The above video is made to Allen Ginsberg's poem 'Howl.' I like the way it is not a literal depiction of the plot of the poem, but instead alludes to different elements of it and takes different key words in its verses as starting points for various tangents that the animated narrative runs along. I like also how it continuously ties back the visuals to the poem by showing the poet himself typing as the lyrics are being read aloud.
'French Roast' is an Academy Award nominated animated short by Fabrice Joubert of Pumpkin Factory. I enjoyed the very limited physical space that is shown in the short, and most of the action takes place just in a few metres-stretch of café. The narrative is very obvious without using any dialogue (apart from a few muttered phrases by the waiter.) I was able to identify the 'education plot' within the narrative of this story, because the main character forms a more positive outlook of the world by the end as he is moved by the old beggar man's gesture of kindness.
'La Luna' is another oscar nominated short, this time by Pixar. It is 3D animated, and beautifully detailed, almost like a piece of artwork. I particularly like the use of sound in this piece, from the score which features mainly melodic piano music, to the tinkling sound effects used for the stars when they are moved around, giving an impression of glass-like delicacy to them. Metamorphosis is seen in one point when a large star breaks apart into smaller stars.
This music video is accompanied by animation, which does not have a very clear storyline-based narrative but instead is slightly more abstract. It is hand drawn and features anthropomorphic animals on odd patterned backgrounds. The scenes look rather sparse and the actions of the characters are absurd and unnatural. Choreography is seen when the animals begin to dance in time to the music. I really like the idea of letting the music be the dominant feature of the animation and building the rest of the visuals around it. The illustrator is called Julia Pott.
'The Boy In The Bubble' is directed by Kealan O'Rourke for Igloo Films. It was produced in stereoscopic 3D to illustrate a narrative poem, read by Alan Rickman. I saw this at an animation shorts screening in 2012, and instantly fell in love with it. The very stylistic characters and the background painting make the scenes very beautiful, the fairy tale element of the plot is entertaining and sustains the audiences interest throughout the entire thing, and the music in combination with the vocal narrative adds an extra special element to the film that ensures it sticks with the viewer long after watching. The brief being based on a poem reminded me instantly of this poetic piece.
'Take Your Medicine' is a music video that employs a few different media and deals with a very adult subject matter in a deep and meaningful way. At the start of the video, the animation is made through stop motion photography, which soon transforms into a combination of CGI 3D and hand drawing. Strategically placed lighting and dark spaces are used to great effect, and give a very creepy, atmospheric feel to the piece. Both the character choreography and the camera movements correspond to the music and the lyrics. I again like the abstractness of music video animation in this case.
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