This week’s Trailhead is about stories and attempting to find the best way to tell them. Here are some links related to that concept.

1) This one has been in my pocket for a while. This video uses several memorable moments from classic ’80s teen movies to create a trailer for a live-action Legend of Zelda film. There’s something adorably charming about Link adapting the romantic pining of Lloyd Dobbler, but I lament the (probably necessary) inclusion of Breakfast Club (I really hate that movie, but understand that it’s a classic to a lot of people). Link is way more interesting than the Bender he mimics (that guy is also a second-rate Bender; Bender Bending Rodriguez is clearly superior), but even heroes have to have a weak side.
The Legend of Zelda (1987) Trailer

2) Horror for Kids - The books in the Goosebumps series are some of the earliest I can remember reading. While I know now that they’re full of cliches (every book has a chapter that ends with, “I felt a cold hand grip my shoulder”), it’s important to acknowledge that R. L. Stine contributed a great deal to my love of reading. Stine may have employed a forumlaic approach to his prose, but his stories were still interesting to a preteen Paul. It’s a reminder that stories don’t have to be innovative to matter to people.

3) I just created my own Bandcamp page and recently wrote a recommendation for Ben Morey’s “Songs in the Key of Being Terrified by the Idea of an Entire Life” (or) “The Whale in the Forest”. I discovered that another Bandcamp artist, Dani House, had also recommended the album. After listening to six songs, I was happy to have stumbled upon his work. The music isn’t quite the same as the beautiful acoustic sounds of Ben Morey or the folk energy of New Sweden (whose video for “About Time” is below), but there is some connectiong. Check out Dani’s Bandcamp page - I believe the most recent album is free to download.

4) Once you tell more than one story, people can begin to see the themes in your work, the ideas that preoccupy your thoughts. With Tim, his use of bright colors adds a sense of distortion to his art’s sense of reality. James’s stories deal with characters finding their place while trying to understand and interpret the actions and motivations of the people around them. People dedicate their careers to studying and understanding these themes, the ones that span the lives of prolific creators. This video examines one technique used by Steven Spielberg to frame his characters’ realization of the larger world they’ve just discovered. This video on the “Spielberg face” reminds us how powerfully we can be affected by the way a creator shapes his or her work. (I originally found this video here.)

—Bonus Music Videos!—
5) I’ve shared the music of New Sweden before, and wanted to let you know that they’ve got a new song. It’s similar in style to their indie-folk sound, so if you haven’t yet heard their tunes yet, check this out.
“About Time” - New Sweden

6) Tonight, James and I are heading down to Providence, Rhode Island to see They Might Be Giants. I know you’re melancholy since you won’t be able to see them with us, so watch this video of a live performance and pretend you’re there. It’s a song called “Canajoharie” and it has been stuck in my head all week, so you can also dream about vacationing in upstate New York instead of working in a cubicle all day like I did this week.
“Canajoharie” - They Might Be Giants

-Paul