Retelling a Legendary Tale: Mahabharata Animation Spotlight

Family, duty, and rivalry—this is the story of the Mahabharata, one of India’s oldest and most well-known Hindu epics. To take viewers on a journey through the legendary pages, FableVision partnered with the Peabody Essex Museum to animate an abridged retelling of the epic. This larger than life visual narrative is currently projected on a gallery wall and featured on the museum’s website for virtual tours. 

The longest epic in existence, the Mahabharata is the source of stories and teachings that have been part of life in India for two thousand years. It tells the story of the Pandavas and Kauravas, two families born of the same blood. Their conflict is one that is morally grey, with heroes and villains on both sides. The animation begins with author Vyasa, who unfolds the story of the Pandavas and Kauravas as they struggle to reconcile jealousy and rivalries that comes to a head in a grand battle. As Vyasa tells the story to the Hindu deity of beginnings Ganesha, the epic comes to life before our very eyes.

The animated epic will feature alongside paintings by Maqbool Fida (M. F.) Husain, one of India’s best-known modern artists. To introduce Husain's work and additional pieces inspired by his vision, FableVision wove elements of the prolific artists’ paintings into the animation and worked with subject matter experts and curators from the museum to create a compelling and poignant animated homage. The exhibit features works inspired by Husain’s vision of the Mahabharata, alongside paintings, sculptures, and other historical materials that showcase India's long and layered history. The South Asian Art exhibition is available for viewing in the physical museum as well as online for people to enjoy.

FableVision’s art team was led by Director of Art & Animation, Bob Flynn, and Lead Designer on the project, Jane Winters. “Early on in development, I came across the work of Natalia Goncharova, Mystical Images of War. Bold shapes, striking composition, gritty textures—all produced in black and white lithographs,” shared Winters. “We took these elements and used them in the overall design of characters, props, and backgrounds. Lastly, we made sure that the characters could be identifiable by silhouetted shapes because they all had such important roles in the story.”

Color played possibly the biggest role in differentiating the two sides of the family and setting the tone of each scene. Because we were working with a limited color palette, we wanted it to be clear which family was the Pandavas—Red—and which family was the Kauravas—Grey. As far as storytelling, we used a combination of close-up and wide shots to communicate the emotions and struggles through facial expressions, hands, weapons, and more.

FableVision is proud to partner with the Peabody Essex Museum to present this moving testament to the Mahabharata’s rich, significant, and complicated history. Watch the video now, and pay a visit to the exhibit to experience more of Mahabrata’s vast and dynamic history. And be sure to check out our previous collaborations with the Peabody Essex Museum, including the quirky, animated history of Augustus the Strong.

To learn more about the animation and exhibit, read Peabody Essex Museum’s blog post here, watch the BBC World News America clip here, and check out GBH’s “Arts This Week” feature here.

Uncovering "Resonances" of History

FableVision and CyArk welcome all to experience the history and wonders of Mesa Verde through Virtual Reality! Introducing Resonant, an immersive VR game prototype that transports players across time and cultures.

Created in collaboration with CyArk—a nonprofit organization that digitally records, archives, and shares the world's most significant cultural heritage—the Resonant prototype digitally preserves and accurately tells the stories of Mesa Verde by immersing players in the complex histories. Using CyArk’s 3D model of the Balcony House and content from leading experts in archaeology and culture, FableVision designed immersive VR gameplay and crafted a story that allows players to form a unique and powerful connection with the national park and spaces around them, taking photos and documenting what they find along the way.

Players become part of the game narrative as they take on the role of a student historian filming a documentary about the effects of climate change at Mesa Verde. Throughout gameplay, the player is guided and advised by their partner, another filmmaker and a Pueblo person. While filming the Balcony House site, the player uncovers “resonances,” hints of the past and present of Mesa Verde that present themselves as silhouettes and sounds of the people who were a part of the location’s history. As the players capture images, they trigger dialogue and commentary from experts, as well as life-size dioramas of how the indigenous people lived and how archaeologists preserved and rebuilt the cliff dwellings in those exact areas. Through these glimpses of history, players encounter different locations and people, including ancestral Hopi and Tewa people, National Park Service archeologists, and more.

Resonant builds an emotional experience vastly different from the typical virtual tour experiences often seen in this space. Developed for Oculus Quest, Resonant capitalizes on VR technology to tie the narrative into the game mechanics that enhance immersion and avoid reminding the player that they are in a digital space. With a 3D photorealistic model of the Mesa Verde Balcony House, lighting effects, and audio, players see the sunlight streaming into the Balcony House, hear their footsteps as they walk around, and take in the stories of the people who lived there with real voices of descendant communities. To create a sense of place and avoid the use of conventional game menus, players can raise their motion-enabled controllers to their headsets to take pictures or view game information in their virtual notebooks that they hold in front of them like a real book.

The game also allows players to become active participants in the story and tailor the learning content to their own current knowledge. As they take in more information from their surroundings, they can also speak with the supporting character through a walkie-talkie by choosing dialogue options throughout the experience. This branching narrative allows players with no prior knowledge to ask more questions about the site and its history, while experienced players can dive into deeper, more complex topics.

In an effort to amplify indigenous voices and provide a deeper understanding of the layered history of Mesa Verde, CyArk worked closely with affiliated communities, Tewa speakers, and members of the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office to develop the script, game design, framework, and audio. The project is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities through a NEH Digital Projects for the Public prototyping grant. 

To learn more about Resonant, check out CyArk’s blog and “first look” video! And subscribe to our StudioFlash e-newsletter and follow us on social media for more updates.

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This blog was guest-written by David Welsh, game and narrative designer at FableVision and on the Resonant Game Prototype.

Top 9 FableVision Moments of 2020

2020 has been a year of unprecedented change—but also a time of resiliency in the face of challenge. We have seen innovative educators, creatives, and more step up to the plate to keep the learning going for students of all ages, no matter where they are.

And there is no better way to wrap up our year than with the streaming of “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” at this year’s virtual Holiday Pops Celebration. We’re so thankful for incredible partnerships and projects such as this, and for all those who helped us continue to find safe, fun, and exciting ways to connect this year, even where we’re physically apart.

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1. FableVision Games

Our highlight of 2020 is the launch of our new games platform, FableVision Games! Timely as ever, FableVision Games offers state-of-the-art, research-based games and educator tools, poised for this time of remote and blended classroom learning. Stay tuned for more games launching in 2021!

The FableVision Games lineup includes: 

Zoombinis: a relaunch of the classic, beloved ’90s game “Logical Journey of Zoombinis” created in partnership with TERC and the Learning Games Network. The game teaches Computational Thinking to grades 3-8.

Cyberchase Fractions Quest: an immersive game based on the popular, award-winning PBS KIDS series Cyberchase that combines a high-stakes adventure story with a research-based approach to fractions learning. Created in partnership with WNET and the Education Development Center (EDC) through Phase I and II support from the IES Department of Education’s SBIR program.

Civics! An American Musical: an online game for middle school students that promotes the importance of civics and teaches how to analyze primary sources. Created in partnership with Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ CIRCLE, as part of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources program.

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2. Design Principles

On our mission to tell “stories that matter, stories that move” and create positive media that moves the world to a better place, the studio authored our core design principles to share the pedagogy behind our approach. No matter the type of media—educational games, animation, museum interactives, websites, Augmented Reality experience—or the subject matter, our focus is always on the needs of our end-user, the context of their learning, and the impact of our product.

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FableVision President Gary Goldberger (left) and Communications Director Sarah Ditkoff (right) accept the KAPi Award for Keenville at the 2020 CES Convention in January.

3. Award Winners!

We pride ourselves on the quality, creativity, and educational value of our educational media and game-based projects. You don’t have to take our word for it, though! The awards we’ve won speak for themselves.

This year, we were honored to accept an award for Keenville, our literacy and math game-based assessment created in partnership with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and Georgia Center for Assessment. Keenville was recognized as a “Noteworthy School Product” in the 2020 Kids At Play Interactive (KAPi) Awards.

Galaxia, a bullying prevention game developed in partnership with the National Health Promotion Associates as a part of their Botvin LifeSkills Training middle school curriculum, was selected as an EdTech “Cool Tool” finalist for 2020.

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4. Amazing Partners

2020 was also a year of innovative collaborations towards a more educated and empathetic world. Here are just some of the incredible organizations we were proud to partner with this year.

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FableVision Executive Producer Peter Stidwill presents at the virtual Games for Change Festival.

5. Thought Leadership

The FableVision team’s insights shone this year as they shared their expertise and best practices at a number of industry conferences. 

Gary Goldberger, FableVision president and co-founder, spoke at the Unity for Humanity Summit about FableVision’s core design principles and how Unity creators can make accessible educational games.

Executive Producer Peter Stidwill joined three panel presentations in 2020. He presented at the SXSW EDU Conference and Festival and the Serious Play Conference on how games can teach and assess 21st Century skills. Peter also presented at the 2020 Games for Change Festival, where he shared his knowledge and best practices to make educational games more accessible. 

Creative Director, Leigh Hallisey, also attended the Library of Congress Consortium Meeting to present a poster session on our newly-launched U.S. history learning game Civics! An American Musical.

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6. Resources in the Era of Social Distancing

To support teachers, students, and families in this time of remote and blended learning, FableVision developed a myriad of robust resources to help people stay informed and to keep the learning going through this era of social distancing. 

As students and teachers around the world stayed at home to reduce risk, FableVision compiled a list of our favorite distance learning games, animation, and other resources to make finding engaging, quality digital learning tools easier.

To build awareness during Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond, we curated a list of FableVision-developed resources that facilitate open and honest conversations about mental health, self-love, and healthy coping skills.

For summer 2020, FableVision invited everyone to join us for a social distanced and educational virtual summer picnic, complete with educational games, animation, and more to help students have fun and keep their minds sharp throughout the season.

We teamed with the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) to produce a series of videos educating people on how clinical trials produce new treatments and vaccines.

To support educators and students as they returned to their school routines in the fall, FableVision joined over 70 federally-funded researchers and developers to produce a series of educational technology guides and resources covering a range of topics.

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7. FableVision In the News

In 2020, we were also thrilled and honored to see our work in the news, at festivals, and beyond where it can reach more audiences!  

The Animation World Network highlighted The Paper Girls Show, our new animated series created in partnership with Global Tinker that empowers young girls to play, imagine, make, and learn with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).  

Don’t Mix Us Up, our witty and catchy animated music video series was featured at the Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival, where attendees were able to learn all about the dangers of confusing look-alike objects. 

And last but not least, over 3,500 Lubbock County second-graders read FableVision founder Peter H. Reynolds’ book The World Collector as a part of the United We Read initiative! The festivities also featured a special video message from Peter Reynolds, encouraging their reading efforts.

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8. Seasonal Banners

Spring banner designed by FableVision production artist Julie Oliveira

Summer banner designed by FableVision director of art & animation Bob Flynn

Fall banner designed by FableVision lead artist Christina Kelly

Winter banner designed by FableVision production artist Julie Oliveira

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9. Our Incredible Team

The FableVision team celebrates the KAPi Award for Keenville in January 2020.

What a year. We count ourselves lucky to have an amazing staff that not only rolled with the punches but excelled with grace, grit, and a sense of humor. From our virtual offices to yours—the future looks bright from here. Stay safe. See you in 2021!

"Zoombinis" Now On FableVision Games!

The little blue guys on a logical adventure have found a new home!

The award-winning relaunch of the classic, beloved ’90s game Logical Journey of the Zoombinis is now available for classroom use on FableVision Games. Created in partnership with TERC, a not-for-profit leader in K-12 math and science education, and the Learning Games Network, a not-for-profit game company, Zoombinis is an engaging and entertaining logic puzzle game designed to teach Computational Thinking (CT) for grades 3-8. 

Players must use their logical reasoning, data analysis, pattern finding, and problem-solving skills to help their Zoombini characters complete unique challenges, escape imprisonment from the evil Bloats, and reach the promised land of Zoombiniville. On this journey, they face 12 puzzles and four levels of increasing difficulty in each, including Pizza Pass, Titanic Tattooed Toads, and Mudball Wall. The Zoombinis travel in groups across multiple levels until all 400 blue creatures are saved.

Zoombinis uses implicit learning—learning that can’t be necessarily articulated on a test or in a question, but that manifests itself as behaviors or practices within a game. Throughout gameplay, players learn important life skills including algebraic thinking, data analysis, and theory formulation in a fun and engaging setting. 

The classroom version features additional educator materials and guides, as well as tracking that allows educators to collect data as their students play Zoombinis, and—through the use of detectors—identify when players demonstrate the four fundamental practices of CT: problem decomposition, pattern recognition, algorithm design, and abstraction as they appear within the puzzles.

The web game is now available to play on FableVision Games, where you can also access accompanying professional development resources.

FableVision Games is a curated games platform that provides research-based game-based learning resources and supports. Sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest announcements, promotions, and new game launches.

"Cyberchase Fractions Quest" Now Available for Purchase!

Blast your students’ fractions skills into Cyberspace with Cyberchase Fractions Quest, now available for classroom play! After a successful summer beta launch, FableVision is thrilled to invite educators to experience the world of PBS KIDS’ popular math series Cyberchase. Third and fourth-grade students embark on an immersive journey that integrates an interactive adventure with a research-based approach to fractions contexts. The game (complete with educator dashboard for student performance tracking) and corresponding Teacher Guide are available for purchase now on FableVision Games. 

The villain Hacker and his henchbots Buzz and Delete have captured the CyberSquad and it’s up to your students to save the day. In order to save the Motherboard from his dastardly plot, students step into the role of the hero and use their mathematical sequences and problem-solving skills to outsmart Hacker. As they explore Ecotopia, Castleblanca, Aquari-Yum, and Radopolis, students play through a series of minigames and make leaf parachutes for chameleons using their knowledge of fair shares, make tacos for underwater friends by practicing adding fractions, and more!

In collaboration with THIRTEEN and Education Development Center (EDC), FableVision created this game-based learning and assessment tool to offer a holistic view of fractions as parts of a whole and ensure fractions and future STEM learning success! Cyberchase Fractions Quest makes learning fun and challenges common teaching methods by using the latest research surrounding the best ways children learn fractions. The game follows the sequence and scope of fractions learning aligned with the Common Core Standards for Grade 3 and 4 mathematical structure. As they progress through the game, students explore different contexts of fractions including area, set, and number line. Combining research-based fractions teaching methods with an engaging narrative context, this game motivates students and increases their confidence in the classroom by improving their understanding of complicated math.

Cyberchase Fractions Quest is a result of a 2.5-year-long research project as part of the IES Department of Education SBIR program. The game also features additional professional development and game integration resources that are fully customizable to each classroom’s needs, allowing for maximum fractions learning fun and success. Formative assessment and cumulative review are also embedded in the game through the problem sets that students encounter. In the state-of-the-art teacher dashboard, educators can track students’ progress through the four CyberSites, how they performed in mini-games (out of three stars), and scores in the formal assessment pieces of the game.

Curious to learn more about using Cyberchase Fractions Quest in this time of blended learning? Check out our recorded edWeb webinar here.