Oddball

Look at the image of the dog and the penguin (above) and describe what you see. What does it make you think and wonder about?

Watch the trailer (below).

• Is this a successful trailer? Does it make you want to watch the film? Why? Why not?
• What do you learn about the movie in the trailer? What are some of the techniques used to ‘sell’ the film ?

Learn about Oddball's real-life setting

• Where is Warrnambool located?
• What kind of town is it?
• Find out about landscape, farming practices and local wildlife, including the marine life found in the area.

Little Penguins

• What do they look like?
• What are their habits?
• Where are they found?

Initial response to the film

• Share single words to describe what Oddball made you think and feel. Don't think too hard -- it can be fun and interesting to share first impressions.
• Which scene was the most memorable? Why?
• How would you describe this film to a friend?

Genre -- What kind of film is Oddball?

• Who do you think is the target audience? Explain using examples from the film.
• How would you describe this film to a friend?
• We are told at the beginning of the film that Oddball is a fairytale that really happened. What does this mean? What elements of Oddball seem like a fairy tale?
• Oddball is also a comedy. Which scenes or characters made students laugh? What did they find funny? Why? (It is often very hard to explain WHY something is funny, but it’s good to think about the techniques used to tell the story.

Even though there are many funny and quite silly moments, Oddball also draws attention to a really serious issue – the many threats faced by native wildlife in Australia.

• Discuss the conservation issue at the heart of the film.
• What is the problem? How do we learn about it at the beginning of the film?
• Who suggests a solution? What is that solution?

The filmmakers included many filmmaking and storytelling ingredients to make Oddball a success with its audience.

• Working with a partner, list as many of these ingredients as you can.
• Now share with the rest of the class and see how big a list you can come up with as a class group.

Plot

Plot describes the events that keep the story (narrative) moving. -

• What are the main events (plot points) in Oddball?
• Divide into groups and make a list of these key events.
• Compare each group’s findings and then try to come up with a whole class description of the plot.

Narrative structure

Film narratives are usually organised into three sections, beginning, middle and end.

Beginning – the story and the main characters are introduced. Oddball begins with a voice-over that tells us: “far, far away in a magical part of the world, there is a special place, the sleepy town of Warrnambool.”

• Is Warrnambool the kind of place where fairytales are usually set?
• What are some of the ways that visual language (what we see) creates a sense of magic? (Students can identify filmic elements such as the beautiful panoramic shots, shimmering light on the waves, underwater shots of the penguins, the colour of the sky as the sun sets, the penguins against the night sky…)
• Why is this story described as a fairytale? What aspects of the story are magical?
• We are told that before the foxes came, the Fairy Penguins “brought a special kind of magic to the town”. How did they do this?
• Before we meet any of the characters in the story, we see a flashback to past times when the penguins came to Middle Island in their thousands. We also see the foxes that discover they can walk to the island and hear about the devastation they have caused. Why is it so important that we find out about the penguins before meeting any of the characters who will feature in the story?

Middle – A complication or problem arises that must be resolved/worked out.

In Oddball, the really big problem that needs to be solved in the story is introduced at the very beginning of the story – the plight of the penguins. However, in the film, the problem that is the focus of the story is the closing of the sanctuary if the number of penguins falls below ten.

• What is a sanctuary and what does it mean if the sanctuary closes?
• List the characters who try to save the sanctuary and how they go about trying to do this.
• Explain Swampy’s plan in detail and describe the way he and Olivia test it to make sure it works.
• Why is saving the sanctuary especially important to Emily, Olivia and Swampy?
• Why do some of the other characters in the film narrative want the sanctuary to close?

End - The story concludes as the problem is solved.

• How does Oddball end?
• What surprising things happen at the end of the film?
• The film begins and ends on Middle Island. This is called bookending. Filmmakers often end their narrative in the same place as they began. It is a great way of reminding us how much we have learnt and/or how much has changed by the end of the story.
• Look at the final image of Oddball and Swampy on the island as the sun sets (below). What is this shot telling us? How is it telling us these things? Consider the colours used, the light, the position of the characters.

Animal narratives

Children’s books and films often feature animals.

• What are some of your favourite animal stories?
• What makes them special?
• Why do people love stories about animals so much?
• Write your own animal-centred story.
• Think carefully about how to create an appealing animal character. How woulds you communicate its personality and feelings?

The real life story

After Oddball’s ‘fairytale’ story has reached its end, the audience is told about the true story -- and the real people and dogs -- that inspired the movie:

Today the Maremma Project is maintained through the tireless efforts of the Warrnambool Coastcare Group, the City Council and the amazing dogs that give the project its name.

• Watch the video (above) about the people behind the story.
• Which details of the true story have the filmmakers used and what have they changed?
• Do you know of any conservation projects happening in your community?

Your own real-life story

• Think of a special or memorable event in your own life. It could be something that happened a long time ago or something more recent.
• Use this as inspiration for writing a fictional narrative based on this story. What would you change? What would stay the same? Where would your story be set? Describe your characters.
• Work out the beginning, middle and end of your story -- that will be your narrative structure.
• Write your story and share it with others.

Characters

Oddball

• What techniques are used in the film to communicate Oddball’s character and personality?

Main characters

• As a class, make a list of the other main characters in the story. As you compile the list, share ideas about why they are central to the story.
• Describe each character‘s: appearance, personality and their role in the story. What do we learn about them as the story progresses?

Minor characters

Any character in a story needs to be there for a reason. In Oddball, many of the minor characters add to the comedy and keep the story moving along. While we have time to find out about the main characters, minor characters need to make a quick but memorable first impression.

• Choose your favourite minor character.
• Describe them and their role in the narrative. What makes them memorable?
• In a group, share your favourite minor character sand explain their appeal. Have you each selected the same or a different character?

Family

• Why is the sanctuary particularly important to the Marsh family?
• When the sanctuary is saved, Swampy tells Emily at the end of the film: “We all did it; that’s what I’m proud of.” What does he mean?
• Swampy has a special love for Oddball, even before he proves to be an excellent penguin-watcher. Why do you think this might be?
• Why does Emily decide to stay in Warrnambool?

The Environment

• What are some of the things you learned about Little (Fairy) Penguins in the film?
• Why are foxes such a threat to the penguins?
• In the story, we learn how important tourism is to creating a vital town, but sometimes attracting tourists can have a negative impact on the environment. How is this explored in the film?
• What do we learn from the film about taking care of the world around us?

Responsibility

In the film story, Emily is presented as the responsible adult in contrast to Swampy.

• In what ways does Emily show her sense of responsibility?
• When does Swampy behave irresponsibly?
• How does he take action and behave responsibly?

Marketing campaign

• Design a film poster that captures the key features of Oddball for a potential audience. Write a catch-phrase that can be used on the poster to communicate the key idea or theme explored in the film.

Find out more

• Find out more about the Middle Island Maremma Project from this factsheet:
• Research the role of foxes (and other introduced species) in decimating Australian wildlife.
• Find out about threatened species in your own area. As a class, discuss what you have found out and consider ways that you can make a difference.

Make a difference

• Choose a project to focus on and brainstorm ideas for bringing about change.
• Make a short film, game or animation to tell others about the issue.