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Telling A Great Tale
A Conversation with Big Idea
by Sean Gaffney
It was a crazy time to try to catch the folks at Big Idea, the people who bring us VeggieTales and 3-2-1 Penguins! The first Penguins episode was in the sound studio for final tweaking of the orchestrations; Lyle, the Kindly Viking and a second Penguins episode were knee-deep into production; and the script for the feature-length Jonah was in final stages. But was this really a crazy time or just another day at Big Idea? Mike Nawrocki was quick to point out, "It's always like this." Still, I was able to snatch a few moments to talk with the VeggieTales cocreator (and voice of Larry the Cucumber) Mike Nawrocki, as well as two of the many Big Idea artists, Tim Hodge and Tom Bancroft.
What really captivates me about Big Idea-besides my love for talking vegetables and flying penguins-is the way they make a story come to life. They're able to enthrall audiences young and old with biblical and moral tales, without ever seeming preachy or haughty. What is their secret? And more to the point, what can we learn from them to spice up our own drama ministries?
Character Development
At the heart of good dramas are good characters, and Big Idea's people go the extra mile to make sure their characters are interesting and full of life. Their characters must be believable with real personalities-not stereotypes. Of course, good characters start with the script, but it certainly doesn't end there.
It becomes the job of the actor and animator to take the characters from the page and flesh them out. The character needs to fulfill the functions of the script, but there should also be something extra that makes the character special. Each character needs a separate personality and depth, even if playing a small role.
And where does Big Idea come up with these character traits? "Bring yourself to the scene," advises Tom Bancroft. "And that's what is going to make that character come to life." Cocreators Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki took that maxim to heart when developing Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber. Mike confesses that the two characters are based on Phil and Mike's real-life personalities.
Characters are developed not only by what they say but also by their actions. The animators continually ask themselves, "What visually can be added to the dialogue?" The way a character moves, the business the character chooses to perform, the body language-all of these add depth to the character. What the audience sees has just as much weight as what it hears.
The folks at Big Idea also devote time and energy to the background characters. Even though a character may not have many lines, serious thought is given to each personality. Think of the scribe in Esther: Even though that character (played by Larry) doesn't come into prominence until the second half of the story, we already feel as if we know him when he starts speaking. All that is achieved by giving a minor character an active personality in all scenes.
Humor
Clearly, humor is an important facet to the stories at Big Idea. But humor isn't added just for a good time; it has several functions. First, humor is relational. Mike Nawrocki points out that it is important in a relationship to be able to laugh with someone. There is an intimacy developed between the character and the audience through laughter, and that intimacy is a starting point for attraction.
Second, humor draws the audience into the story. Laughter breaks down our defenses and gets past the cynic within us. Once we are on the inside, we will allow ourselves to buy into the story emotionally and latch onto the ideas. Humor is one of the reasons that adults, who might at first approach VeggieTales as kids' stuff, will fall in love with the stories. Big Idea is able to come in under their radar.
Downside of Funny
Humor can have its disadvantages. Think of those commercials where you can remember the punch line but can't remember the product. Tim Hodge explains the reason for that: The humor did not come out of the product, but rather it is tacked on to the product. For VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins! and church dramas, the same is true: The humor must come out of the story and move the story forward. Otherwise, the humor might distract the audience from the story. At Big Idea, creators are careful to add humor only if it comes naturally from the characters and situations.
Playing to Adults or Kids?
Given that the VeggieTales fan base seems to be just as much college age as Romper Room, it seemed fair to ask whether Big Idea gears its stories toward adults or children. The response was unanimous: neither.
"We're writing for ourselves," quipped Nawrocki. Certainly, Big Idea staff members pitch the message for the younger set, asking, "Would a 4-year-old understand this language?" But beyond that, the humor is geared to please themselves. Tim Hodge was quick to quote C.S. Lewis when asked how to write for children: "Write what you yourself would like to read." By taking this attitude, Big Idea avoids the pitfall of speaking down to children, an attitude that kids easily spot. It just so happens that the types of stories and humor that the adults at Big Idea enjoy are also a hit with kids. It's not that hard to believe, since as Hodge points out, "None of us ever really grew up."
The Big Idea
At the center of every Big Idea story is what the company has code-named "the nugget of truth." This is the lesson that the story sets out to leave with the audience. The nugget is kept in mind as the story is developed, with each plot point and character tested by asking if it supports the big idea. For example, the nugget from Madame Blueberry is "Being greedy makes you grumpy, but a thankful heart is a happy heart." It's woven throughout the story.
The nugget, like the humor, must be a natural part of the story, not simply an additive. Sometimes the nugget is the genesis of the story, such as in the upcoming Lyle, the Kindly Viking, a story that was developed to fit the theme of sharing. And sometimes the nugget comes out of the story, as in Esther, a tale that provided a plethora of themes. (The staff settled on courage.)
It is perhaps in that little nugget that Big Idea draws its biggest success. How does a fast-track, growing company like Big Idea measure success? Mike Nawrocki sums it up: "What I hope, as a writer and a director of stories, is for children to learn a lesson, learn where that lesson comes from and have that impact their lives."
Now that's a pretty big idea.
Mike Nawrocki, cocreator of VeggieTales, writer, director and voice of Larry the Cucumber, got his start by doing plays in church. "Theater was such a passion of mine as I was growing up … and most of that was brought out through the church," Mike states. "I did a lot of live church plays." And that love of drama ministry led to his being one of the most respected cucumbers in the nation today.
Sean Gaffney, a freelance playwright and screenwriter, served as Executive Editor of Drama Ministry.
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