Research

Silhouettes and Cut out Animation 

Rusalka - A Paper Cut Out Animation

Stop Motion Animation / unofficial film clip for Bon Iver Holocene

The Legend of Savatté - Stop motion, paper cut.
 

Anthropomorphism

What is Anthropomorphism?

Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behaviour to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.

 

Examples and Research of Anthropomorphism

 

Partly Cloudy

 

Human gestures to communicate within relations to other characters.

 

Day and Night

 

Giving human features and figures to something that is not alive, or an object itself. We would like to do this with the wind character. 

 

Alice in Wonderland

 

 

This is a combination of Anthropomorphism and Metamorphosis as the Cheshire cat is give human characteristics such as talking, facial expressions and gestures unlike a normal cat. Along with being able to transform and change shape. We would like to use Anthropomorphism with the wind character making it human like figure with human gestures like the examples above. However, our wind character will not have a face.  

 

Metamorphosis

What is Metamorphosis?
A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.

 

Examples and Research of Metamorphosis.
   

 

Inspiration and Research on ways we want to use Metamorphosis

 

Thought of You - Ryan Woodward

This animation represents the Metamorphosis that we would like to display in our animation. We would like to give this effect to the wind when it kills Annabel Lee. Wrapping and twirling into fluid like forms around Annabel Lee as it chills her to death. This will be difficult as this example is in drawn animation form whereas we are working in cut out. However, we think that this technique is still manageable as we will have to draw each movement cut out by cut out to achieve a flow in motion and change.  

 

  The Wolfman - Paper Cut-out Animation

Showing cut out animation and metamorphosis combined.  

Hegdehog in the Fog, Yuriy Norshteyn, 1975 inspiration

Hedgehog in the Fog

Yuriy Norshteyn, 1975

This animation is a good example cut out animation by the use and exploration of anthropomorphism by giving human characteristics to the owl and the headgehog. The animation explores the use of the narrator which we will use in our animation to tell the story to the viewer. There is a wide variety of camera angles and movements helping the viewer to feel as if they are in the animation itself. Also the animator explores characters that are interacting with the environment such as when the owl is touching the water and the hedgehog walking through the grass making the background animated and interactive. Some cinematic techniques used include point of view shots, close ups, wide angle shots, zooming to create depth of field. The environmental effects that were added, such as the fog, gives the animation a more realistic feel. There is also the use of synaesthesia and sound effects that relates to the character and its movements within the environment. The pacing is quite consistent throughout the animation 

The Fish and The Doll - Orla Wren (2009)

 

This animation is a hand drawn pencil, cut out animation. We think that the animation is about always believing and following your dreams. The main character is sad as she can’t have a baby and the doll wants to be a fish/live in the sea.

Analysis:

• Anthropomorphism = the doll is given human characteristic as it can move/walk etc
• No dialogue or conversations. All communication within characters is done by gesture and facial expressions. Slight singing type sounds are mad at the end on the animation. 
•   Music, that sets a sad tone.
• Structure = Establish the want for a child, climax = the doll does not want to be mothered and want to be free in the sea, Resolution = Character is able to accept this and end up having a child
• Metamorphosis  =  with the doll turning into a mermaid
•  Framing = character is framed by the window to show importance
•  Fade transitions between shots
• Close ups, wide shots, point of view

How did this animation help us?

-Gave insight into framing and camera shots
            - Ideas about transitions and how to connect shots
            -Good insight on movements of characters (however the arms and legs did look a bit disconnected  to character)
            -Playing with layers
            -Playing with space and distance