When does the realism of the physical world have more power than in the fantastical freedom of the animated world?
On a general level, the power of realism versus fantastical freedom in the physical and animated worlds depends on the context and purpose of the creation. In documentary filmmaking or scientific visualisations, the accuracy and authenticity of the physical world are of utmost importance. On the other hand, in the context of storytelling, animation can offer a level of fantastical freedom that the physical world cannot. Animation allows for worlds and characters free from the laws of physics, which can help to convey abstract concepts or explore imaginative scenarios. For instance, I think the film “Face It” created a strong tie to reality because of its visual and aural presentation of information. It is significant to consider how our perceptual experiences during film viewing are very much like our ordinary perceptual experiences, realism centres on its ability to comment on or express thoughts about reality.
In Facing It, a young man of perhaps college age named Shaun grapples with the feeling of being trapped in the cage of his own mind, helpless to escape it. The viewer is given access to Shaun’s eyes and ears. His sensory perspective is dreamlike: imaginative, yet brushing up against a recognisable reality. In this case, I think the animated quality helped to better express reality. Ultimately, the choice between realism and fantastical freedom depends on the goals and the expectations. In some cases, a realistic portrayal of the physical world is necessary for the work’s success, while in others, animation and the freedom it affords can be more powerful.
What do you think is added to the story to have this duality?
I think the main aspects that added to the story to have this duality are the use of clay and the theme of “visualising the anxiety and melancholy of oneself”. Specifically, following the trajectory of Shaun’s thoughts, the film floats back in time between the past and the present – the two are indelibly interconnected. In the present, his face is a vision of blue melancholy, melting and dripping as he makes panicked attempts to converse at a pub. I can see these emotions at play, personified with limbs that appear out of nowhere, stifling his efforts to socialise. Hands push and pull at his face, pluck out his eyes, and cover his mouth mid-conversation; a foot kicks a glass out of his hand. Flashbacks reveal how he has become the embodiment of his past relationships with his parents. To make Shaun’s raw emotions vivid and visceral, Sam Gainsborough combined claymation, pixelation, and live-action. Through handmade indentations and growths on the clay face, he inverts Shaun’s inner stress response, rendering it ever-present and tactile. And by integrating live-action human bodies and settings, he grounds Shaun’s experience in intertwined physical and emotional spaces, building an uneasy mood I find all too relatable as an individual who is also constantly experiencing anxiety. By providing a window into Shaun’s internal world, Gainsborough highlights how our emotions and experiences are more complicated and tethered to our past, present, and imagined future.
Would it have the same effect if it was completely animated or shot completely as live action?
I think the story works best through this technique specifically because it’s about how our own perceptions of people change depending on how we feel about them and how we feel about the real world. The film is set in reality but it’s all about how the main character feels about everyone else, and as such the animation technique augments reality through his eyes to relay how he emotionally interacts with the world. This visible layer of reality is an important part of the story that would be lost if the entire film was stop-motion. The protagonist feels that his parents are these emotionless rock-like characters so they’re animated to look like gargoyles. Whereas he sees everyone else in the world as being effortlessly happy so they’re animated fluidly with lots of colours. But at the end of the day the feelings he has are false, what lies underneath that is reality. This visible layer of reality is an important part of the story that would be lost if the entire film was a stop-motion animation. The work reminds me of magical realism, the world grounded in the real world, but fantastical elements are considered normal in this world. A mixed-media stop-motion/live-action hybrid looking at how relationships mold us as people, it’s one of the most exciting shorts I’ve seen, the main character would be seen to bottle up their emotions rather than living true to themselves. The film celebrates everyone’s flaws and internal struggles.
At the beginning of this video, the director gives a two-sentence description of his film (approx 00:18). Having seen the animation, what do you think about his description? Is it accurate? If not, how would you describe it?
After seeing the animation, I think the description is absolutely accurate, both in the sense of the media compositions and the central themes. I could catch several uses of symbolism and metaphors, such as the hand that constantly interrupt the protagonist, the use of cold tone colour palettes, the blue implies melancholy, and the black hand standing for the past, all help to convey that we are the one who can control our own lives, if we choose to stick in the past, the on the body can pull us out from it. Hence, I might expand on what the creator said “How it makes us who we are.” We could dominate the choice of being whoever we want to be. Instead, I will re-describe the film as “Facing It”, a short animated film that explores the complex emotions of a young man as he confronts his inner demons. Through vivid and surreal visuals, the film offers a poignant commentary on themes of anxiety, self-doubt, and the struggle to find oneself in a world that can be both overwhelming and isolating.
How would you describe your final project film in two sentences?
Since I did not have anything completely decided and set for my final, I would base it on the ideas I have at this moment. My description would be: My final project (replaced with the actual name) is a digital stop-motion animation that visually experiments with the anxiety people encounter due to social expectations and mental constraints.
Aim: The purpose of my final project is to visually communicate struggles engagingly, and encourage individuals to fight against the pessimistic attitude and learn to enjoy the simple beauty of life
Look at the credits to see how many people it took to create this film. Knowing yourself, your workload, your schedule, and your technical capabilities, what can you realistically achieve? What can you sacrifice to create what you want? For instance, if you make something visually complex, aim for a shorter duration.
I am confident with my time management skills with roughly a month to work on the project. If I evenly separated it into working hours that applied to each day, I should have a good amount of time to create something with complete illustration and well-considered content. Since I tend to spend more time refining the details of each frame, I would say a shorter duration but more detailed illustration sounds like a better plan. Using the sound project as a perimeter, if I can accomplish 53 frames in 2 weeks, I would try to make a one-minute animation minimum with full colour. Although the sound project works out well with black and white, I think the colour is what gives the vibe to a piece, especially in this mechanical era. Among these, I need to consider the technique issue I might encounter with the Adobe software. I had export problems in both After Effects and premiere pro with the sound project. Bearing these uncertainties in mind, I could finish the content at least three days before the deadline and allow enough time for exporting and editing.
What do you hope to understand or learn from this process?
I hope to learn to work with free-flowing inspirations. The process of creating an animation can help develop my creativity and ability to tell stories visually, it requires me to follow the plot and ensure I did not go off-topic throughout. I wanted to learn to work with freedom while having control of what is essential to tell the story. Second, I hope to develop my technical skill, I need to improve my knowledge of digital animation software, and sound design. Collaboration is my weakest point perhaps, in real life, animations often involve a team of people working together, including animators, storyboard artists, sound designers, and voice actors. Collaborating with others on a project can help develop communication and teamwork skills. Although this is not a part of the final project, I still need to cooperate with apps and people to record the sound and form the visual. Especially if I decided to use live actions.
What do you want the purpose of your project to be?
Below are my desired purposes
Communication and expression: visualise abstract concepts that are difficult to convey through words or static images. Express emotions in a more powerful and evocative way than words alone. I hope it creates a memorable experience for the audience, leaving a lasting impression that can help to reinforce the message being communicated. Education: I hope my short film can explain complex concepts or demonstrate scientific principles in an easily understandable way. Another purpose for animation is entertainment. Animation mostly occupies children, as it gives them something to laugh about and keeps them entertained. I have a family background of working with kids in early education, hence, I really aimed to create a Disney-style animation that could bring joy and at the same time convey a life lesson to kids. Overall, animations can be a powerful tool for communication, allowing information to be conveyed in a way that is both visually appealing and easy to understand.
The form (style and technique) used in the film “Facing It” is integral to its content (the telling of the story). How could you use a particular style or technique to help tell your story?
I have considered several methods that I would possibly apply to the final project. First, hand-drawn animation; the hand-drawn quality cam helps me to create a nostalgic or traditional feel, have a sense of warmth and familiarity and convey a sense of wonder and magic. Second, stop-motion animation with paper puppets and dragon frames. I can create a unique and quirky style, and have a handmade, tactile feel that can convey a sense of intimacy or personal connection. Third, cut-out animation: This technique involves creating characters and backgrounds out of paper or other materials and can be used to create a stylised or whimsical feel. It has this sense of fun and playfulness and can be used to convey a lighthearted or comedic story. A material hybrid just like the example short clip is also what I would consider, the combination between live action and puppet would have this chemical of reality and fantasy.
After answering the questions above. Come up with an elevator pitch for your final project. Take a look at the Final Project Milestones. Pitch an idea that is feasible to produce within the time constraints.
Imagine a world where expectations and anxieties become vines and creatures that parasites in most of the human race. The human hosts can’t make a single sound because they are trapped in their anxieties. My script ‘Tangled’ is a multi-media stop motion and digital illustration hybrid that tells the story of a future world where people were constricted by the pressure of daily survival and failed to feel the simple beauty of life. The short film is imaginary, poetic and surrealism, it collaborates symbolism and metaphors to visualise the psychological struggles that people deal with constantly.”Tangled”, is a heartwarming tale following a little creature’s adventure to deal with anxieties. This film will take the audience on a journey of love, interaction, and determination. Through the eyes of the protagonist, audiences of all ages will be reminded of the importance of confidence and trust in oneself and the bonds that connect us. Join me on this unforgettable journey and remember that one is perfect.
Below are some rough sketches of my character designs.
