Summary
A Documentary film about a live experience of the tsunami that took place in Sri Lanka which affected the lives of many, using an interview of a father who survived Tsunami but was unfortunate to lose his loved one on Boxing Day 2004. The animation is a combination of 2D and 3D.
A is for Autism by Tim Webb
A is for Autism by Tim Webb is a 2D hand drawn animation with limited use of live action to suit purpose. The narration of a kid or an autistic narrator gives the feel of someone young talking. The hand drawn animation bonds well to that allowing the audience to treat the interviewee more friendly and understand their lifestyle as kid mind or growing mind. The mode used is performative where base views are shared between the interviewee and filmmaker. The filmmaker aims to let the audience understand the lifestyle of being autistic and sheds light on the types of autism and how it feels as many are not aware. The screenplay is solid and natural just like the narration. The simplicity makes the audience stay focused on the core subject portrayed. I like the way the topic is carried, the depth of seriousness is diluted to make the audience acknowledge more than to sympathize. I would use more natural narration than to have voice actors as this animation clearly shows the impact of originality and emotion through someone who can relate to the subject of matter.
Silence by Sylvie Bringas and Orly Yadin
Silence by Sylvie Bringas and Orly Yadin uses 2D animation with a mix of live-action footages. The animation tends to look vintage intentionally in line with the traditionally hand drawn animation which is very impactful in keeping the subject old and historical as the story revolves around having to stay silent for someone who has experienced the holocaust. This is effective because the viewer gets a better atmosphere and suitable environment than having a cartoon with colours giving a more positive or less emotional approach. Many old footages are placed with suitable music that adds towards clean screenplay and interest level. I believe this animation carries the mode reflexive and expository. Throughout the film, the animation stays loyal to the voice of interviewee and we get an imagery of the narrator’s content solely through use of live action footage and metaphoric meanings. It is a biographical animation showcasing a memory or say in behalf of the interviewee which means it’s one sided and does not necessarily mean its true, its showing us what to believe than to acknowledge. I would borrow the style of editing. The screenplay is very clean for a short film that shows a lot in a few minutes. I like the idea of adding 2D animation over live footage as it feels pretty unique to watch with that specific music choice, I would like to experiment live footage mixed with 2D to suit content.
Island of Flowers by Jorge Furtado
Island of Flowers by Jorge Furtado is a documentary which uses live action to carry the film, the film relies on rapid slick editing intentionally to create a rapid screenplay that will keep the audience tied to the rhythm. A lot is covered within a short video without confusion. The mode ‘Island of Flowers’ use is expository. The filmmaker hides his intention through out the film till the end. The film is not predicable in any way till the end where we find that the film talks about greed and how some people are living harsh lives which we or most wont acknowledge because our lifestyles define ‘freedom’ differently. We as the viewers get a footage to believe with solid narration with great sarcasm and humor which could manipulate the whole intention of the actual footage. We get driven to one angle of the picture due to the rapid screenplay, narration and engagement power. I would most definitely borrow the rapid screenplay as my subject is Tsunami and that’s a terrifying topic that may need rapid screenplay. The sense of humor is a bonus for this film as it definitely brings the audience’s attention and does give the final message with an impact.
Ping Pongs – George Gendi
The short animated documentary called ‘Ping Pongs’ is animated in 2D at its most simple form which I think its pleasing to the eye and best for its screenplay. The simplicity is what attracted me. Firstly, I would like to mention that the music itself plays a big role in line with the animation as it helps screenplay to large scale where the audience can stay very engaged and feel the empathy of the characters or interviewee. The animated short is very touching and impactful to the viewers. The simplicity itself is the main highlight in my opinion, the lack of details and colours almost make you feel that the need for details will truly distract you away from the message which interesting under this context. The low level of motion or emotion on the face somewhat still manage you to stay focused due to the smart screenplay. Either the microphone was just not good quality or the background noise was put intentionally, the mix of music and background noise feels natural but can be a little distracting especially when you play it out loud. The use of white mainly, allows us as the viewers to explore beyond what is shown through our imaginations rather than being fed a certain look of film. I would most definitely love to use simple look in a lot of my documentary because they can sometimes be more impactful and effective than the details.
Early Birds – Suky Best
Early Birds-
Early Birds is my first choice to analyse produced by Sulky Best. This film is about person waking up early because of the disruption their parents make playing out load music. The bests tweeting represents the stage of the day being the crack of dawn emphasizing on how the sound of birds chirping “the dawn chorus” makes you feel warmth and happy almost like rejoicing a new day. The visuals and audio are aesthetically pleasing makings a realistic feel of recreating an early morning experience for the audience. The film underlines on the importance of birds and appreciates its nature and the impact it brings to our daily lives. The film is very expressive and gives stress to the emotion and link between humans and birds as the film pauses between every speech and gives time to listen to the birds bringing a sense of tension and stress of every sentence said allowing the audiences to physically feel the connection. I chose to evaluate this film as the tine and speech was refreshing and connects the audience, in addition I like the visual impact it gives with its simplistic approach of silhouette and block colours with its transition from dark coloured backgrounds to light toned colours symbolically illustrating the dark early morning skies dawning into early morning sunrise.
Storytelling
My Visit to Kensington Gardens
Having a massive ‘Lord Shiva Statue’ in my film is one of the high factors that show the density of the tsunami, I was wondering how a big gold statue would look so I searched up places with big statues in gold, preferably in london.
British Museum
Naga, (Sanskrit: “serpent”) in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, a member of a class of mythical semidivine beings, half human and half cobra. They are a strong, handsome species who can assume either wholly human or wholly serpentine form and are potentially dangerous but often beneficial to humans.
Naga symbolize the nether realm of earth or underworld.
My film shows how a naga snake can represent its definition.. underworld.
Where the protagonist will seek the naga.
Contextual Research
Context:
Hinduism dance with water?
In the Hindu Puranas, Varuna is the god of oceans, his vehicle is a Makara (part fish, part land creature) and his weapon is a Pasha (noose, rope loop). He is the guardian deity of the western direction. … Varuna is found in Japanese Buddhist mythology as Suiten. -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varuna
What is Apsara in India?Apsara is the oldest of India’s research reactors. … Apsara is a light water swimming pool-type reactor with a maximum power output of one megawatt thermal (MWt). The reactor burns enriched uranium in the form of aluminum alloyed curved plates. –
An apsara, also spelled as apsaras by the Oxford Dictionary (respective plurals apsaras and apsarases), is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist culture. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apsara
7th century, Apsara dancing stems from Cambodia’s Hindu and Buddhist mythology.
What Is Apsara Dancing?
Since the spirits are meant to entrap mortals with their beauty, the dance moves reflect this idea and include slow-paced, mesmerising moves that hypnotize audiences.
The main traits of the dance are the hand gestures, and more than 1,500 exist. Each movement of the fingers has its own distinct meaning, from worshiping the spirits of nature by depicting a flower in bloom to referencing one of the hundreds of Buddhist and Hindu legends.
In Hindu and Buddhist mythology you will often hear about a female spirit (a nymph-like creature), known as an Apsara that rules the clouds and waters. – https://www.enchantingtravels.com/travel-blog/traditions-apsara-dance-classes-cambodia/
Maaveerar Naal (Great Heroes’ Day; Tamil: மாவீரர் நாள் Māvīrar Nāḷ) is a remembrance day observed by Sri Lankan Tamils to remember the deaths of militants who fought for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).[1] It is held each year on 27 November, the date on which the first LTTE cadre, Lt. Shankar (Sathiyanathan alias Suresh), is said to have died in combat in 1982.[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koneswaram_Temple
Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee (Tamil: திருகோணமலை கோணேச்சரம் கோயில்) or Thirukonamalai Konesar Temple – The Temple of the Thousand Pillars and Dakshina-Then Kailasam is a modern classical-medieval style Hindu temple complex in Trincomalee, a Hindu religious pilgrimage centre in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka sits on the site of historic Gokanna Buddhist temple. The most sacred of the Pancha Ishwarams of Sri Lanka, a promontory overlooking Trincomalee District, Gokarna bay and the Indian Ocean. Connected at the mouth of the Mahavilli Ganga River to the footprint of Shiva at Adam’s_Peak at the river’s source.
white cobra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C4%81ga
In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, the nāga (IAST: nāga; Devanāgarī: नाग) or Nagi (f. of nāga; IAST: nāgī; Devanāgarī: नागी)[1] are divine, semi-divine deities, or a semi-divine race of half-human half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala) and can occasionally take human form. They are principally depicted in three forms: wholly human with snakes on the heads and necks; common serpents, or as half-human half-snake beings.[2] A female naga is a “nagi”, “nagin”, or “nagini”. Nagaraja is seen as the king of nāgas and nāginis.[3] They are common and hold cultural significance in the mythological traditions of many South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures.
https://thediplomat.com/2019/05/a-decade-without-justice-for-sri-lankas-tamils/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tamil_Genocide_by_Sri_Lanka
People of war-ravaged Jaffna hit hard by tsunami
By Thirugnanam Sambanthan and Rajendran Sudarshan
10 January 2005
The tsunami that shattered the coastal regions of Sri Lanka played havoc in the northern parts of the Jaffna peninsula. According to statistics from the country’s Disaster Management Centre, 2,640 people were killed, with another 540 missing, while 541 were injured. Nearly 50,000 displaced people have been accommodated in 32 camps in the peninsula. Another 150,000 are reportedly sheltering in the homes of relatives and friends.
The tidal wave destroyed a coastal belt about 18 km wide in Vadamarachchi (the northern Jaffna peninsula), including Velvettithurai and Point Pedro, about 420 km from Colombo, a region already devastated by the country’s 20-year civil war. Throughout the area, hundreds of small farming villages depend on fishing for daily subsistence. During the war, villagers went through immense hardships, as they had to flee the fighting several times and resettle years later. They also faced fishing bans imposed by the Sri Lankan navy as part of the war measures, and still have to obtain passes to go to sea.
Now Vadamarachchi, which is the northernmost tip of the island, has been declared a “high security zone” by the military forces, with access restricted to the public. Checkpoints have been erected almost every 100 metres. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) control a smaller part of Vadamarachchi East.
haranworks 