Month: December 2024

This week, we learned about how to edit films and what elements should be considered.

Editing: editing is an important thing if the director wants to make the film work. The definition of the editing is: Primary means of building a chain of shots and scenes into a complete film.

I also learned that each edit ends one shot and begins another. In live-action films, this usually takes place after the film has been completed. In an orthodox, narrative animation editors usually work closely with the director and the story supervisor from the point where the storyboards are ostensibly complete.

What editing can achieve:

•To place one shot next to another

•To create a narrative progression

•To end a scene and begin another

•To provide additional detail (e.g. cut to a close-up)

•To indicate narrative effect (e.g. cut to a reaction shot)

•To provide the best possible view of action for the viewer at all times

•The moment of the edit is called the ‘shot transition’

Also, there are 3 golden rules when I try to edit a film:

•Editing should remain invisible to the eye, only the effect is to be experienced – the best cut is the one you do not see

•The storyteller should never let the audience get ahead of them – less is more

•The audience has to be a participant, not just a spectator

What I noticed most is how the Principles of Traditional Animation Applied to 3D Computer Animation.

Squash and Stretch – defining the rigidity and mass of an object by distorting its shape during an action
Timing and Motion – spacing actions to define the weight and size of objects and the personality of characters
Anticipation – the preparation for an action
Staging – presenting an idea so that it is unmistakably clear
Follow Through and Overlapping Action – the termination of an action and establishing its relationship to the next action
Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose Action – The two contrasting approaches to the creation of movement
Slow In and Out – the spacing of the in-between frames to achieve subtlety of timing and movement
Arcs – the visual path of action for natural movement
Exaggeration – Accentuating the essence of an idea via the design and the action
Secondary Action – the action of an object resulting from another action
Appeal – creating a design or an action that the audience enjoys watching
Personality in character animation is the goal of all of the above.

Mise-en-scène, a French term meaning “what is put into a scene” or “frame,” encompasses all the visual elements within a frame that work together to tell a story in animation and film. These components communicate critical information to the audience without the need for dialogue.

Settings & Props: Settings & Locations play an important part in the film and animation. When I decide to create a shot, I should build the settings from the beginning or I can find a place that already exists. I can manipulate the mood of the audience by building certain expectations and then taking a different turn.

Costume, Hair & Make Up: I learned that costume, hair, and makeup are used to convey a character’s personality, social status, or occupation instantly.

Facial Expressions & Body Language: I learned that facial expressions communicate emotions directly, while body language reveals relationships and underlying feelings.

Lighting and color: I learned that lighting and color profoundly affect a scene’s mood.

Positioning of Characters & Objects within the Frame: I learned that the placement of characters or objects in the frame directs the audience’s focus.

Lighting & Colour: I learned that these can be to achieve a variety of effects: To highlight important characters or objects within the frame. To make characters look mysterious by shading sections of the face & body. To reflect a character’s mental state/hidden emotions.

Depth-of-field: I learned that the distance of the lens focus.

Types of Shots: There are 4 types of shots: Long shot, medium shot, close-up, and extreme close-up.

Moving Shots: There are 3 types of moving shots:

1. Pan shot, which is the camera mounted on a non-moving base and films while pivoting on its axis along the line of the horizon from left to right to right to left.
2. Tilt shot, which is the camera can move up or down while fixed on its axis.
3. Traveling shot (dolly shot), which is the camera can move forward or backward while fixed on its axis.
4. Crane shot, which is the camera can move in and out and up and down while mounted on a mechanical crane.

Documentary animation combines factual storytelling and artistic expression, animation’s ability to visualize the unseen—emotions, memories, and abstract ideas—provides a unique way to present truths that traditional live-action documentaries cannot fully capture. documentary animation can address subjectivity and interpretation, enriching narratives that depend on personal or collective memory. Critics, however, question their validity, arguing that animation may distort factual accuracy. Yet, proponents counter that all documentaries involve creative choices, making animation as legitimate as live-action in conveying truth.

One exemplary animated work addressing social injustice is Persepolis (2007), directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. This autobiographical film portrays the life of a young girl during and after the Iranian Revolution, exploring themes of political oppression, identity, and gender inequality. Through stark, monochromatic visuals, it conveys the trauma of war and the resilience of women in patriarchal societies. Persepolis excels in its ability to universalize Satrapi’s deeply personal experiences, making them accessible to audiences worldwide. By using animation to represent complex socio-political issues, the film becomes a powerful tool for promoting empathy and awareness, demonstrating how animation can challenge societal norms and amplify marginalized voices.

In Week 4, we explored the concept of Politique Des Auteurs, widely known as Auteur Theory, which originated from the influential French film journal Cahiers du Cinéma. This theory grew from a belief that American cinema deserved serious academic attention, challenging the idea that only a select group of elite directors could produce cinematic masterpieces. Instead, it emphasized recognizing the work of many filmmakers who had been overlooked in traditional evaluations of film artistry.

Andrew Sarris

One key figure in shaping the Auteur Theory was Andrew Sarris. His 1962 essay, Notes on the Auteur Theory, clarified the concept of auteurship, especially in the face of skepticism from American screenwriters and other film collaborators of the 1950s and 60s.

Pauline Kael

Pauline argued that Auteur Theory often overvalued directors who relied on predictable or uninspired techniques. Kael critiqued the way auteurists, including Sarris, sometimes romanticized directors’ work as cohesive artistic statements, often overlooking the collaborative nature of filmmaking. Her sharp critique highlighted the limitations of viewing cinema solely through the lens of the director’s vision.

Modes of Auteurism

Moving beyond the traditional, romanticized view of the singular “artist,” modern auteurism recognizes the contributions of various creative forces in filmmaking. This broader perspective allows us to identify auteurs not just among directors but also within other roles, including screenwriters, producers, and even corporations or creative collectives. Such a shift modernizes auteur theory, acknowledging the diverse ways cinema is shaped.

Paul Wells

Paul Wells offered unique insights into auteurism within the context of animation. Unlike live-action films, animation presents a paradox: it often involves large-scale production processes similar to Hollywood, but it can also allow creators to work independently. This duality makes animation one of the most auteur-driven art forms. Even in collaborative animation projects, the personal vision and creative style of individual artists shine through, underscoring the medium’s capacity to emphasize the creator’s personal touch.