Krtek


Zdenek Miler (Czech ) is the creator of Krtek, or "little mole" . I remember feeling very moved by a couple of Krtek books as a little nipper.
I think all of the animations were made at Krátk˘ film, Prague.
I'll look into Kratky films later.
.
.

Little Beasties

Class Chilopoda
Order Scutigerida
Comon name: House centipede

The beastie (pictured on the far left) was scuttling around the picture rail in my room on Friday night. It's movement was fluid and swift and it's overwhelming clatter of legs fueled me with adrenalin. I had a vision of it hurtling into my bed and scuttling up my nose or in my ears. After a few jousts with a large stick and a flick of a rolled up bit of paper ( a piece of my research paper infact) it was tossed out the window. It writhed and wriggled as it fell one story down and landed with a "paff" onto a big pile of leaves. Yich!!

Animation research paper news......Well I've managed to chop out 3000 words. Now I just need to chop out another 3000. :(

I spotted a tortoise today on my travels. Well it's nostrils atleast. They were just popping out above the water cruising along. At first I thought it was just a pair of nostrils out for a swim, it was such beautiful weather today. Then softly his little eyes appeared along with a hint of shell. I really wanted to see his excellent little legs paddling away but he dissappeared. So I continued on my merry way, though as I turned back I saw the nostrils re-emerge further away.


And so. An excerpt from my paper. Just for me to ponder. Often I find that I tend to refine thoughts in the process of blogging.
:::::::::::::::::::improv paper:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Willliam Kentridge explores components of his narrative utilizing his rich source of experience that includes a long history of working with the same methods and materials and content/theme/characters.
One suggestion of a technique is to include improvisation in the production stage of animation, and to adhere to thorough pre-production exercises, as Kentridge does. The outcome of the work may reflect the animator’s current level of skill and this is precisely the point that needs to be made, that the technique of improvisation needs to, and can be acknowledged and developed as a skill, along with the many other skills that are necessary to develop as an animator. As with the comparisons I have given, there are dancers, musicians and theatre actors whom have improvised from very early on in their career, however those who choose to continue to work with improvisation as a technique to include, or to perform within their craft, have developed a sophisticated language that involves a developed skill of an improvisation technique. One could say that their pre-production has included this development of such a language.



Sea Slug Forum

©
The Mole
.
.
.
.
.
Lots to write.
Words about Kentridge in particular.
His films "Fragments for George Melies", and version of Melies' "Journey to the Moon".


The talk at VCA on Thursday.
Will write more soon.
.
.
I found a book illustrated by Jiri Trinka today, with original lithographs in it.
hmmm.

anima


Roley Poley
by the London Stereoscopic Company©
The Anima site is so fantastic. Worth spending many hours reading and watching. I suggest the Optical toys section.


At the other end of my excitement is disgruntlement. I have to pare down my research paper.
Ptthp.

Three Blind Mice (E.)
by the London Stereoscopic Company - 1870©
Both images from/for a Zoetrope, invented by William Horner (1786-1837)
:(
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z

old bits of art


I found some old stuff from an exhibition in 96(?). Brown paper, ships and Morris the cow. Hmm. Nothings changed much.

Improvisation

William Kentridge


Casspirs Full of Love


.
.
.
.

I am talking about different forms of engagement within the practice of the creative arts.
Improvisation is an exercised technique utilized and valued in many other creative mediums. On the basis of the case studies that I have been invesigating I have gathered examples that define improvisation as a valuable technique that can be utilized and practiced in the medium of animation. If one were to echo the techniques of the Playback Theatre or of the dancer Twyla Tharp to an animated production then this would position the improvisation technique into the highly structured process of animation. When animating, the creation of improvised drawings is not nearly as fast as moving one’s body around spontaneously or feeling and expressing an idea in the moment. However, if the animator using the straight ahead 2D technique has set up pre-production in such a way to allow for a sense of flow during their drawing process, (I argue) that this animator can improvise a) the movement of the subject, and/or b) the narrative.

I keep coming back to Kentridge, not because he proclaims to improvise, or because the narrative in his animation is solely improvised, but because his methods and animation process allows for improvisation. The content informs the process and the process informs the content. He resolves ideas in the moment through the process of animation.

"The drawings done for filming generally have to be done quickly. Speed in the drawing. Confidence of work…if not unconsciously, intuitively through the body, through the movement s of an arm.."
Kentridge from “Drawing the Passing Process", a documentary on the work of William Kentridge”.
.
.

Some other animators who have utilized improvisation (in many different ways)
Norman McLaren
Steven Woloshen
Bruce Bickford
Florence Miaihle
Caroline Leaf
Len Lye
Bill Plympton
Marv Newland
..

.
.
Improvisation in animation is not extensively written about. In documentation that pertains to the commercial animation industry the process is often acknowledged as a risk to valuable production time and risky in the sense of creating animation that is visually inconsistent. Documentation that investigates; history, aesthetics, small production houses and artists as animators, provides an acknowledgement and sense of value for improvised techniques.
As is the case with researching other creative arts practice, the question of “why do it?” is not the core reason behind the investigation. It is more a question of providing definitions of techniques that can be structured into the production process. Defining improvisation via the means of a comparative analysis houses these definitions within the frame of value.


.
hmm
The act of creation contains improvisation. I'm trying to define it as a technique so as to structure it into the maticulously planned medium of animation.

.
Definition of improvisation by director Frederico Fellini

"Improvisation is a mirage which tricks anyone who
does not know the technique needed in all creative work. Such a person thinks of inspiration as a kind of miracle, a hypnotic state that somehow settles all material problems. We aught to get rid of this legend of the inspired artist, living quite outside the world. The artist is responsible for what he does. He must use his own clear-sightedness to make something vigorous which respects the logic of the characters, the dynamic form of the film, and its technical demands. Improvisation becomes merely a certain form of sensitivity to the demands of the particular moment; for instance, when its a case of altering something at the last minute. In other words, it is concerned only with detail. The complete work must be carried out with mathematical precision."
Frederico Fellini, Fellini on Fellini, 1976, Eyre
Methuen Ltd. page 103
.
.
I think Fellini is defining what Csikszentmihalyi calls 'flow'.
Csikszentmihalyi ‘s theory of 'flow' July 25 blog
'Flow' is contained within the process of improvisation, improvisation is contained within the process of creativity. The shin bone is connected to the knee bone.
.

.
.
Now hear the word of the Lord.