The New Year Carp

Dream Storyboards · Chinese New Year woodblock print (Yangliuqing nianhua)
The New Year Carp

0:00 / 1:06
Every New Year, Grandma cooks a carp. This year her grandson makes friends with it, and when she comes with the pot he looks exactly like the lucky picture on the wall.
style
Chinese New Year woodblock print (Yangliuqing nianhua)
frames
14 key frames + 2 in-betweens
narration
1:06
Storyboard
  1. New Year's Eve in Grandma's courtyard: a big green water vat, and on the wall a New Year picture of a boy hugging a red carp.

    01 New Year's Eve in Grandma's courtyard: a big green water vat, and on the wall a New Year picture of a boy hugging a red carp.

  2. The New Year picture: a round-cheeked boy hugging a huge red carp.

    02 The New Year picture: a round-cheeked boy hugging a huge red carp.

  3. Grandma lowers a big live carp into the water vat.

    03 Grandma lowers a big live carp into the water vat.

  4. Later, her grandson Bao leans over the vat, nose to nose with the carp, smiling.

    04 Later, her grandson Bao leans over the vat, nose to nose with the carp, smiling.

  5. Grandma appears in the kitchen doorway with a big steaming cooking pot, her eyes on the vat.

    05 Grandma appears in the kitchen doorway with a big steaming cooking pot, her eyes on the vat.

  6. Bao grips the vat and looks back at her in alarm.

    06 Bao grips the vat and looks back at her in alarm.

  7. He heaves the carp out of the water in a splash.

    07 He heaves the carp out of the water in a splash.

  8. Bao hugs the carp and glares at her; Grandma frowns at him from the doorway.

    08 Bao hugs the carp and glares at her; Grandma frowns at him from the doorway.

  9. Against the wall beside the picture, Bao strikes the painted boy's pose with a sly smile.

    09 Against the wall beside the picture, Bao strikes the painted boy's pose with a sly smile.

  10. Side by side: the painted boy with his painted carp, and Bao, copying him, with the real one.

    10 Side by side: the painted boy with his painted carp, and Bao, copying him, with the real one.

  11. Grandma stops dead and stares at Bao beside the picture, the pot held still at her belly.

    11 Grandma stops dead and stares at Bao beside the picture, the pot held still at her belly.

  12. She bursts out laughing and sets the pot down on the paving.

    12 She bursts out laughing and sets the pot down on the paving.

  13. Bao lowers the carp back into the vat while Grandma watches, smiling.

    13 Bao lowers the carp back into the vat while Grandma watches, smiling.

  14. The courtyard again, quiet: the carp leaps for joy in its vat.

    14 The courtyard again, quiet: the carp leaps for joy in its vat.