Chion Reading

The correlation of image and sound.

Wells Reading

The range of animation is so broad it can be hard to classify. This article attempted to break down and describe dimensions between two varying extremes in animation practice. One extreme was the "hyper-realist", typical of Disney animation, the other being the "non-objective", as in an Oskar Fischinger or Jordan Belson animation. Wells also describes the terms and conditions of each camp of animation. Their differences are very much similar to the distinctions between a live-action Hollywood and experimental films. One reaches to maximize the narrative clarity and the other disregards it for freedom. Developmental animation is used to describe any animation that utilizes elements from each of the extreme forms of animation. In the Hyper-realist and what Wells describes as orthodox animation the stimuli of the animation has specific intended relations to real world objects. What he calls configuration. Like Daffy being a duck, or the sound of Bugs bunny chomping on a carrot. All are predetermined to be indicative of real world images or sounds, although the capabilities of the characters and objects can sometimes to extremely unrealistic. Above all, narrative is what is intended to elicit emotional responses. In the non-objective and experimental form there is no intended correlations to the outer-world. Instead abstract images and sometimes sounds, or music, are intended to elicit emotion. Lines, shapes, colors, rhythm, movement all become determining factors in what makes the drama of the animation. The orthodox animation has a team of people working on each film which leaves the role of the artist out for the experimentalists to pick up. The assembly method of the orthodox animation requires a unity of style between the various portions of the project to generate an overall complete piece. The experimental tries to use multiple styles which is more capable of a single artist. While the experimental film often draws attention to the colors, shapes, and textures used to make the film, the orthodox animation tries to mask these things in attempt to maximize its narrative content. What it boils down to is that the orthodox form constricts itself to narrative clarity and serves that purpose as well as profit the best that it can. The experimental strives for total freedom in exercise of artistic inclinations.

Cameraless Filmmaking Experience Thus Far

This has been the funnest class I think I've taken in college. It's been kind of like arts and crafts. I mean I was literally fingerpainting the film in class last week. Not that I wasn't expecting direct film manipulation to be an intricate process I am finding it a little taxing. It takes some intense concentration to make deliberate alteration to the 16mm frames. It's hard to tell what this film is going to look like exactly when it gets projected, but I'm excited in anticipation for when that day comes. I constructed something at home that would allow me to view single frames. Its basically a light inside a box with a frame sized square cut into it and a picture frame glass on top of it. This has helped me the most with the analyzing and manipulating the print film stock and will likely come in handy with the rayograms once it has developed. The magazine transfer class was my favorite workshop. I found this article on Willie nelson that I used to make my transfers. There was a picture of a wall that had all of Willie's albums on it and they were the perfect size for the frames. I chopped them all up and threw them on the tape to transfer thinking that it would turn out to be a nice little montage of Willie Nelson memorabilia. It didn't even come across. I think I might have seen a subliminal blip of Willie nelson's face. That experience showed me just how quickly the frames are going to go by and is a good lesson to learn before moving to my animation and the rest of this project. I had never used film for any projects before this, so I feel like this is an very valuable experience for me. I also think that this may be the best way for me to learn about the material of film. In the future, whenever I shoot and develop film I feel like I will be more confident in myself.