Fairy tale world research

 Shrek - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsqpVl0TVek&ab_channel=KhoiTran

Shrek is a great example of a fairy tale world that has both high levels of creativity but also connections to real life - some items of food recognisable (both as food and as non-food related items - eyeballs as olives) with quirky twists, animals that are recognisable (donkeys, mice, pigs etc.) with the difference being that all animals can talk. They also all seem to act like human beings, in their actions and ways of speaking, which is interesting and confirms the idea that it is a fairy tale world. 

Shrek is also quite big on characters like fairies and fairy god mothers which is very common within the fairytale world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlK-BySadHk&ab_channel=AshwinSookmaneea

There are also often creatures like dragons and quests to beat them to save the damsel in distress! Something that is very noticeable from reading fairytales as a kid and watching movies like Shrek, is that there is always royalty involved - never anything along the lines of politics but rather Kings, Queens, Princesses, Princes (Ogres), peasants, fairy godmothers, wizards etc. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gr-ssepRpE&ab_channel=AnAnimatedChildhood

Garlic horse drawn carriage! Horse drawn limousines as well! Connections to the real world. All very prim and proper - towers & cobble stone roads. All quite vintage and proper clothing as well, as if always the case in fairytale worlds. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAxrb4eYTTE&ab_channel=AnAnimatedChildhood

I always loved this bit as a kid! It's just really fun and relatable and brings a tangible element to the story. A floating vehicle as well!

The Lorax

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nNgHSJNbEE&ab_channel=ScreenBites

Such a cute movie - the idea of fluffy trees is so very cute! The animals within this movie is an interesting one as most of them look somewhat familiar to animals that already exist but not exactly the same... and then there is the Lorax... both cute and grumpy! I like the idea of a speaker/guardian of the trees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqvD4NC-s9E&ab_channel=Movieclips

The idea of natural resources being used as a way of making money is really depressing, especially when there is a spotlight of sorts on it like in this movie but in truth, it's what is actually happening in everyday life - bottled water, soil, trees in many forms! Our natural resources are being marketed and sold to us! Slowly but surely people realise this, accept that something isn't quite right and decide to fight against it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6COmPgYOdA&ab_channel=ClassHook

GREED! Taking what he believes he is entitled too because he can profit from it... all tooooo familiar... Killing the natural world and taking it for your own and leaving the habitant of said natural world to fend for themselves in a world they don't recognise.

Disney 

Cinderella 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD2l1TFWIUc&ab_channel=ShibaInu%26Friends

"Happily ever after... the end" - classic! Always got that happy ending, regardless of what has happened within the story. Again, all very prim and proper - glass slipper (can't be all that comfortable), letters sent from a messenger, a glamorous ball, hierarchy, towers and palaces. Clear divide between rich and poor, good and evil!

Snow White

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzsAYx4JueI&ab_channel=KIDSGamesFactory

Disguised or softened aggression - old school but child friendly. Life without technology and electricity! Again, rags or riches, beauty vs. deformity! Cottages built with straw roofs.

Sleep Beauty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEiNpGp71mA&ab_channel=Nana%E2%80%99sStorytelling

A curse! Softened with magic! Again, all very traditional - a princess is meant to be with a prince, it is love at first sight and using enchanted weapons, he is able to defeat a dragon and evil witch.

MAGIC! Magic everywhere in fairytales! Heavy focus on titles and status - there is always a prince who saves the princess (except for in Shrek, which is kind of a fairytale backwards) and there is pretty much always a grand, glorious tower/palace and a humble, small cottage. Nature is pretty much always also innocent and good.