Scottish Experimental animation
Yesterday I had the pleasure to attend a screening of Scottish Experimental animation organised by the Glasgow Short Film Festival at the CCA. The full program for the event can be found here: link. While my work is definitely more aimed at a narrative approach, the visual and artistic way these animations were made was incredibly interesting.
One of the many things that stood out was the use of sound. While I am currently in the phase of animation where everything is still silent, the experimental animations I watched used their sound to guide the image. This was the case both for the modern animation as well as the older animations. This was something that was already flagged up by Jim as he stated that the use of the cinema is a good time to check how our sound is working in the space. The sounds used in the animations screened was mostly either just sound effects or electronic music. The use of electronic music does not appeal to me, but fit with the style of animation used in many of the films shown.
One of the standout parts of the programme (for me at least) was the use of two of Margaret Tait's short music animation. While her work has aged and looks it in comparison with the other parts of the programme, the use of colour and movement to the music are still something to aspire to. The transparency of the paint clearly shows the maker's hand, which I am very interested in. While the timing of her animation feels a bit fast at times, this is also a part of what makes her work, as it was created on the strip of celluloid film itself as opposed to being drawn and photographed (or being made on a computer, which did not yet exist at the time).
The use of the single colour backgrounds was also something that stood out. Most films either had a white or black background, with objects or characters moving over it. This use of a single colour background allowed the audience to concentrate solely on the action. However, as it dislocates the action from a real environment, it does not feel like an appropriate way for me to make animation in this instance. That being said, the use of a solid colour background is a good way to test out character movement and timing without interference. (And I am definitely planning on making some more experimental/abstract animation in the future.)
Overall the event really helped me understand what I want to achieve with my work and why certain ways of working suit certain styles of story (or non-story). The use of sound especially has really been hammered home to me. This will be something I will be working on especially for my next experiment.
One of the many things that stood out was the use of sound. While I am currently in the phase of animation where everything is still silent, the experimental animations I watched used their sound to guide the image. This was the case both for the modern animation as well as the older animations. This was something that was already flagged up by Jim as he stated that the use of the cinema is a good time to check how our sound is working in the space. The sounds used in the animations screened was mostly either just sound effects or electronic music. The use of electronic music does not appeal to me, but fit with the style of animation used in many of the films shown.
One of the standout parts of the programme (for me at least) was the use of two of Margaret Tait's short music animation. While her work has aged and looks it in comparison with the other parts of the programme, the use of colour and movement to the music are still something to aspire to. The transparency of the paint clearly shows the maker's hand, which I am very interested in. While the timing of her animation feels a bit fast at times, this is also a part of what makes her work, as it was created on the strip of celluloid film itself as opposed to being drawn and photographed (or being made on a computer, which did not yet exist at the time).
The use of the single colour backgrounds was also something that stood out. Most films either had a white or black background, with objects or characters moving over it. This use of a single colour background allowed the audience to concentrate solely on the action. However, as it dislocates the action from a real environment, it does not feel like an appropriate way for me to make animation in this instance. That being said, the use of a solid colour background is a good way to test out character movement and timing without interference. (And I am definitely planning on making some more experimental/abstract animation in the future.)
Overall the event really helped me understand what I want to achieve with my work and why certain ways of working suit certain styles of story (or non-story). The use of sound especially has really been hammered home to me. This will be something I will be working on especially for my next experiment.
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