Buile Suibhne

A modern retelling
Gayle OBrien

Introduction
I have created a modern retelling of the ancient Irish legend of Buile Suibhne or Mad Sweeney. This Irish legend from the 12th century tells the story
of a king, cursed by Ronan the Fair and condemned to a life of mental illness. He wanders around Ireland, destitute, believing he is a bird. Sweeney
often returns to Glen Bolcain where all the mad men reside. Seamus Heaney published a translation of this medieval Irish literature called Sweeney
Astray. I have been working from this version.
I have brought Mad Sweeney into the modern day. Sweeney feels trapped in his daily life. After getting a knock on his door from Ronan, Sweeney
has had enough and he bolts. He suffers a drug induced psychosis and enters Glen Bolcain. This manic episode begins as an intense high. He
meets a girl and falls in love. But the psychosis reaches a terrifying peak. Alan dies. Sweeney is distraught. As things settle down, time reverses and
Sweeney is back where he started.
A number of methods were used for telling this story, including compositing, motion graphics, animation, motion tracking and listening modes.

Link to video: https://youtu.be/NeE6fc7nVkg

Original Story

Key elements
Main character

Sweeney

To which something happens

Psychotic break

In some place

Modern day Ireland

Present
Glen Bolcain:

outside time and space

For some reason

Unstable mental health

Told from a particular perspective Sweeney

main perspective
Characters Sweeney interacts with

Other side of the story

Themes

Loss of control, despair, madness, isolation

Heros Journey
As part of the Heros Journey structure, an event throws the
characters life out of balance. He is aroused by a conscious
or unconscious desire for what he believes will restore that
balance.
I have arranged each major point of Sweeney Astray into
the Heros Journey, expanded upon in this section.

1. Ordinary world

Introduction to Sweeney, living his normal life as king of Dl nAraide.

2. Call to adventure

Ronan the Fair marks a church in Sweeneys territory. Sweeney revolts, bolts stark naked and is
summoned to a battle at Moira.

3. Refusal of the call

A truce is momentarily called.

4. Crossing the threshold

Sweeney violates the truce and kills one of Ronans psalmists. Ronan puts a curse on Sweeney and
he becomes possessed

5. Tests, allies, enemies

Men call out to Sweeney and try to get him down from the tree. Sweeney flies around Ireland. He
reaches Glen Bolcain, valley of the lunatics. Sweeney continues to wander around Ireland for seven
years, returning to Glen Bolcain every so often. His brother, Lynchseachan is worried for Sweeney. He
disguises himself and tries to trick him. Sweeney meets his wife. She attempts to bring him back, but
he bolts.

6. Midpoint

Lynchseachan finds Sweeney and tells him all of his family are dead. When Sweeney realises this is
not true, he is relieved. His exile is over and he returns home to be king.

7. Approaching inmost cave

Sweeney meets a hag who tempts him and he relapses back into madness. He goes off with the hag.
She dies.

Approaching inmost cave (2)

Sweeney sees a woman at the well. He believes she has robbed him. He then meets Alan, Man of the
Wood and they become allies for a year.

8. Inmost cave

Alan commits suicide. Sweeney reminisces about home.

Inmost cave (2)

Sweeney returns to Glen Bolcain. He considers returning to Dl nAraide and trusting his people again,
rather than enduring these woes forever.

9. Final push

Ronan hears that Sweeney is coming home to Dl nAraide. He asks the Lord not to repent in his
vengeance. God answers Ronans prayer and Sweeney suffers a terrifying apparition of headless
torsos and disembodied heads.

10. Seizing the sword

After seven years of wandering, Sweeney comes to rest at a monastery in St. Moling, where he is
looked after. A cook in St. Moling is accused of liking Sweeney more than her husband. Her husband
slays Sweeney with a sword.

11. Return with Elixir

He dies at the door of the monastery having been anointed and reconciled with his faith.
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Retelling

Freytags Pyramid
I will now expand upon my retelling of Mad Sweeney. The story has
been changed and brought into the modern day. I found that although
originally working from the Heros Journey structure, my re-telling fits
in a lot neater with Freytags pyramid.

Inciting incident: Ronans visit/escape

Rising action: initial psychosis/dreamworld

Climax:manic episode, Alan dies
Falling action: aftermath of Alans death

Resolution: ending, was it real?

These will be now be described in further detail. Parts of the Heros
Journey structure examined in the original story will be referenced.
Due to having limited time to tell the story, many characters Sweeney
meets have been left out, such as Lynchseachan, the hag and
Sweeneys wife. I chose to focus on just one character Sweeney
meets - Alan.

1. Introduction

(Ordinary World)
We are introduced to a morning in the life of Sweeney. There is a tinge of blue in the opening scenes,
showing how mundane life has become for Sweeney. He has to take his medicine and brush his teeth.
He spins and grows smaller, using negative space to show isolation

2. Inciting incident

(Call to adventure)
There is someone at the door. Sweeney looks through the keyhole and a figure jumps out in fisheye
view. This is my version of Ronan, who could be Sweeneys doctor. Sweeney has had enough. He
rebels. Video flashes appear of a first person run through the hallway, suggesting Sweeney may be in
a hospital or asylum. The words Run & Dont stay appear scrawled in the walls on the hallway. The
footage layered in below show Sweeneys unhappiness and unrest, followed by his escape out into the
open.
(Refusal of the Call)
My retelling doesnt use a noticeable refusal of the call. However, abstract hands painted with eyes
jump around on-screen, indicating Sweeneys state of mind.

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3. Rising action

(Crossing the threshold)

Quick flash of images onscreen, including pupil dilate, suggesting Sweeney has just taken drugs. I
have diverged from original story where Sweeney gets cursed.
(Tests, Allies and Enemies)
The room darkens and Sweeney enters a strange colourful world. This is Glen Bolcain, from the
original storys Valley of the Lunatics. The camera zooms in, indicating that Sweeney is flying (he
believed he was a bird in original tale) .Sweeney flies through this world, past strange figures. Video
footage plays flashes as Sweeney experiences Glen Bolcain. It shows glimpses of his manic episodes,
drug use, and characters he meets. The screen is now tinged in bright pink, to show Sweeney has left
reality.
(Midpoint)
Sweeney met Alan in original story and they became allies for a year. In this version Sweeney sees
Alan and falls in love. Glimpses of a couple appear in the first Glen Bolcain video. Sweeney chases
Alan in the animation & soon they are a couple. Sweeney and Alan float by in delight.

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4. Climax

Approaching inmost cave)

A kinetic sky appears. The sun switches to clouds as the sky darkens. The mood of the piece changes
as the story reaches climax. It starts to rain. Video flashbacks in the background show Sweeneys
psychosis begin to worsen. This flashing footage shows a scarier psychedelic tour. Colour tinge now
changes to red: strongest colour. It includes a short clip of a girl standing on the edge of a balcony
looking down. It ends with a man shooting a gun. These could be interpreted as Sweeney and Alan.
(Inmost cave)
The scene returns to Sweeney shaking uncontrollably. A small red pool appears. It grows to reveal
Alan. Alan is dead. In the original story Alan committed suicide. In my version, it is unclear whether
Alan committed suicide or Sweeney killed Alan
(I changed a lot in the retelling especially towards the end, so the original storys final push, seizing the
sword and return with exilir are not used in my version)

5. Falling action

Flames rise and a strange dreamlike figure appears within them. As flames goes down, a dancer
dances and the red colour fades. This is to show the end of the manic episode and a light at the end of
the darkness.

6. Resolution

The scene reverses from the initial drug taking to back to when we first met Sweeney. The colour
returns to blue, indicating we have left the dreamworld. It is open to interpretation if Sweeney dreamed
the whole escape. Sweeney bursts into pieces, and a flash of pink at the end hints at his madness

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Narrative Data Model

Scene
1

Detail
Intro

Noun

Verb

Sweeney

Asset

Instantiation
Image: figure

mundane

Image: med bottle, toothbrush

keyframes in & out

Confused

Graphics, sounds

Camera zooms in, Image scatterizes

isolated

graphics

animate: rotate, scale down

Detail
Scene opens with text keyframing in from each side to introduce story. All these words are in 3D. The camera rotates, giving an early indication of
unstableness. And image of Sweeney comes into view. 4 birds scale up and fly out of Sweeney. Scatterize effect, scale and pan Camera pans in:
diagonal camera view to indicate horror. These are all to give an idea of unstableness.
Camera zoom to large Sweeney: close up shot for emotion view. Blue tinge over all early scenes. Blue to show reality, coldness, isolation. Single
consistent colour in early scenes used for this association, f real everyday life
We are introduced to a typical day in Sweeneys life, shown images of everyday items: toothbrush & meds. Sweeney rotates, gets smaller, shows
storys loss of control
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Scene
2

Detail
Inciting incident

Noun

Verb
Ronan

Instantiation
Image: figure

intrude

Sweeney

Asset

rebels

Image: door, sound: scream

Keyframe down, Camera pan & zoom, spotlight,

keyframe back out of shot. Sound: reverb, reverse

Image: face

Optics compensation for fisheye view

Video montage

Found footage from various clips put together in

Premier Pro, layered under hallway footage

Stock footage: hallway

Track motion to insert words on wall

animation

Keyframe spinning above layered footage

animation
keyframe & rotate spinning hands
Detail
Door & ground appear and scale into view. Sweeney goes to door: fisheye view created. Zoom camera out quickly to jump back. Video footage
sourced online to show a sense of despair. Hallway layered over, showing Sweeneys trapped location. Words on wall to imitate voices in his
head. Sweeney listens to these voices, as we can see in following clips. Viewer can now assume that Sweeney has escaped. Animation of hands
over eyes quickly rotate to imitate Sweeneys loss of control.

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Scene
3

Detail
Rising action

Noun

Verb

Asset

Instantiation

Drugs

Video footage,
sound: cominbe

Found footage from various clips put together in Premier Pro, moved
to AE. Combination of sounds amplified, reverbed

Glen Bolcain

Animation:

Camera pan & zoom over image, use of spotlight & ambient light
Limbs cut in Photoshop, animated in AE

Alan
Sweeney

image: trees

changed colour, 3D, zoom

image: masks

keyframe to fly in & rotate

video montage

Various clips found and cut in Premier Pro, covered with pink tinge.
Mask created to start& end

Image: figure
chases

graphics

scaling up & down, motion blur & easy ease

Love

Image: heart

bounce down

Image: figures

Float down, shadow, rotate out, blur

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Detail
3 clips shown in quick succession, including pupil dilation, to portray drug use. Once taken, Sweeney immediately enters new world. This is
Glen Bolcain from the original story, a place where Sweeney often ended up among his fellow lunatics. Sweeney flies over Glen Bolcain. He
passes strange animated lab figures, Glen Bolcain is portrayed as dreamlike in the animations. He glides past trees and masks flow down,
giving the idea of being at a rave or a festival. Spotlight & ambient light are used to add to this night-time feel.
Video montage begins. These clips were sourced online, a number of the films used have influenced my interpretation of Sweeneys situation.
Clips were cut down and made faster in premier pro. A mask Opens up to reveal view, similar to Sweeney opening his eyes.
Next Sweeney sees Alan and falls in love. Sweeney is animated to bounce happily after Alan, falling down in love behind him. They are
keyframe to glide happily after each other in next scene. Figures copied, opacity lighter and keyframe lower to give a show effect. Pink colour
remains, close to red, showing intensity, give slight warning of danger. Rotate downwards, sense of obliviousness.

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Scene
4

Detail
Climax

Noun

Verb

Psychosis

worsens

Alan

dies

Asset

Instantiation
Image: pearls

Images parented to each other, keyframes to create sun &

clouds. Colour changed, copied and scaled down to create
rain. Colour flashes, darkens

Video montage
Sound: whoosh

Found footage from various clips put together in Premier

Pro, moved to AE. Tinged in red. Sound: distort

Video montage

Clips in montage show girl peering over ledge, man

shooting

Animation

Red mask over image of Alan, changes size, grows bigger

Sweeney

upset

animation

Wiggle, spotlight, lightens

Alan

dead

animtion

Mask over image, keyframed 3 times: gets larger

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Detail
Sky scene. I am interested in kinetics and parenting and played with these techniques to create sky scene. Pearl shapes roll from cloud,
keyframe colour change, background light intensity changes to give idea of lightning and thunder. More pearls fall down as rain. This is to give
an indication of the danger to come in next scenes.
Next video montage appears layered in under rain. Colour changes to red. Red shows cruelty and passion, Sweeneys manic episode turns
serious. Footage was sourced to show darker side of Sweeneys psychedelic experience.A woman leans on the ledge. A man shoots a gun.
White flash to show sudden end.
Here the story cuts back to animation. Wiggle and spotlight brightens on Sweeney to show his despair and unstableness. A small red pool
grows bigger. Depicted as blood. Alan appears, horizontal to indicate death. Sounds get louder. Despair.

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Narrative Data Model

Scene
6

Detail
Falling action

Noun
Manic episode

Verb
ends

Asset

Instantiation
Video: fire. Sound fire

Luma matted over footage. Sound, stretch,pitch

animation: sheep figure Displacement

map (photoshop,

Displacement map, gaussian blur

video: dancer

colour key, silhouetted, spotlight, shadow

Detail
Fire luma matte is brought in to portray Alan & Sweeney going up in flames As they disappear, another dreamlike image appears
underneath the flames. Scene is still tinged in red to show manicness. Sound of flames. A ballerina silhoutte is alpha matted in as
the dreamlike sheep image diappears. The red colour starts to lose its intensity. This is to show the end of Sweeneys manic
episode. The dancer provides calming influence, as action falls. Spotlight around dancer to keep focus. Spotlight goes out.

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Narrative Data Model

Scene
7

Detail

Noun

Resolution

Sweeney

Verb

Asset

Instantiation

Reversal/
Dreaming

Footage from piece:

Reversed in Premier Pro, speeded up

mad

Animation. Sound: voice

Scatterizes & twists, camera zooms in, white solid

appears

Detail
There is a flash, and the viewer is brought through a reversal of previous scenes in quick succession. Blue tinge over this
scene to associate with reality. Begins with the 3 clips shown in quick succession at the beginning of the rising action phase.
They reverse to back when the viewer was first introduced to Sweeney. The clips are shown at high speed to give the viewer
the disorientating feeling that Sweeney encounters in his mind. Womans voice talks about drowning, metaphor for Sweeneys
mandness. Footage slows back to scaled up image of Sweeney, first encountered at beginning of clip. Sweeney is large,
showing for a second that he has regained primal control. Image then bursts and scaterizes. Flash red during the scatterize to
tie together 2 worlds & suggest madness. Screen turns white. End.

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Technical detail
.

Displacement: Sheep head: displacement mapped in Photoshop, colour ranged, clone stamped,
gaussian blurred
Luma & alpha mattes: Added to fire scenes to depict end of dream
Premier Pro: Used for video editing. Clips cut, mixed in reversed, speeded up, slow down,
Puppet tool: Footage of limbs cut up in Photoshop. Puppet tool used in after effects to give movement
Kinetics: Sky scene in particular. Image copied and copies attached, each to parents of the one above.
Moving one object, moved everything. Allowed for fluid movement
Scatterize: Effect used to cut Sweeney into particles
Camera & lights: Explore lighting and camera 3D techniques in greater detail throughout piece.
Casting shadows and panning cameras were used to portray emotion and detail. Spotlights adjusted,
cones and angles adjusted.
Glen Bolcain entry scene in particular used a lot of camera movement and adjustment, to depict path
Sweeney was flying through
Colour keying: Used for dancer. Video was colour keyed, key lighted & silhouetted. Spotlights added
Motion graphics: Key framing used in almost every animation. Easy ease in& out, motion blur, scaling
and rotation, all used to imitate movement & portray emotion
Track motion:Used in hallway. Words etched on by creating a solid from track points, then deleting
solid and adjusting word size
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Sound
All sourced from Youtube & FreeSounds.org

Song: Bachs Air: Changed frequency selection, pitch lowered, stretched

Intended result: Eerie atmosphere

Violin:changed frequency, convolution reverb, time-stretched, lowered pitch

Intended result: higher intensity, frightening

Heartbeat: amplified, reverb

Flame: amplified

Rona at door: echo, reverb

Intended result: sense of urgency, anxiety

Footsteps (fall down stairs): reverb, inverted, distorted

To demonstrate diegetic sound - door thud

Scream:

Whoosh noise: reversed, inverted, chorus, reverb, stretched, distorted

Intended result: fear

Drug taking noises: heartbeat, thuds mixed together, reverted, amplified, stretched, echo

Intended result: sense of urgency, anxiety. Semantic

Delia Derbeshire: Sea. Changed pitch

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Listening
sounds used in piece:
.
Diagetic. These sounds are in Sweeneys environment, the parent sound of which would be known by Sweeney. I didnt use a lot of diagetic
sound in the video as I wanted to leave a lot up interpretation. Examples of those used: flame,
Subjective sound: the voice towards the end. This inner voice occurs in the mind of Sweeney, as he likens his experience to drowning.
Other subjective sounds used are the sounds which occur before & during Sweeneys drug use. Other characters present would not hear
these sounds.
Non-diegetic music was used. This music is inaudible to the characters in the fiction, understood by the viewer as not stemming from any
apparent source. This music was used to give the observer an emotional understanding.
Keynote: background noises that define a location, such as door in the beginning. Also shows tone: danger
Sound signals: gun shot & scream towards end. This sound intentionally conveys information.
Listening modes:
Casual: can identify scream, gunshot, womans voice by listening without having to be overly attentive
Discriminative: built sounds leading up to fall to heighten intensity and emotions of Sweeney, how the woman screams, her tone, discriminate
to derive meaning
Critical: ladys voice towards the end. The viewer must listen and evaluate, to decide on its meaning: is it Sweeney talking, is it metaphorical or
literal?
Semantic: higher pitch was added to pieces to portray high anxiety, anger and fear
Reduced: I varied range and tempos in line with stage of the narrative

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Challenges
I was using a lot of complex camera moves in the video, especially the scene where Sweeney enters Glen Bolcain, and flies over. I learned a
lot about how to use the camera and spotlights, but theyre still not great in places. Im a bit shaky too at making transitions and getting
everything to fit in together, and had to spend a lot of extra time trying to blend everything together in this clip, especially because of the mix of
media used. Layering colours helped this a bit.I also wasted a lot of time settling on imagery, especially for Sweeney, before settling on a few
Dada artists with a similar style. Once Id settled on that style, all the images Id been using as placeholders had to be replaced. Everything
had to be brought into Photoshop and resized.

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Conclusion
I used the story of Mad Sweeney for this clip as it is the same story I want to use for my Final project. This assignment helped me in throwing
up a few issues that I may encounter later in the project. I realised how long and winding the Heros Journey structure is, and that it can be
difficult to show through digital media.
I enjoyed keeping with Dada style used throughout. The dadaism movement was an antidote to anti-war & anti-society. It strives to have no
meaning: similar to Sweeneys view. A lot of new techniques were tried out in this piece, especially with the camera view and with parenting
and motion graphics. I wanted to animate the figures in such a way as to imitate movement and show emotions. That took a lot of time. When
aligned properly with sound, these movements can be very helpful in portraying a story.
Overall Im happy with how the narrative of the story fitted together. I improved on a lot of technical skills, but theres still a lot I need to
practice.. I enjoyed playing with the theme of Sweeneys madness and the guessing aspect. This is an area Id like to include in final piece

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