winkler, animation by Kirill Yeretsky.
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-…
What trials unite not only Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins but many of literature’s most interesting heroes? And what do ordinary people have in common with these literary heroes? Matthew Winkler takes us step-by-step through the crucial events that make or break a hero.
Night creatures tremble in fear of Shane Koyczan’s grandfather, until powers fail.
Shane Koyczan is an award winning Canadian Poet, Author and Performer. He is also a TED Talks speaker. Shane’s influential, anti-bullying, “To This Day Project” video went viral in early 2013 and currently has over 10 million views and counting.
Original Music by Alex Mandel performed by Alex Mandel and the Snap Players (Tim Frick and David Brandt). Presented by KPCC, in partnership with NPR & PRX.
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Ice Age: Continental Drift | Ice Age 4: Scrat Continental Crack Up HD | 20th Century FOX
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Scrat’s wildest dream comes true.
Here’s part two of the video series that accompanies Jonah Sachs’ new book, “Winning the Story Wars”. Discover how digital tools are returning humanity to a new oral tradition and what kinds of stories will work in this new era of empowerment marketing.
Inspired by Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, Sachs lays out a story model any brand or cause can use to get its message heard, and explains why stories must be not just told, but lived.
Download a FREE 25-page preview of, Winning the Story Wars: freerange.com/StoryWarsBooklet
Learn about the companion Values + Archetypes activity deck to help you shape your story: freerange.com/store
Get the book: winningthestorywars.com or amzn.to/storywars
A burger with a side of resilience and empathy. These girls are making their dad proud.
Empathy is a value that Doyin thinks is crucial to teach his daughters. He witnessed this sense of empathy firsthand as his older daughter selflessly shared her hamburger with her crying younger sister.
Empathy is a value that Doyin thinks is crucial to teach his daughters. He witnessed this sense of empathy firsthand as his older daughter selflessly shared her hamburger with her crying younger sister.
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Character Lab Research Director Andrew Sokatch has a sobering yet attainable message regarding the education of today’s youth.
While test scores and the reading, writing, math, science behind them are important, we are not properly and wholly educating our children if we aren’t alsoteaching character. Andrew argues character can and should be taught in schools, noting grit, persistence, self-control, courage, and humor, are all critical life skills for successful employment, marriages, and citizenship.
Having taught elementary, middle school, college, and graduate school students, and spending over a decade leading teacher quality research at Teach For America and The New Teacher Project, Andrew Sokatch is currently being humbled and inspired daily as a parent of two young children.
All of which is to say he has spent a lot time thinking about what it means to be an effective educator, and has become singularly dissatisfied by the narrow current conversation over teacher quality. In his desire to broaden and deepen the definition of what it means to provide high quality education for all children, Andrew has recently joined the new nonprofit, Character Lab, as the founding director of research.
The “Game Changer” Andrew most admires is Robert Moses (the civil rights icon, not the destroyer of NYC), because he had a singular vision and plan and the courage to make it happen. In a field of giants he is one of the (mostly) unacknowledged truly great ones. Also, Joey Ramone.
Andrew’s favorite TED talk: “Two Nerdy Obsessions Meet And its Magic” by David Kwong
If we want to change the world, we have to change the way we teach children about the world and their places in it. In a 100% media saturated society, that means changing the media our children consume, and the ways in which they interact with media. We need more female superhero toys, and we need them right now.
Dr. Christopher Bell is as an Assistant Professor of Media Studies and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He specializes in the study of popular culture, focusing on the ways in which race, class and gender intersect in different forms of media. Dr. Bell’s primary research area is young adult culture, particularly dystopian young adult literature and comic books. He teaches both theory and methodology courses in critical analysis of popular culture, rhetorical theory, representation theory and mass media. Dr. Bell is a nationally-touring speaker on issues of race, class and gender in the media, and has presented work at regional, national and international conventions and conferences.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
John Marcotte, founder of Heroic Girls, challenges the audience to look beyond what is labeled as “girly” or “feminine” to explore how such labels limit the potential of future generations.
John Marcotte is the founder and writer of Heroic Girls, a comic book organization dedicated to empowering girls. Much of Marcotte’s stories are based off of his experiences as the father of two girls who love superheroes.
He has been covered by several media outlets including the Huffington Post KXTV, USA Today, and others. His girls are well known and often drawn in the comic book and geek scenes across the U.S. John has garnered quite a following and speaks to a topic that’s on the forefront of the minds of people around the globe.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
As Lulu graduates from the Hero Academy, he finally gets the chance to prove himself a hero to the society that has always doubted him. He sets off on an epic journey to slay the legendary and terrifying dragon. But to his great despair, his sweet and over-caring grandma decides to join him, and what should have been an epic journey full of freedom, blood and beautiful ladies becomes a family trip that will test Lulu’s nerves to their very limit.
Film blog: grandmashero.tumblr.com/
Want to know more about The Animation Workshop?
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Website: animwork.dk/en/
GRANDMA’S HERO was made by a team of 3rd year Character Animation & CG Art students at The Animation Workshop in Viborg, Denmark. Check out the individual student’s blogs at the links below to learn more about the talent behind the film!
Singer, songwriter, and activist Paula Fuga shares the story of her journey from homelessness as a child to becoming a widely respected musical artist. Then, she shares one of the songs that helped her get a “big break”.
Believe in Yourself – Paula Fuga – TEDxMaui
Singer, songwriter, and activist Paula Fuga shares the story of her journey from homelessness as a child to becoming a widely respected musical artist. Then, she shares one of the songs that helped her get a “big break”.
About the Performer:
Paula Fuga is a musician on a mission. Fuga plays music to honor her culture, to spread the evocative voice of Hawaiians across the world, and to share the meditative and healing powers of her people. Her aim: to bring about positive social change within the Islands and beyond.
Recorded at TEDxMaui 2012, held on January 22, 2012 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
In The Gutter is a documentary looking at independent and small press comic books. It follows the story of Richard Worth and Jordan Collver who are trying to release their own comic, ‘Ladies & Gentlemen’.
The film was made at the University of Leeds as a 3rd Year final project. It was shot on a Canon 600D.
For more information about the comic, visit The Water Closet Press: waterclosetpress.blogspot.com/
Director: Sam Williams
Producer: Claire Hawker
Camera: Hannah Harris
Editor: Joanna Howell
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Ever since she was young, Dr Michelle Dickinson dreamed of being a superhero.
To follow her dreams Michelle has spent her career researching new technologies to help her strive towards engineering a superhero suit which pushes the boundaries of what we thought was possible. Imagine if you could stick to the walls like Spiderman, wear an invisibility cloak or carry a shield light and strong enough to withstand major impact.
When she was a little girl, Michelle Dickinson wanted to be a superhero. When she found out that was not a viable career option, she studied Fracture Mechanics at university instead. She emerged with a PhD in biomedical materials engineering, and now is a senior lecturer in Engineering at the University of Auckland as well as running New Zealand’s only nanomechanical testing laboratory. Simply put, she makes and breaks little things (really little things—a nanemetre is a billionth of a metre), studying the mechanical properties, chemistry and structure of nano-materials, biological materials and thin films, as well as the problem of why things behave differently when they are very small. She gives frequent talks on all things nano, as well as the ways science can be used for good and not evil. A self-confessed adrenaline junkie, she enjoys kitesurfing, cycling, running, paddle boarding and martial arts, and makes videos as her superhero-like alter ego, Nanogirl.
www.medickinson.com
www.twitter.com/medickinson
www.tedxwanaka.com
TEDxWanaka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyhj-…
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Neuroscientist with a passion for the popularization of science
Paul is professor of neuroscience and kinesiology at the University of Victoria. His recent pop-sci books include “Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero (2008)” and “Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine (2011)”. “Becoming Batman” was recently translated and published in Japan as “Batman ni naru”. In 2012 he won the University of Victoria Craigdarroch Research Communications Award for Knowledge Mobilization. Paul has written for YES Magazine: the Science Magazine for Kids and Discover Magazine. Paul is also a regular speaker at conferences and comic book conventions, including the San Diego International Comic-Con, New York Comic-Con, and Wonder Con. He has PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Alberta.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Sheri “Purpose” Hall is a Spoken Word Artist and founder of Spoken Purpose. She is a 2012 ArtsKC Awards Featured Artist and recently performed at the Starlight Theatre, Nelson- Atkins Museum of Art, and the Unicorn Theatre, all in Kansas City.
Purpose has also had the honor of speaking at various engagements including Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network in June 2008, and the ABWA Annual Martin Luther King Scholarship Dinner February 2009. Her talk relates to her childhood and her own superhero: her mother.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Heroes in several movies reach the brink of danger where they have a “bad feeling about” what is to come.
Published on Sep 1, 2014
Every “I got a bad feeling” line from the movies (Supercut)
“Grit” is part of a series of short, impactful, docu-style films that profile tenacious, driven, and inspiring youth athletes around the world. Currently, the project is being proposed to Adidas.
Special thanks to Beat the Streets btsny.org, a non-profit improving the lives of NYC student-athletes. Consider donating to Beat the Streets.
Sound mix by Andy Ivanov “Vonavi” soundcloud.com/vonavimusic and Tommy Mokas CasaNovaStudios.com
Music by Chromatics – Shining Violence
Amy Lyon takes her fifth-grade class through the requirements of her Perseverance Walk assignment, by illustrating an example of a life lived with grit. More resources at: http://edut.to/teaching-grit
Stephen Thomas, Assistant Professor of Zoology at MSU & Assistant Curator for science education at the MSU museum, describes how comic books can engage students and be effective ways to communicate science.
As an educator, Thomas uses new technologies and comics to merge visuals and text in order to help students learn. The use of comics has shown that students have more interest in the subject, worked harder, and uderstood more because they have a connection to both the class and the instructor. In addition to teaching, Thomas has many new projects in the works including children’s books, webcomics, and educational touchscreen games.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event:
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
In this 4-part Big Think Mentor workshop Gabriele Oettingen teaches you how to systematically achieve your goals and change your behavior as desired. The merits of positive thinking have been given much attention in the personal growth industry of late. And that approach might be detrimental to actual goal achievement, says Oettingen.
Drawing on more than twenty years of research in the science of human motivation she reveals why the conventional wisdom falls short. In this introductory lesson Oettingen shares some of the basic research in the field of motivational psychology.
Oettingen is a professor of psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg and the author of more than a hundred articles and book chapters on the effects of future thought on cognition, emotion, and behavior. Her latest book is Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation (http://goo.gl/mmtiy0).
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Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of “grit” as a predictor of success.