Following tragic family circumstances, author Alexis Llaràs created a comic book telling the story of his brother and his struggles with drugs, which led him to develop a severe psychological disorder.
The objective was to create an audiovisual piece or set of pieces that would help present the themes addressed in the comic in an interactive and participatory manner. Furthermore, it was important for the activity to function autonomously, so that the author would not need to be present at every classroom awareness session.
Actions
An analysis of the original comic and the author’s biography was conducted to ensure the key aspects of the proposal were faithfully represented. The results from the project’s previous stage were also taken into account, during which the author visited classrooms in person, showed the comic, and conducted games and exercises to delve deeper into the themes and establish links with the students.
The need for the interactive piece to serve as the spine (referencing Twyla Tharp’s concept of a guiding theme ) of the experience was identified, in order to trigger gameplay moments that maintain interest, and debate moments focused on specific topics and parts of the narrative. Both dynamics help students understand the consequences of the decisions they make and the close relationship between substance abuse and mental disorders.
Results
Based on the comic “My Way”, an interactive audiovisual piece has been produced that allows for pauses at key moments in the story to ask the audience what they think will happen next. This question must be answered using binary response cards (A or B), which activates the students’ deductive skills and sparks their interest and participatory spirit. Once the vote is resolved, the audiovisual piece itself provides the answer to the question. Additionally, at each point, between one and three questions for debate are proposed, allowing the experience to be adjusted to the time requirements of each classroom.
Design Assets
- Script for the experience: selection of debate points, and drafting of questions and discussion topics.
- Audiovisual adaptation of the original comic: animation, music, sound effects, and voice-overs.
- Creation of physical support material for the classroom activity: voting cards and a guide for the person responsible for the experience.
