Saturday, February 26, 2011

Essay research

Essay

Critical analysis of the relationship between the story and structure in the Triplettes de Belleville animation by Sylvain Chomet.

Brief: You should consider camera movement, editing and order of scenes.

  1. The logistics of animation.
    • Frame by frame creation implies more control on the subject matter, as well as on the choice of camera shot.
    • Editing is made in a similar fashion to that of film, yet it can be done earlier and allows easier modification of the story line.
  2. Editing in animation.
    • Shots can be changed if the camera angle does not work in the first place.
  3. Time frame in the movie.
    • Time is linear, the characters actions stay on the same level and follow through. The time though does change, as is exemplified in the marine chase, where the Grand-Mother follows the big ship across the ocean. The time of the day changes, yet her course of action stays the same.
  4. One character structure analysis.
    • The film follows one character which therefore tends to give us a mono-pov. Though it is not as extreme as to forbid the viewer from sometimes joining in on other characters mostly the villains later on in the film.
  5. The circular structure of the story explains the character.
    • The story begins with a back shot of the Grand-Mother and her grand-son watching t.v. The child is young, and this scene is mirrored at the end when he is an old man, his Grand-Mother gone. He still talks to her, which is also the first time he talks in the whole film.
  6. Use of stylised flashback to set and explain characters which only appear later on in the story.
    • The introductory scene of the film shows a stylised sepia shot of a past show. There we are introduced to the main secondary characters, the Triplettes themselves. The use of a different style gives a direct connotation to the story, one of past events.
  7. Camera movements in animation.
    • Camera movements in animation are more exaggerated and can be taken to locations a real camera would not be able to attend.
  8. Importance of shot design to explain and exaggerate the size exaggeration present throughout the film.
    • The Triplettes de Belleville relies strongly on the caricaturisation of characters. In that sense it used camera shots that always emphasize this. Whether it is used to show extreme size difference, or posture differences, the camera always goes with the exaggeration rather than with it.
  9. I will use some “unofficial” rules laid down by some of the animation Masters, as recorded by Richard Williams in his survival kit for animators. Their he explains some of the benefits of animation over live action, and some of the camera rules that differentiate it from live films.
  10. Set in stones animation. How was the animation limited by the fact that it is an animation? How much of it was done then regretted if any? This is where some research will have to be done.

1 comment:

Ryan Leitao said...

Hey Paul,

Contact: Ryan @ Freeflowart . com

I will be in tomorrow for the presentation. I'm leaving now for uni, it'll take me a few hours to get in. Should be there approx 16:30.

Ryan