Core 4D Seminar: Lecture 3 Response

I really appreciated all the various examples that were shown during this lecture on projection mapping and virtual reality. The one that intrigued me the most was Glen Keane’s dimensional drawing of Ariel. I have always loved Glen Keane’s animations and drawings. His work was mainly 2D and used traditional mediums so it was really interesting to see such an icon using newer technology in the animation world. It blew my mind seeing simple lines taking up three dimensional space and it confused me because how did they calculate how much space each drawing or line would take up. It’s just incredible to compare the traditional pencil animation cells of Ariel to these virtually 3d sketches of the same character. It really shows how much technology and animation has evolved over time. But it also makes me nostalgic for the traditional ways that seem to be forgotten or abandoned with the new qualities digital art making brings.

I also loved the subway creatures projections of the tiny guys on concrete walls. It was very integrative and was utilizing the spaces available to create art. I would be interested in using found surroundings or objects to animate rather than create more and add to the “stuff” that takes up physical space on earth.

I found that the juxtaposition of really footage and digital layering was something I would love to experiment with in the future. It reminded me of the film Facing It that I watched for this class. The two different “worlds” give aspects that the others could not, enhancing the experience and creating such a visually compelling image. I love the idea that the contrast can add so much to a story and would definitely love to focus on what can be emphasized in real footage and how to show it through digital additions.

Overall the lecture was really thought provoking, as it made me wonder how much more can animation evolve. What will the next decade bring and will it be a positive change or not? The way that a lot of animation is being created digitally can be considered good for the environment as it creates less physical waste (papers, pencil, materials), but does that take away from the human feel? I really value the way that animation was very “human”, it wasn’t all perfect and had character, and was distinctly different from reality, but with new technology will that completely vanish? It would be a shame to lose that aspect of it.

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