Screen Project 2: Research on animated short films

After the trial pitch, I was advised to conduct additional research on animated short films. I also got some great YouTube channel recommendations from Axel. My primary research interest lies in 2D animation because it is what inspired me to explore animation in the first place. Moreover, I found traditional animation more visually appealing than CGI animation, and it is more realistic for newbies to begin with 2D animation.
I’d like to learn about different art styles as well as methods for effectively communicating ideas with animation from other animated short films. The information gathered will be beneficial for the storyboarding/sketching and animating stages.

Visuals
I looked at some films made for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to find visual references. I really like the drawing style and colors of LE RETOUR DES VAGUES. The creators used several colors for outlining to create unique contrasts between the characters and the backgrounds. The color palette is consistent, thus the scenes are connected and harmonized despite the various background transitions. Similar to the film, I will have a primary color palette for my Sang Thu (Autumn Arrives) animated video. I think signs of autumn can be magnified with warm tones.

I love the style of UN DIABLE DANS LA POCHE. The images have a grainy and chalky texture with a heavy focus on the color gradient and occasional use of dark strokes. When combined, the art style seems soft and simple but the visual impact is unquestionably strong. The color choices are brilliant as they reflect the development of the characters’ thoughts and emotions. This film inspires me to test out the chalk brush for my video.

In LE PARC, the setting of the park and the eye-level angle remain the same, whilst smaller scenes appear in the corners. Thus, the audience can observe the characters and objects from diverse angles. Furthermore, I like how all foreground, middleground, and background are drawn to add a sense of space and depth. In my video, I would like to make the background appear more lively as well, perhaps by adding motions to the background objects where it makes sense. The clean line art shown in this video is an example of a drawing style I want to avoid because it resembles vector-based images.

In Between and Floating In My Mind are another 2 animated short films that have very interesting and refreshing ideas and characteristics. To clarify, I am not attempting to mimic the drawing style of any of the films mentioned but rather use them as inspiration. I believe that animated pieces, whether short or long, are very hard to imitate because they are engraved with the unique aesthetic of the director/artist.

Audio
I first intended to use only sound effects and write the poem in the subtitles. After watching the films mentioned, there are some changes I would like to make. I discerned that many of them have both sound effects and a consistent melody in the background. The melody helps tie the elements of the film together, thus generate a certain atmosphere. Thus, I now aim to include BGM because it could contribute to the depiction of autumn. I will pay attention to the synthesis of BGM and sound effects to ensure they blend well.

References
GOBELINS 2021, Le parc – annecy festival 2021, YouTube, 19 June, GOBELINS, viewed 13 Sep 2021, <https://youtu.be/IXo58MojuKI>.
GOBELINS 2013, Floating in my mind – animation short film 2013 – gobelins, YouTube, 4 Sep, GOBELINS, viewed 13 Sep 2021, <https://youtu.be/IXo58MojuKI>.
GOBELINS 2012, In between – animation short film 2012 – gobelins, YouTube, 4 Sep, GOBELINS, viewed 13 Sep 2021, <https://youtu.be/IXo58MojuKI>.
GOBELINS 2020, Un diable dans la poche – 2019 animation short film, YouTube, 11 September, GOBELINS, viewed 13 Sep 2021, <https://youtu.be/IXo58MojuKI>.
GOBELINS 2020, Le retour des vagues – animation short film 2020, YouTube, 8 October, GOBELINS, viewed 13 Sep 2021, <https://youtu.be/IXo58MojuKI>.