in animation, there are often themes that inhabit that said animation. Today I’m looking for films that each represent The Indexical, The Hand, and the Illusion
The Indexical
I chose to feature a film that features everyone in the world. it can do that by choosing to represent an emotion we have all felt. the loneliness of being alive. It is called Impetus by William Landergreen, and it is hauntingly beautiful through its message and sound. it is indexical because it mentions the whole and features the one simultaneously. it both features all of us and none of us because it is all CGI, but the human emotion it shares makes us all actors in Impetus.
The Hand
The hand is the tool of an artist. When we are allowed to see it, it can bring a new sense of beauty to a piece. I chose the Running dude, which is a short test of new Grease Pencil abilities in Blender. The Running Dude is by Łukasz Rusinek and features his process in making it, allowing us a glimpse into the hand of the artist.
The Illusion
Norilska is a short animated film made by Oliver Ward in Unreal Engine. its brooding world and radio warnings fall on deaf ears while a captain forges forward through this waste land. While it lacks any character animation it makes up for it with its cinematic and atmospheric vibe. what makes it an illusion is how real this film looks, one could assume this is real-life footage not generated and rendered by a computer—that’s where the illusion comes in, blurring the line between the real and the real looking.
“we both know there is no other way, it will be too late” – Norilska