Paraphrasing task:
In the “Animated Documentary,” Honess Roe attributes the document’s authenticity to our understanding of realism and the concept of images that reflect reality and thus represent the actual occurrence of events. (Honess Roe, 2013)
https://www.scribbr.co.uk/working-sources/paraphrasing/
I chose a topic exploring the use of colour in contemporary animation because it is close to my concept education and my interest in designing complex landscape scenes. However, even though I am very interested in painting backgrounds, I usually have trouble choosing a colour palette. I figured taking the time to better understand the theory would help me develop skills further. In addition, I chose the short “FISH NIGHT” from “LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS”, not only because it focuses on the “magic of colour” but also because it is one of my favourite VFX studios. I do enjoy the research stage in both academic writing and artwork creation, so I don’t need a lot of motivation in deciding on a subject.
Nevertheless, I wanted the issue to be more technical and useful in my practice. I think analysing the work of a studio I am probably interested in applying to in the future could be helpful and knowing the colour scripts would improve my illustrative skills (especially crucial in matte painting and composing). I would also like to mention that the animated anthology “LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS” is a great representation of the VFX industry today. Analysing one particular short film can also help put together a consistent and in-depth argument. I realise that my research question is too broad and I may have to compare two animations to develop a balanced argument, but I will do so in further research.
Critical report:
- Audience: other students and people working in the animation industry.
- Purpose: analyse how to create narrative compelling scenes using stylised colour palettes.
The Netflix film created by the Platige Image team is based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale. The author himself, with 45 novels and 30 collections of short stories to his name, claims that “Fish Night” is one of the most pivotal stories in his career. The script was adapted by screenwriter Philip Gelatt.
(Platige Image, 2019)
“Fish Night” stands out from the rest of “Love, Death + Robots” with its intimacy. From this reason, the stylization was quite a challenge and we had to put in the magic of colour. Each scene has a harmonious, carefully-selected colour palette. There are warm tones at the beginning so the audience can feel the heat of the desert on their own skin. Then the temperature of the colours drops, but in a way that befits animation, which always has the power to surprise. The cold night is not limited to cold tones – and soon a frenzy of colour appears in the sky. (Rafał Wojtunik, art director)
(Platige Image, 2019)
Further Reading:
Amidi, A. (2011). The art of Pixar: the complete colorscripts and select art from 25 years of animation. San Francisco, Chronicle Books.
Bacher, H. (2012). Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation, CRC Press.
Bacher, H. P. (2015). Sketchbook: Composition Studies for Film, Laurence King Publishing.
Becker, B. (2015). Cloud Country Pixar animation artist showcase. Glendale, CA, Disney Press.
Block B. A: (2008) The visual story: creating the visual structure of film, TV and digital media. Amsterdam; Focal Press/Elsevier.
Carter, A. A. and L. Huffman (2013). Punch Drunk Moustache: Visual Development for Animation and Beyond, Design Studio Press.
Collington, M. (2017). Animation in Context: A Practical Guide to Theory and Making, Bloomsbury Publishing.
Dobson, N. Annabelle Honess Roe, Amy Ratelle, Caroline Ruddell (Eds) (2018). The Animation Studies Reader. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Furniss. M. (2008) Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetic. Eastleigh: John Libbey
Ghertner, E. (2010) Layout and Composition for Animation, Routledge.
Hannes, R. (2018) Animation: From Concept to Production. CRC Press. USA
MacLean, F. (2011). Setting the scene : the art & evolution of animation layout. San Francisco, Chronicle Books.
McClean, S.T., (2007) Digital storytelling: the narrative power of visual effects in film. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Pallant, C. (Ed.) (2015) Animated Landscapes: History, Form and Function. London: Bloomsbury Academic
Wells, P. (1998). Understanding Animation. London: Routledge