Animated Narratives (Week 1)
- Marie-Therese Philson
- Apr 22, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: May 15, 2020
This was our first week within ‘Animated Narratives’ and for the beginning of the class we were introduced into what our course will entail, the modules we will have to complete and what we will hopefully learn from this semester.
Within the course Animation, I am always interested and excited to what we will be learning each semester and was interested to learn about this topic and how it will help us within our own work and allowing us a more in depth look into some of our favourite animations.
Within the first half of our lesson plan I had taken down some notes on what is ‘Animated Narratives’, what the topic includes when looking into the different components of a animation, what to include to really do a animation justice and how to make sure we are picking up on a animations camera angles, metaphors and things like their colour palette and audience.We had learned about what animation narrative includes and was again practicing what we had already learned from the previous semester in how to incorporate things such as colour and purpose into our work. However, this time we were instead learning how to read it, react and understand it from another person’s animation.
It was helpful to get a short, but brief intro to what this course includes and what is expected from us during. In the afternoon, we were shown three videos that we were too study on our own and from what we have briefly learned and were able to analysis within our group. To then having our tutor Henry, pick apart the short animations and explain and show us narratives of the animation we may have missed or not quite understood the reasoning behind.
During our module introduction, we were shown our groups that we would be working within for our upcoming presentation within week three and this was exciting as it is always fun to work within groups and gather how everyone is understanding the course. In this group project it can also be a helpful way to support and gain support from others during a first introduction to a course topic and any struggles you may be having or questions. We were paired within our groups, to begin our practice in analysis of a short animation and my group includes myself, Luc, Orla, Darragh and Ana and our short animation was going to be 'Purl' by 'Pixar.
Our first animation was ‘Amnesty International 50 years’, by Amnesty International and was a time capsule of all the pain and hurt that the world has gone under through war and conflict but paired with a message of hope from the poppy flower. In first glance this animation was quite captivating and had a quite powerful, yet emotional undertone. It was shot in a two-tone monochromatic style with a bright and eye-catching poppy flower morphed into every other shot. The poppy flower is used within society as a token of remembrance for those we have lost and a reminder of the peaceful future we all strive to accomplish. The poppy symbol within this animation appeared beside some of the world’s most harrowing and controversial topics and was always catching the audience’s attention and allowing them a reminder of the animations motive.
Another component within the animation which was used to provide further context to what we were watching and what the message this animation hopes to achieve, is the medium which the animation was shot. The animation was shot with a stop motion paper boy who was running and exploring through the different conflicts depicted within the animation. He was in the colour white and appeared a-lot brighter than the rest of the people. This colour contrast was to show the darkness of those evil people within this world that are causing bad things to happen and was showing this young boy carrying the poppy as a bright and optimistic character, who is holding a poppy flower of hope.
In this animation was a lot of harsh and very stern shapes such as squares and rectangles with harsh and ominous lines that were used to help depict the dark and scary world shown. However, components of these worlds, such as harsh stone bricks on a wall changes to a template for a thousand of lights and almost becomes beacons of hope to shine through. This animation was carried with many soft and sometimes secretive metaphors all over and was fitting to the camera angle of a continuation to the right. I had learnt that when an animation shoots continuously to the right with a progressive story and character, it gives the reader a sense that the story is improving and moving on to the future. This was a first try at analysing the animated narratives of a short animation, within our group and I think as a team we did well.
The next three short animations we were shown, was for this time to take a more relaxed approach and just try to understand and focus on what animation narratives we can explain and view. The next short animation was called ‘Piper’, by Pixar and was about the journey of a small bird and their fear of the unknown. After watching the previous animation, it was interesting just to see how different each animation can be and how a mood can be changed within an instant. Piper is shot in 3D animation and has a progressive attitude throughout. The music helps a lot in carrying the emotions and encouraging tone of the film and has a very grey and blue toned colour pallet, fitting the ocean where the animation is shot.
Hair Love, by Sony Animation was a lovely animation to view and I’m glad I was able to be introduced to it within animation. Hair Love is a sweet animation about the love a mother and daughter share with their hair and the journey it can entail. We find the daughter struggling with her hair and asking her father for help, during this the animation mixes with a range of flash backs and present time and even presents a comical view as the father tackles the daughters hair and imagined it as a “hair monster”. The looks and attitudes exchanged by the father and daughter and even the cat are comical and endearing and is fitting the theme and the animations story.
The last animation was probably my favourite, because it was shot within stop motion and this is a style I hope to work within someday. The style of this animation was very eerie and had beautifully designed characters, including the mother, the child and the sandman. The story after thinking about it after, as during the viewing I was captivated and quite confused about the initial story other than the child is feared of going to sleep. However, the story seems to be again a child in fear of their bedtime and the journey and act of travelling up to bed and falling asleep. We see the mum seems determined that the boy sleeps and the boy is pushed to make the journey to bed, we see the stairs leading to his bedroom and the entire colour palette of the animation is exaggerated and dark. Very cool tones with white, black, grey and blue which allowed the viewer to feel how scared and isolated the little boy must be. Once in bed we see the sandman make his way up also and I enjoyed the quirky touch of the music difference whenever he steps on a new step, as he climbs the stairs. The entire animation is shot with suspense and a couple of times encourages the viewer to heighten their attention only to be let down, as what they were to believe to happen has been a trick. Almost as we are facing the same suspense and wonder as the little boy.
I had always known the myth of the Sandman and the harmless tale that he is the master of sleep and lays sand in your eyes as you sleep. I enjoyed the spooky turn of events and how they added onto the myth within this animation for ‘The Sandman’, by Paul Berry that he again is the keeper of sleep and if your awake or open your eyes, it is almost your own fault that in this tale he is more scary and instead steals the eyes of the children who are not asleep. This is an inspiring animation for me and interesting to learn about.
We were then sent off for the week to work within our groups, in preparation for our short animation and the narratives which we researched. Our short animation was the animation’Purl’ by Pixar and I was eager to test my new learned knowledge.
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