Reinventing Music Video: Next-generation Directors, their Inspiration and Work: Next-generation Directors, Their Inspiration and Work
How to Read a Film: The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia: Language, History, Theory
Animation Now!
The Work Of Director Michel Gondry
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
CGI
In November 2007 I went to the Bradford Animation Festival, part from enjoying seeing animation in a theatre again I started to analyse what I felt animation had to offer. CGI shorts were those that I disliked the most partly as they reminded me very much of Sci-fi cartoons that are so common on channel 5. This I feel is an oversight from the animator as it is vital to understand what other animations exists with the same aesthetics to understand how yours will be read. A piece called man particularly lost my interest, the emotional theme of environmental erosion wasn't conveyed as eloquently as it would if they hadn't used CGI. The clear lines of CGI mean that it directly imitates real life, its almost as if your watching live action with lighting, skin, texture, movements, materials existing as in our world as we see it. If they had used traditional animation not only would they create a new world, interesting and intriguing, but the brushstrokes, colour, texture and form would all contribute to the emotion of the piece. I think this was demonstrated with another animation called Celestina which had similar setting and form as man yet used clay, the characters were alive and communicated their plight so much more convincingly that in man.
I don't believe that CGI can even compare to the strengths of live action where you can identify emotion quite clearly from a real person. It is easy to identify the emotions of a person because of a humans natural formation, learning how to read faces, expressions and mannerisms. An animation character is an unfamiliar face, you are being introduced to a new concept, both in environment and personality so by reading the other aspects of animation, the form, structure, the way it has been constructed enables the viewer to read the piece fully.
man
celestina
I don't believe that CGI can even compare to the strengths of live action where you can identify emotion quite clearly from a real person. It is easy to identify the emotions of a person because of a humans natural formation, learning how to read faces, expressions and mannerisms. An animation character is an unfamiliar face, you are being introduced to a new concept, both in environment and personality so by reading the other aspects of animation, the form, structure, the way it has been constructed enables the viewer to read the piece fully.
man
celestina
Monday, 17 December 2007
Film Title Design
Here are a few films I've watched about film title design. It's a format that I have become increasingly interested in after attending a seminar in Prague. Having to display typography, introducing a film are things that lend itself to animation and it\s interesting to see how this has been developed.
Sky One documentary from 1994 featuring some great title designs, plus fascinating insights into their work from designers Randall Balsmeyer, Mimi Everett, Nina Saxon, and film director Michael Lehmann.
Saul Bass revolutionised the opening credits of film with the man with the golden arm and anatomy of a murderer. OThis opened the style of colour animation and introductions with thmemed imagery.
Nina Sax created Back to the future and Forrest Gump whereas BalsMyerEverett worked with Spike Lee. The titles need to establish a mood, might have some back story and hints to th film to follow. They either have to treat footage already shot by the director or completely start from scratch. It helps to see the film beforehand and can be allowed anything from 6 months to 6 weeks.
Short Channel 4 documentary from 2001 featuring interviews with designer Karin Fong, producer Chip Houghton and Cooper himself.
Gives a nice insight into what drew Cooper to working in film titles in the first place, the team's working methods, and where they get their inspiration
Kyle Cooper wanted to bring film titles up to the speed and typographical skill of music videos, which was often difficult to do in film resolution. The company also created interesting commercials that involved moving round the architecture of a stylised city.
Here is just a collection of 25 film titles, I don;t think that these are particularly the 25 greatest but it has a great insight into the scope of the medium.
Sky One documentary from 1994 featuring some great title designs, plus fascinating insights into their work from designers Randall Balsmeyer, Mimi Everett, Nina Saxon, and film director Michael Lehmann.
Saul Bass revolutionised the opening credits of film with the man with the golden arm and anatomy of a murderer. OThis opened the style of colour animation and introductions with thmemed imagery.
Nina Sax created Back to the future and Forrest Gump whereas BalsMyerEverett worked with Spike Lee. The titles need to establish a mood, might have some back story and hints to th film to follow. They either have to treat footage already shot by the director or completely start from scratch. It helps to see the film beforehand and can be allowed anything from 6 months to 6 weeks.
Short Channel 4 documentary from 2001 featuring interviews with designer Karin Fong, producer Chip Houghton and Cooper himself.
Gives a nice insight into what drew Cooper to working in film titles in the first place, the team's working methods, and where they get their inspiration
Kyle Cooper wanted to bring film titles up to the speed and typographical skill of music videos, which was often difficult to do in film resolution. The company also created interesting commercials that involved moving round the architecture of a stylised city.
Here is just a collection of 25 film titles, I don;t think that these are particularly the 25 greatest but it has a great insight into the scope of the medium.
Sunday, 16 December 2007
Possible Learning Agreement Introduction
For years I unconsciously watched animation in the form of advertising on TV, cartoons and enjoyed comic strips. It wasn't until I was 14 and attended a seminar about art in animation hosted by the BFI that I realised the full extent of my love for moving image and what could be expressed with it, I hadn't realised, before seeing the dancing lines of len lye, that animation was something you could use to form and capture artistic creation. It was only from here that animation opened up to me and I started to fully realise what I'd been watching all along, I had a stringer, but not fully developed, sense of how to read animation. I became concious that animation was the ultimate control in film, each slight movement is constructed and thought about. I started to ponder how these shorts were made but due to this being a journey of discovery rather than education at this point it still took me a good while longer, until I was 19, to realise that the work load isn't out of reach and shorts can be produced by one person on low budget. Maybe this though was a blessing in disguise, had I have started creating animation any earlier I may not have been so engulfed in graphic design practice and the scope of it.
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Animation Nation Part 3
EP 3: VISIONS OF CHILDHOOD
Monday 14 November 9pm-10pm; 12.40am-1.40am; Monday 21 November 3.25am-4.25am (Sun night)
Magical worlds created by animators have had a huge influence on generations of children. Includes clips from programmes like Noggin the Nog, Bagpuss, The Wombles and Wallace and Gromit.
"its a lovely feeling to have total control over what happens however extraordinary you choose it to be." Oliver Postgate
"That is what children do, bring their toys to life, always have done and thats the origin of puppetry and further down the line where animation comes from" Brian Sibley, animation historian
Arthur Melvin Cooper, one of the first british animators, made Dreams of Toyland, realising animation was most suitable to a child audience. It was revolutionary at the time and took a good while longer for Oliver Postgate to make the saga of Noggin the Nog for TV. He made 6 episodes for BBC with Peter Firmin, Nick Park loved these pieces as a child and claimed "the charm got you past the technique" that was limited at the time. "What these programmes wanted to do is be distinctive in their own right, they werent' borrowing from the bigger tradition of disney." (Paul Wells). Posgate and Firmin also created tales about fairytale folk with the pogles, a traditional English couple, continuing in the whimsy of British animtion.
Camberwick Green was made by Gordan Murray. As more episodes were commissioned the world grew, into trumpton and then a wharf and a stately home. It was one of the first animations to cash in on merchandising. Another to do this was the Magic Roundabout, this animation was particularly popular due to it being scheduled just before the new, meaning adults happened upon it. A flood of animations followed after this one, the Clangers and in particular the Wombles by Barry Leith (this earned 17 million in merchandising.) Also in 1974 the wombles were one of the best selling acts in the music charts.
Paddington and Bagpuss kept the tradition of animating solely for children. Others like Dangermouse seeped in, but this was more sophisticated with themes of spy, this appealed to an American audience.
1n 1982 channel 4 invested 100,000 for Raymond Briggs' The Snowman. John Coates used rendering to transfer the drawings of the book to animation. It showed hope an audience would embrace an animation despite not having dialog or comedy.
The Brothers Quay used more adult imagery using old puppets to create mysteries of Crocodiles, a dark and surreal piece.
"What we try to transmit in all these films is a different kind of narrative, Even whn people go to ballet they don't ask the dancers to speak. Your forced to interpret gestures, movements, rhythm, music." The Brothers Quay
Paul Berrys The sandman also Followed these themes. It was sinister and really played on the fear for children. The story of a mother an adaptation of Hans Anderson on the other hand was much more for adults animated by Ruth Lingford it spoke about death in childhood.
The secret adventures of Tom Thumb by the bolex brothers was a mainstream christmas animation in 1993. Instead of the audience sitting down as a family like they would the snowman this wa a much more dark piece about the main character, a fetus. What was interesting was the use of pixelation, the animating of real people.
At this time Bob the Builder and Postman Pat were some of the most recognised animations but it seemed that the format could not simultaneously appeal to adults and children. Then emerged Wallace and Gromit, it united the bizarre of Bagpuss and the Clangers whith the whimsy and utterly British asoect of Camerwick Green. Wallice and Gromit are now destined for Hollywood, with a feature commissioned, big budgets and length of process seem to theaten the end result.
Monday 14 November 9pm-10pm; 12.40am-1.40am; Monday 21 November 3.25am-4.25am (Sun night)
Magical worlds created by animators have had a huge influence on generations of children. Includes clips from programmes like Noggin the Nog, Bagpuss, The Wombles and Wallace and Gromit.
"its a lovely feeling to have total control over what happens however extraordinary you choose it to be." Oliver Postgate
"That is what children do, bring their toys to life, always have done and thats the origin of puppetry and further down the line where animation comes from" Brian Sibley, animation historian
Arthur Melvin Cooper, one of the first british animators, made Dreams of Toyland, realising animation was most suitable to a child audience. It was revolutionary at the time and took a good while longer for Oliver Postgate to make the saga of Noggin the Nog for TV. He made 6 episodes for BBC with Peter Firmin, Nick Park loved these pieces as a child and claimed "the charm got you past the technique" that was limited at the time. "What these programmes wanted to do is be distinctive in their own right, they werent' borrowing from the bigger tradition of disney." (Paul Wells). Posgate and Firmin also created tales about fairytale folk with the pogles, a traditional English couple, continuing in the whimsy of British animtion.
Camberwick Green was made by Gordan Murray. As more episodes were commissioned the world grew, into trumpton and then a wharf and a stately home. It was one of the first animations to cash in on merchandising. Another to do this was the Magic Roundabout, this animation was particularly popular due to it being scheduled just before the new, meaning adults happened upon it. A flood of animations followed after this one, the Clangers and in particular the Wombles by Barry Leith (this earned 17 million in merchandising.) Also in 1974 the wombles were one of the best selling acts in the music charts.
Paddington and Bagpuss kept the tradition of animating solely for children. Others like Dangermouse seeped in, but this was more sophisticated with themes of spy, this appealed to an American audience.
1n 1982 channel 4 invested 100,000 for Raymond Briggs' The Snowman. John Coates used rendering to transfer the drawings of the book to animation. It showed hope an audience would embrace an animation despite not having dialog or comedy.
The Brothers Quay used more adult imagery using old puppets to create mysteries of Crocodiles, a dark and surreal piece.
"What we try to transmit in all these films is a different kind of narrative, Even whn people go to ballet they don't ask the dancers to speak. Your forced to interpret gestures, movements, rhythm, music." The Brothers Quay
Paul Berrys The sandman also Followed these themes. It was sinister and really played on the fear for children. The story of a mother an adaptation of Hans Anderson on the other hand was much more for adults animated by Ruth Lingford it spoke about death in childhood.
The secret adventures of Tom Thumb by the bolex brothers was a mainstream christmas animation in 1993. Instead of the audience sitting down as a family like they would the snowman this wa a much more dark piece about the main character, a fetus. What was interesting was the use of pixelation, the animating of real people.
At this time Bob the Builder and Postman Pat were some of the most recognised animations but it seemed that the format could not simultaneously appeal to adults and children. Then emerged Wallace and Gromit, it united the bizarre of Bagpuss and the Clangers whith the whimsy and utterly British asoect of Camerwick Green. Wallice and Gromit are now destined for Hollywood, with a feature commissioned, big budgets and length of process seem to theaten the end result.
Animation Nation Part 2
EP 2: SOMETHING TO SAY
Monday 7 November 9pm-10pm; 1am-2am; Monday 21 November 2.25am-3.25am (Sun night)
The irreverent side of animation came through in the trippy delights of Yellow Submarine, counter-culture classics like Monty Python's Flying Circus and dark modern visions such as Monkey Dust.
July 1968, yellow submarine was released, an animated feature, it was psychedelic and exciting, for adults and depicted drugs and hallucinations. After this other animators realised the extent animation could go to. It took 200 animators in Soho working almost constantly. George Dunning animated this film purposely for adults. Heinz Adleman, a graphic designer, set the aethetic of the film. Lucy in the sky with Diamonds was one of the first rotoscoped piece deigned by Bill Sewell.
"I just wanna make people laugh; not by being silly but being truthful" Candi Guard
"Whatever we were doing was trying to shock people into waking up its subversive its trying to change peoples view of what the world is" Terry Gilliam
Following this an animator, Richard Williams, and a film director, Tony Richardson collaborated in Charge of the Light Brigade. It Picked up the sense of unease at the time and depicted the protests on the streets about the Vietnam war.
Bob Godfreys company was most favoured to work with at this time as it had a steady and constant flow of work and many of the animators from the Yellow Submarine had been layed off. Terry Gilliam tried to get a job and failed after he claimed to love Bob Godfrey "Being crude and stylish sometimes".
Godfrey made Karma Sutra Rides Again, an animation about sex. He claimed to be "satirising the permissive society" and seeing what he could get away with through the form of animation, although it did have limited distribution.
Early n the 70's Terry Gilliam got his big break with Monty Pythons Flying Circus. He used paper cut outs and demonstrated how he did this on Bob Godfrey TV. He was thought to be surrealist.
Gerald Scarfe took a political look at hos trip to America through animaton, depictingthe power and culture and shockingly animated Mickey Mouse on drugs. Seeing this Pink Floydd asked him to make a video for Education. It was hugely successful but still at this point funding for animation was limited.
In comes Channel four with a capacity to commission animation and asked the team behid Yellow Submarine to adapt the controversial book by cartoonist Raymond Briggs about nuclear war, Where the Wind Blows. Jimmy Mirakami, the director saw this as a personal prject aftert he horrors of Hiroshima. It depicted an obedient couples following a panphlet about how to prepare for the war. It cast the voices of real people and was very English in its treatment.
Channel four encouraged new voices "Channel Fours remit was to look for the margins" (Paul Wells). Candi Guard made funny observations of a female reacting to her social surroundings and culture. Dolly Pond was the star of Pondlife commissioned by Clare Kit at Ch4 because of its "funny scenes that are shocking because they're so real." They also asked for pieces from art students, Johnathan Hodgeson wanted to film things within the environment. One film was about people and their dogs but the one really close to his heart was about the Liverpool nightclub scene.
"I learnt that animation was more or less an extension of drawing, painting, sculpture extended into time into space with sound with narrative with possibly political content well its almost the ultimate artform." Susan Young
Susuan Young made a film about Notting Hill festival. She believed the medium brings to life emotion and narrative by using an observational documentary style.
"There were a new generation of animators working in an observational style, trying to draw from real life experience, deal with the social issues and concern of the period. What they're bringing to that party though is the language of animation itself they're able to make these observational documentaries distinctive by virtue of the use of that language bu as it were being able to depict interior states by being able to show emotional ideas." Paul Wells.
Johnathan Hodgeson depicts his mothers schizophrenia in Camoflage and followed the trend in using the interviews of real people. Channel four also commissioned David Andersons, Deadsi which really was dark aesthetically also. Again the theme of nuclear threat was here with the idea that things weren't really as they seemed. Sexuality, war, gender and language were all explored from different perspectives. It was apocalyptic and abstract so it may not have appealed to the wider audience.
Phil Malloy's Cowboys went back to basics. High noon was his inspiration, it used satire and male sexuality. It was only found though in the margins of the schedule in the same way that animation shorts are now. The real longevity for animation proved to be in series, with the Simpsons proving how this could be done. In 2001 ITV comisioned 2D:TV, Giles Pilbrow the director made it accessible to the wider audience with using the aspect of celebrity. BBC Three was launched and threw in their efforts with Monkey Dust and I am not an animal in 2002, Harry Thompson produced them similarly alluding to the culture.
Monday 7 November 9pm-10pm; 1am-2am; Monday 21 November 2.25am-3.25am (Sun night)
The irreverent side of animation came through in the trippy delights of Yellow Submarine, counter-culture classics like Monty Python's Flying Circus and dark modern visions such as Monkey Dust.
July 1968, yellow submarine was released, an animated feature, it was psychedelic and exciting, for adults and depicted drugs and hallucinations. After this other animators realised the extent animation could go to. It took 200 animators in Soho working almost constantly. George Dunning animated this film purposely for adults. Heinz Adleman, a graphic designer, set the aethetic of the film. Lucy in the sky with Diamonds was one of the first rotoscoped piece deigned by Bill Sewell.
"I just wanna make people laugh; not by being silly but being truthful" Candi Guard
"Whatever we were doing was trying to shock people into waking up its subversive its trying to change peoples view of what the world is" Terry Gilliam
Following this an animator, Richard Williams, and a film director, Tony Richardson collaborated in Charge of the Light Brigade. It Picked up the sense of unease at the time and depicted the protests on the streets about the Vietnam war.
Bob Godfreys company was most favoured to work with at this time as it had a steady and constant flow of work and many of the animators from the Yellow Submarine had been layed off. Terry Gilliam tried to get a job and failed after he claimed to love Bob Godfrey "Being crude and stylish sometimes".
Godfrey made Karma Sutra Rides Again, an animation about sex. He claimed to be "satirising the permissive society" and seeing what he could get away with through the form of animation, although it did have limited distribution.
Early n the 70's Terry Gilliam got his big break with Monty Pythons Flying Circus. He used paper cut outs and demonstrated how he did this on Bob Godfrey TV. He was thought to be surrealist.
Gerald Scarfe took a political look at hos trip to America through animaton, depictingthe power and culture and shockingly animated Mickey Mouse on drugs. Seeing this Pink Floydd asked him to make a video for Education. It was hugely successful but still at this point funding for animation was limited.
In comes Channel four with a capacity to commission animation and asked the team behid Yellow Submarine to adapt the controversial book by cartoonist Raymond Briggs about nuclear war, Where the Wind Blows. Jimmy Mirakami, the director saw this as a personal prject aftert he horrors of Hiroshima. It depicted an obedient couples following a panphlet about how to prepare for the war. It cast the voices of real people and was very English in its treatment.
Channel four encouraged new voices "Channel Fours remit was to look for the margins" (Paul Wells). Candi Guard made funny observations of a female reacting to her social surroundings and culture. Dolly Pond was the star of Pondlife commissioned by Clare Kit at Ch4 because of its "funny scenes that are shocking because they're so real." They also asked for pieces from art students, Johnathan Hodgeson wanted to film things within the environment. One film was about people and their dogs but the one really close to his heart was about the Liverpool nightclub scene.
"I learnt that animation was more or less an extension of drawing, painting, sculpture extended into time into space with sound with narrative with possibly political content well its almost the ultimate artform." Susan Young
Susuan Young made a film about Notting Hill festival. She believed the medium brings to life emotion and narrative by using an observational documentary style.
"There were a new generation of animators working in an observational style, trying to draw from real life experience, deal with the social issues and concern of the period. What they're bringing to that party though is the language of animation itself they're able to make these observational documentaries distinctive by virtue of the use of that language bu as it were being able to depict interior states by being able to show emotional ideas." Paul Wells.
Johnathan Hodgeson depicts his mothers schizophrenia in Camoflage and followed the trend in using the interviews of real people. Channel four also commissioned David Andersons, Deadsi which really was dark aesthetically also. Again the theme of nuclear threat was here with the idea that things weren't really as they seemed. Sexuality, war, gender and language were all explored from different perspectives. It was apocalyptic and abstract so it may not have appealed to the wider audience.
Phil Malloy's Cowboys went back to basics. High noon was his inspiration, it used satire and male sexuality. It was only found though in the margins of the schedule in the same way that animation shorts are now. The real longevity for animation proved to be in series, with the Simpsons proving how this could be done. In 2001 ITV comisioned 2D:TV, Giles Pilbrow the director made it accessible to the wider audience with using the aspect of celebrity. BBC Three was launched and threw in their efforts with Monkey Dust and I am not an animal in 2002, Harry Thompson produced them similarly alluding to the culture.
Friday, 14 December 2007
Meeting with Aidan
. Animation as a musical/visual form, it can be both, be at once musical/abstract/story-based
. Seriousness and animated metaphorical form is perhaps more appropriate for live action
. Humour/ Playfulness/ fun are important in what you do- pleasure of the audience
. British animation about art or industry? Continental animation is self conscious 'art' American is business where are we in this?
.Are they mutually exclusive art and industry?
Sources
Animation nation
Sight and Sound article: Animatiphobia
Film Art: An introduction, Bordwell/ Thompson
How to read a film, Monaco
. Seriousness and animated metaphorical form is perhaps more appropriate for live action
. Humour/ Playfulness/ fun are important in what you do- pleasure of the audience
. British animation about art or industry? Continental animation is self conscious 'art' American is business where are we in this?
.Are they mutually exclusive art and industry?
Sources
Animation nation
Sight and Sound article: Animatiphobia
Film Art: An introduction, Bordwell/ Thompson
How to read a film, Monaco
Animation Nation Part 1
EP 1: THE ART OF PERSUASION
Monday 21 November 1.25am-2.25am (Sun night)
How animation conveyed government propaganda in an entertaining package - selling WWII and the welfare state. Following the birth of commercial TV, cartoon characters were enlisted to sell household items.
INTERVIEW WITH SERIES PRODUCER: TOM WARE
British animation started in 1899 with Authur Melvin Cooper creating an animation of matchsticks drawing on a chalkboard, asking for money to send a packet of matches for each soldier fighting in the Bower war. According to Paul Wells its ironic that he should be using the mediums of Propaganda and advertising that have since been the post popular for animation.
"Animation does sell stuff and its memorable and its sometimes very funny" Bob Godfrey
In the first world woar they often used the method of sped up painting filmed in stop frame with artists such as Lancelot Speed. The medium then moved onto paper cut outs and was shown in theatres. The techniques grew more spohisticated in the second world war. The content was often to be seen ridiculing Hitler, humour was being used in conjunction with animation to soften the blow and provide an entertaining and exciting thing to watch.
The Government tried using live action but the theatres that were to be the only viewing platform showed contempt for it as it wasn't engaging the public. They turned to animation with Jack Reddington employing the skills of the Halas and Batchelor animation studio. They made a film about donating scrap for war in a piece called the Dustbin Parade. A British elelment contained in this was the sense of self sacrifice hat identified so much with the audience. A graphic Designer from the Buahaus called John Halas and his wife an illustraor made up Halas and Batchelor.
1943- The studio was commissioned to take their animations to the middle east to use entertaining and amusing pieces in order to persuade them that Britain was a good force. Often Britain was displayed in the form of a soft jokey military type character. In one instance the personified tank bounces along to happily take care of the enemy, skeletons with guns. These characters were clearly opposed but the significant point is the Britains used funny friendly imagery to endear them to their audience. These anti-fascist films often drew of arabian folk tales to ensure success.
The Larkin studio
Peter Sacks was trained as a graphic Designer and used jagged modernist lines in a different style from Halas and Batchelor. He was also European , from Germany. He experimented with techniques and ofter looked at the deisgn first- the animation had to support that as he was very concerned with the overall look. Bob Godfrey was given his first job by Peter Sacks. Godfrey said that Saks was very into "Big gernerous movements or little fiddly movements too draw your eye". Sacks wanted to work like other artists often and would walk into the studio pronouncing "Today we will work like Picasso". I like that idea. Work like a great and see what you get.
Halas and Batchelor then ended up working with an American producer called Louis De Rochemont
to make an adaptation of Animal Farm. This film wasn't that successful mainly as the media seemed to slate it for being for adults and not for children. A problem I think still remains today. Although it did well to promote the studio when TV advertising arrived a year later in 1955.
The introduction of ITV opened the floodgates for companies wanting to employ the skills that animation could bring in promoting their products mainly as the adverts were only 30 seconds and they needed something that could convey their message quickly. At this point 1/3 of TV commercials were animation. Bob Godfrey recalls this time and says how their company were often handed jungles that they had to 'dance' to with animation. Suddenly wit the amount of work that ITV adverts were generating around 40 animation studios started to spring up everywhere. Godfrey joined up with Jeff Hale and Keith Learner, and later Nancy Hanna and Vera Linnecar to form biographic films.
Biographic films came across a method that meant that they could create animations for adverts cheaply and quickly. Traditional animation was too detailed and clouded the message and took too long. They used forms that darted across the screen to create shorts that were more avant guard and displayed the message simply.
Larkin at this point were now part of the film producers leaugueand in the mid sixties created adverts that were embraced by British culture. The Hompride Flour men were the first succesful charcters created by Ron Wyatt and Tony Catarino. They were then in demand from these characters success and created charcters for country life, Teatly and Nesquick. Character animation was popular for product identity and merchandising property. What makes a character successul is much like what distinguishes a hollywood star from a normal actor.
Animals seemed to work well as in our culture we seem to enjoy the anthropomorphism of our pets/animals. The cresta polar bear, tony the tiger and kiora birds were all successful.
The centre of information film about child safety used a real boys voice and the voice of Kenny Everett for the tiger, this was very popular and secured this method of voice over, made more popular by Aardman animations. who created creature comforts, adverts Peter Lord helped create.
Aardman were also approached by Peter Gabriel to create a music video for Sledgehammer. This stop motion film was exquisite in its display of skill didn't use any electronic effects. It remained experimental right into the mainstream, a trait characterised by British animation.
MTV created an influx of animations for music videos giving a new aspect too the craft much as ITV did.
Award winning Don't Panic video also used old fashioned techniques. Animator Tim Hope stuck real pictures on 3D objects and moved them to create a completely orginal piece.
I think my stuff is very British. The architechtures all based around London, its Dixons and Currys and Housing Estates and masses of Satalite towers. The high street is so uniform now I think its a defining point of modern Britain." Tim Hope
More recently a NSPCC advert uses a child (animated) being abused by its (live action) father. A advert that couldn't exist without animation, you couldn't tolerate it in live action and the animation itself played upon the violence you often see in cartoon such as Tom and Jerry.
ANIMATIONS OF THE SERIES
Monday 21 November 1.25am-2.25am (Sun night)
How animation conveyed government propaganda in an entertaining package - selling WWII and the welfare state. Following the birth of commercial TV, cartoon characters were enlisted to sell household items.
INTERVIEW WITH SERIES PRODUCER: TOM WARE
British animation started in 1899 with Authur Melvin Cooper creating an animation of matchsticks drawing on a chalkboard, asking for money to send a packet of matches for each soldier fighting in the Bower war. According to Paul Wells its ironic that he should be using the mediums of Propaganda and advertising that have since been the post popular for animation.
"Animation does sell stuff and its memorable and its sometimes very funny" Bob Godfrey
In the first world woar they often used the method of sped up painting filmed in stop frame with artists such as Lancelot Speed. The medium then moved onto paper cut outs and was shown in theatres. The techniques grew more spohisticated in the second world war. The content was often to be seen ridiculing Hitler, humour was being used in conjunction with animation to soften the blow and provide an entertaining and exciting thing to watch.
The Government tried using live action but the theatres that were to be the only viewing platform showed contempt for it as it wasn't engaging the public. They turned to animation with Jack Reddington employing the skills of the Halas and Batchelor animation studio. They made a film about donating scrap for war in a piece called the Dustbin Parade. A British elelment contained in this was the sense of self sacrifice hat identified so much with the audience. A graphic Designer from the Buahaus called John Halas and his wife an illustraor made up Halas and Batchelor.
1943- The studio was commissioned to take their animations to the middle east to use entertaining and amusing pieces in order to persuade them that Britain was a good force. Often Britain was displayed in the form of a soft jokey military type character. In one instance the personified tank bounces along to happily take care of the enemy, skeletons with guns. These characters were clearly opposed but the significant point is the Britains used funny friendly imagery to endear them to their audience. These anti-fascist films often drew of arabian folk tales to ensure success.
The Larkin studio
Peter Sacks was trained as a graphic Designer and used jagged modernist lines in a different style from Halas and Batchelor. He was also European , from Germany. He experimented with techniques and ofter looked at the deisgn first- the animation had to support that as he was very concerned with the overall look. Bob Godfrey was given his first job by Peter Sacks. Godfrey said that Saks was very into "Big gernerous movements or little fiddly movements too draw your eye". Sacks wanted to work like other artists often and would walk into the studio pronouncing "Today we will work like Picasso". I like that idea. Work like a great and see what you get.
Halas and Batchelor then ended up working with an American producer called Louis De Rochemont
to make an adaptation of Animal Farm. This film wasn't that successful mainly as the media seemed to slate it for being for adults and not for children. A problem I think still remains today. Although it did well to promote the studio when TV advertising arrived a year later in 1955.
The introduction of ITV opened the floodgates for companies wanting to employ the skills that animation could bring in promoting their products mainly as the adverts were only 30 seconds and they needed something that could convey their message quickly. At this point 1/3 of TV commercials were animation. Bob Godfrey recalls this time and says how their company were often handed jungles that they had to 'dance' to with animation. Suddenly wit the amount of work that ITV adverts were generating around 40 animation studios started to spring up everywhere. Godfrey joined up with Jeff Hale and Keith Learner, and later Nancy Hanna and Vera Linnecar to form biographic films.
Biographic films came across a method that meant that they could create animations for adverts cheaply and quickly. Traditional animation was too detailed and clouded the message and took too long. They used forms that darted across the screen to create shorts that were more avant guard and displayed the message simply.
Larkin at this point were now part of the film producers leaugueand in the mid sixties created adverts that were embraced by British culture. The Hompride Flour men were the first succesful charcters created by Ron Wyatt and Tony Catarino. They were then in demand from these characters success and created charcters for country life, Teatly and Nesquick. Character animation was popular for product identity and merchandising property. What makes a character successul is much like what distinguishes a hollywood star from a normal actor.
Animals seemed to work well as in our culture we seem to enjoy the anthropomorphism of our pets/animals. The cresta polar bear, tony the tiger and kiora birds were all successful.
The centre of information film about child safety used a real boys voice and the voice of Kenny Everett for the tiger, this was very popular and secured this method of voice over, made more popular by Aardman animations. who created creature comforts, adverts Peter Lord helped create.
Aardman were also approached by Peter Gabriel to create a music video for Sledgehammer. This stop motion film was exquisite in its display of skill didn't use any electronic effects. It remained experimental right into the mainstream, a trait characterised by British animation.
MTV created an influx of animations for music videos giving a new aspect too the craft much as ITV did.
Award winning Don't Panic video also used old fashioned techniques. Animator Tim Hope stuck real pictures on 3D objects and moved them to create a completely orginal piece.
I think my stuff is very British. The architechtures all based around London, its Dixons and Currys and Housing Estates and masses of Satalite towers. The high street is so uniform now I think its a defining point of modern Britain." Tim Hope
More recently a NSPCC advert uses a child (animated) being abused by its (live action) father. A advert that couldn't exist without animation, you couldn't tolerate it in live action and the animation itself played upon the violence you often see in cartoon such as Tom and Jerry.
ANIMATIONS OF THE SERIES
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
5 Questions and Where I am with my work
I like to work on different projects all at once so sometimes its good to just stop and take stock of this:
1)The BBC Brief is almost finished, a little more editing to do with the last two characters but it will be ready to pitch before Christmas
2)The Harder Better Faster Stronger Project I'm hoping to complete in the next two weeks
3)I will need to do some more images of how the stop shop animation will look but maybe I could used photography sets and set this up as early as possible after Christmas
4)I will continue to look at new briefs when BBC and Harder Better are completely finished
5 questions:
Am I limited to animation rather than using real footage?
I like to be in complete control of the frame like the medium of stop motion best which involves photography more than anything. It isn't something that I would rule out for the right project but I've not yet found it.
Why can't I practice a number of disciplines?
Because I want to concentrate my efforts on animation and really understand how different mediums fit together rather than seeing them separately. This year I want to really analyse the briefs I choose and make sure I use the medium that is most practical
What job in the future are my skills most suitable for?
Is there a strong communicative element to my work?
Where would my work fit in in a social context, where would it be seen and how would it compare?
1)The BBC Brief is almost finished, a little more editing to do with the last two characters but it will be ready to pitch before Christmas
2)The Harder Better Faster Stronger Project I'm hoping to complete in the next two weeks
3)I will need to do some more images of how the stop shop animation will look but maybe I could used photography sets and set this up as early as possible after Christmas
4)I will continue to look at new briefs when BBC and Harder Better are completely finished
5 questions:
Am I limited to animation rather than using real footage?
I like to be in complete control of the frame like the medium of stop motion best which involves photography more than anything. It isn't something that I would rule out for the right project but I've not yet found it.
Why can't I practice a number of disciplines?
Because I want to concentrate my efforts on animation and really understand how different mediums fit together rather than seeing them separately. This year I want to really analyse the briefs I choose and make sure I use the medium that is most practical
What job in the future are my skills most suitable for?
Is there a strong communicative element to my work?
Where would my work fit in in a social context, where would it be seen and how would it compare?
Monday, 3 December 2007
Critical and contextual analysis of the way I learn
In issue 15 of Imagine magazine they published a debate on the standard of graduates with points put forward from Shelly Page International Outreach for Dreamworks:
" What I've noticed, particularly in the last five years, is how many of the more interesting opportunities for graduates from animation courses are taken by graduates from outside the U.K."
"Also, I (personally and Dreamworks) in general are generally in favour of the group project approach, and this tends to run counter to the way the British University system in structured"
"In France, especially Gobelins, it's a highly structured environment where they have to do very specific skill development and they don;t even start making films until they've completely mastered the skills like lip sync...what I tend to see in the U.K is maybe a more experimental approach to animation, but doesn't have that tight focus on he technique tht really works best for us in our environment"
Also an interview with Gini an animator from Pixar caught my eye
"what’s your background?
For college, my parents sent me back to the Philippines to study. My dad was a banker and wanted me to take commerce. I told him no, that I had to be an artist. So we agreed on advertising, which I studied at the University of Santo Tomas. After graduating I went into advertising for about five years in Guam. It was great, because I was a big fish in a small pond. I was able to work with big clients, like Nestle, that I would never have been able to work with at my age here in the United States. After a while I burnt out and wanted to go back to school. There was a course in computer animation at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. For our thesis we had to make a short animated film and then send it out to the companies you wanted to work for. I sent mine to Blue Sky, Disney, Pixar and PDI. I actually got job offers from Blue Sky and PDI. Pixar was the last one to call me, but told me they couldn’t do the interview me for a whole month. I had to take a big leap of faith when PDI and Blue Sky said they didn’t know if they could wait that long. But I knew if was going to learn anything, it’d be at Pixar."
After reading these statements it got me thinking about the way I work and how the industry sees that. I didn't before think that the way I experiment or feel my way towards a practice that feel new exciting or just right, is due to the freedom a U.K. university structure brings. I feel that yes sometimes I don't have a specialised skill set within animation but then again I don't want to work in a big 'animation factory' style like Dreamworks.
I decided to look at this interview for Pixar after reading the article from Imagine and noticed that Gini hasn't come to Pixar straight from graduating and they liked her for targeting detail, famous in Pixars style of animation and something that I think is lacking in Dreamworks, loosing me as a viewer. You see I think that attention to detail, mannerisms, the way people talk, can't really be taught, it needs to be observed and if you dont observe it then your really not that interested in it.
I don't think the quality of U.K. animation deteriorates as a result of experimentation, after all would I still be making my own typography and trying to be aware of other mediums. Maybe a graphic design course with so much freedom is whats suited me, or maybe it just allows my ideas a little more creative freedom, fore thought and ultimately allows me to do what I enjoy.
" What I've noticed, particularly in the last five years, is how many of the more interesting opportunities for graduates from animation courses are taken by graduates from outside the U.K."
"Also, I (personally and Dreamworks) in general are generally in favour of the group project approach, and this tends to run counter to the way the British University system in structured"
"In France, especially Gobelins, it's a highly structured environment where they have to do very specific skill development and they don;t even start making films until they've completely mastered the skills like lip sync...what I tend to see in the U.K is maybe a more experimental approach to animation, but doesn't have that tight focus on he technique tht really works best for us in our environment"
Also an interview with Gini an animator from Pixar caught my eye
"what’s your background?
For college, my parents sent me back to the Philippines to study. My dad was a banker and wanted me to take commerce. I told him no, that I had to be an artist. So we agreed on advertising, which I studied at the University of Santo Tomas. After graduating I went into advertising for about five years in Guam. It was great, because I was a big fish in a small pond. I was able to work with big clients, like Nestle, that I would never have been able to work with at my age here in the United States. After a while I burnt out and wanted to go back to school. There was a course in computer animation at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. For our thesis we had to make a short animated film and then send it out to the companies you wanted to work for. I sent mine to Blue Sky, Disney, Pixar and PDI. I actually got job offers from Blue Sky and PDI. Pixar was the last one to call me, but told me they couldn’t do the interview me for a whole month. I had to take a big leap of faith when PDI and Blue Sky said they didn’t know if they could wait that long. But I knew if was going to learn anything, it’d be at Pixar."
After reading these statements it got me thinking about the way I work and how the industry sees that. I didn't before think that the way I experiment or feel my way towards a practice that feel new exciting or just right, is due to the freedom a U.K. university structure brings. I feel that yes sometimes I don't have a specialised skill set within animation but then again I don't want to work in a big 'animation factory' style like Dreamworks.
I decided to look at this interview for Pixar after reading the article from Imagine and noticed that Gini hasn't come to Pixar straight from graduating and they liked her for targeting detail, famous in Pixars style of animation and something that I think is lacking in Dreamworks, loosing me as a viewer. You see I think that attention to detail, mannerisms, the way people talk, can't really be taught, it needs to be observed and if you dont observe it then your really not that interested in it.
I don't think the quality of U.K. animation deteriorates as a result of experimentation, after all would I still be making my own typography and trying to be aware of other mediums. Maybe a graphic design course with so much freedom is whats suited me, or maybe it just allows my ideas a little more creative freedom, fore thought and ultimately allows me to do what I enjoy.
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