Author: Martyna Kowalska

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:

1. Audience: other students and people working in the animation industry.
2. 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

According to Honess Roes, “Taxonomy for documentary” something can be considered an animated document if it is recorded or created frame by frame, it concerns the world, not its creator’s world, and has been presented and/or received as a documentary.

“Another Day of Life” marks the first attempt to translate the work of Ryszard Kapuściński (a reporter from the Polish Press Agency) into the language of film, both animated and documentary. However, the book on which the film is based is less of an impassive account and more of a personal diary of what happened in Angola in 1975.

It features surreal sequences that depict the world around the writer from the perspective of his emotions and feelings. This, in turn, creates a movie about Kapuściński himself. Thus, although the animation accurately describes the events in Angola, it cannot qualify as a documentary. It was created frame by frame but focuses on the world partly imagined by its creator. Nor was it presented as a document by its producers. However, I argue that the purpose, in this case, was to demonstrate subjective experience. It certainly lacks objectivity in what we see on the screen, an argument by Christina Formenti, but the film does not claim to be impartial. Moreover, it separates the “author’s thoughts” (surreal scenes) from true-to-life events (realistic scenes).

https://platige.com/project/feature/another-day-of-life/

After this week’s lecture, I decided to analyze the award-winning animated short “Metamorphosis”. It was created in 2020 by Kaifu Liu and published on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReSE2IvNjT0). While it is not acknowledged by scholars, I believe it is a good example of experimental animation.

It has elements of formative abstraction and manipulation of form and space. Colour (only black and white) and form (lineart animation, only basic shadows). However, as a viewer, I have no problem with reading shapes and their language. The visual message is clear. It is the dynamics of movement, rhythm and sound that are the main theme of the work. It is also a non-dialogued film, drawing elements from surrealism and expressionism. It communicates the narrative through gestures, performance, and alternative audio components.

The artist describes that most of his inspiration comes from personal experiences. The purpose of this short film is to discuss human emotions before entering society. Their involvement is investigative and emotional, trying to convey a message through disturbing sound, chaotic animation (character movements) and surreal representations of human thoughts. All this provides sensory and emotional responses (conceptual abstraction). The artist’s personal and independent vision thus uses both formative and conceptual abstractions.

Wells, P.,1998. Understanding animation. London: Routledge.

Categorisation: The work draws inspiration from Surrealism and Expressionism. It introduces a mood of unease and disturbance. Human figures are always moving, enhancing the impression of tumult. The theme is people’s emotions before entering society (probably social anxiety). An attempt to visualise the thoughts in people’s heads, using symbolism, to convey the feelings of those who suffer from anxiety. I think the techniques used by Kaifu Liu are more abstract and experimental (chaotic line work) than individual scenes, but the whole thing presents itself as a unique work of art.

Process: The animation looks unfinished, but it is this process that reminds me of intrusive thoughts. The movement of the lineart combined with disturbing sounds intensifies this experience. I believe that technique has become an essential part of the message. 

Formal Elements: The work explores light, movement, rhythm, timing, tempo, transitions and audio relationships.

Bibliography:

Kaifu Liu (2020) The Metamorphosis. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReSE2IvNjT0 (Accessed: 07 November 2022).

I decided to analyse the movie Klaus (2019) directed by Sergio Pablos. This is the “Man in the Hole (Fall-Rise)” storyline, discussed by Kurt Vonnegut.

Breakdown of the story arc (the 8 stages):

1. The character is in a zone of comfort (lounging at the Postal Academy).
2. Jesper wants to keep his current status, but his father forces him to challenge himself.
3. He enters an unfamiliar situation – the post office of Smeerensburg.
4. He gets to know the town, its residents and the problems with collecting mail.
5. However, with help from Klaus, he starts sending correspondence and fulfilling his challenge.
6. After completing the task, he almost accepts the offer to return home, making the other characters think he has abandoned them. This almost leads to the triumph of the shadows.
7. Jesper manages to save the gift-giving mission and reunites with his friends.
8. His life goals have completely changed and he decides to stay in Smeerensburg. He found his family, home and purpose in life.

Protagonist’s timeline:

We first meet Jesper Johansen, the spoiled descendant of a politically influential family, who spends his free time at the Postal Academy. He plans to get passed through and pushed into the world, where he’ll coast on family money and connections. Instead, Jesper’s father assigns him to a remote town on the island of Smeerensburg that has not sent or received mail for years.

Arriving in Smeerensburg by ferry, the place seems like a hope-sucking panorama, devoid of colour. A nice detail was Klaus’s slow colour transformation later in the film. A warm golden glow slowly spreads across the cold blue landscape of Smeerensburg as the city gradually begins to change.

After the hero’s efforts to convince anyone to send a letter to have an excuse to leave this awful place, Jesper meets a mysterious craftsman (Klaus) in a remote patch of woods and the origin story begins. Jesper becomes less obnoxious as he discovers the secrets of the place. There is a constant feud between the two clans. Alva, a teacher turned fishmonger, is starting to pursue her career after having previously abandoned it.

This thematic journey towards understanding the truth about people and the world finally allows him to solve the central problem. However, before that happens, he almost abandoned his newfound dream of improving life on the island to return to his home. Ultimately, Jesper decides to stay in Smeerensberg and save Klaus from the plot of the villains. This lets the other characters see how much he’s changed, and he wins his bittersweet happy ending with Alva as his wife, two kids, and a new task to continue Klaus’ legacy.

Some of the changes we see in his character arc are:

• A personality change.
• A change in a character’s behaviour.
• A change in goal from one extreme to another.
• A change from ignorance to wisdom.
• A change in relationship to another character or characters.
• A change in values and beliefs.
• A betrayal of a friend or loved one.
• A change from one role to another.

Archetypes:

Hero: Jesper Johansen is Klaus‘ protagonist (2019, Netflix). He answers the challenge of reviving the post office in Smeerensburg. Completing the quest helps restore balance to the island and improve the lives of its inhabitants. In addition, we as viewers experience the journey through Jesper’s eyes.

Mentor: Initially a loner, a large woodworker who makes toys, Klaus is the mentor archetype. He motivates Jesper on missions, trains him in toy making, and helps him mature as a person.

Threshold Guardian: Mogens, a sarcastic ferryman from Smeerensburg who enjoys humour at the expense of others. He guards the way to the island and forces Jesper to challenges. This is often at the expense of the main character. He does not reveal much information, but he is a harbinger of change, so he can be considered the archetype of the Herald or even the Trickster.

Shadow: Families of Smeerensburg (adults). They want to keep the old order on the island. Dissatisfied with the changes Jesper and Klaus are bringing, they try to get rid of them. Lord Aksel Ellingboe, the patriarch of the Ellingboe clan, carries on an ancient feud of his clan with the Krums. Mrs Tammy Krum, the matriarch of the Krum clan, has an ancient feud between her clan and the Ellingboes.

Trickster: Alva, a teacher turned fishmonger, becomes the love interest of Jesper. She uses ridicule to help us see the absurdity of the situation and force change.

Allies (helpers): Márgu, a young Sámi girl who gets to know Jesper well despite the language barrier. The Lapps represent the virtues of the hero. With their helpfulness and cordiality, they support Jesper and Klaus.

Bibliography:

Klaus (2019) Directed by Sergio Pablos [Film]. Netflix.

StoryMasterAcademy (2011) Hero’s Journey Archetypes explained. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rnV9aszXbQ (Accessed: 05 November 2022).

Will Schoder (2016) Every Story is the Same. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuD2Aa0zFiA (Accessed: 05 November 2022).