Tag: assignment

Music & Animation

September 18, 2024 / Romie

(And the Animated Music Video that Changed the Trajectory of my Life)

FREAK OF THE WEEK

Freak of the Week by Freak Kitchen is a rock song (according to google- please don’t kill me for messing up the sub-genres of rock and metal and all those sub cultures-!! Nothing but respect to them!!) released in 2014. The music video coming out not quite a year after the song’s release. It combines 3D backgrounds and staging with rotoscoping to give it it’s rough lines but volumetrically and visually pleasing look. Their goal was to create something that looked ‘rough’ and ‘absolutely retro’ and to me? They definitely achieved that.

Directed by Juanjo Guarnido, this (roughly) 4 and 1/2 animated music video is visually stunning. Personally I have never seen anything like it before, and admittedly have not seen much like it since. From the visually appealing character designs (all based off of the band members) to the over-the-top, almost whimsical rock aesthetic and feeling, to the animation itself it is absolutely breathtaking. This can partly be in thanks to Julien Rossire, the art director, who when asked in an interview about the production, said:

“When he [Juanjo Guarnido] told me his story, or rather- his idea, I was instantly taken by it.”
Julien Rossire (in ‘the making of freak of the week’)

Which is no surprise when you look at some of the background of Mr Guarnido. He worked on legendary Disney animated films such as; Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan and Atlantis. He is the creator of the french comic series Blacksad, and he was the one who provided the funds to create this music video. But he certainly didn’t do it himself.

The funds were raised on Kickstarter.

All of the $140,000 were given to the kickstarter fundraiser to make this music video. (Which, mind you- is incredibly cheap for this level of production!) There was such a love and passion and call for 2D animation- for this amazing concept of a project to come to fruition, that the fans of the music, the fans of the artist, and just fans of independent animation in general raised enough money to make this brilliant animation. And this is where I personally think that this work set an example. There was no demand for this from a studio, this wasn’t expected of the band, they weren’t known for their awesome animated music videos. No big company came in and funded this- but it proved to people (animators and non animators alike) that when there is passion and skill and talent and drive, and most importantly when the funding can be found/made- something really brilliant comes out of it. It helped show bands and animators that it can be done! It is a brilliant success story. Since then, more and more intricately animated music videos have come out that not only prioritize the showcasing of the music, but also the vision that the music can bring to other creatives.

Personally, part of the reason why I am so passionate about this piece of work is because it is one of the works of animation that really made me want to become an animator. I think it is so different from the types of animation I want to create purely based on aesthetics- but when you look deeper at the story behind it- the crowd fundraising, the passion, the love of 2D animation, the desire to keep those rough lines in the animation? All of that just speaks to me on such a meaningful level. Seeing this as a kid is so incredible because it shows you that meaningful and stunning animation isn’t just for movies- it isn’t just for blockbusters- and it isn’t only achievable when you have a huge company like Disney or Warner Brothers funding you. It can be done for something short- something fun! It can be done for music. Funds can come from anyone who has a passion for the arts and a penny to give.

“Maybe in a tiny little way I contributed so people can become interested in hand-drawn animation again. I hope so.”
Juanjo Guarnido (in an interview with cartoon brew)

SOURCES

Edwards, C. “Juanjo Guarnido’s ‘Freak of the Week’ Is a Traditionally Animated Charmer and Stunner.” Cartoon Brew, 29 Oct. 2014, www.cartoonbrew.com/music-videos/juanjo-guarnidos-freak-of-the-week-is-a-traditionally-animated-charmer-stunner-104614.html. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.

The Making of Freak of the Week. YouTube, uploaded by Juanjo Guarnido, 9 Dec. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ33WBtOavQ&t=149s. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.

Guarnido, Juanjo. Freak of the Week – Freak Kitchen (Official Video). YouTube, 5 Oct. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2vzBdIejVY. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.

WATCH FREAK OF THE WEEK HERE:

The Indexical, the Hand, the Illusion

September 11, 2024 / Romie

The INDEXICAL

“Rooty-toot-toot, right in the snoot”
THe bartender

For my choice of an INDEXICAL piece of animation, I decided to go with the 1951 animated short ‘Rooty Toot Toot‘ by John Hubley. This piece is an incredibly well known and incredibly fun animated short centering the court case of a character named Frankie (pictured above), who “allegedly” shot her sweetheart for thinking he cheated on her. It is told in a musical form and is in a heavily-stylized East Coast animation style. The Hubleys (John Hubley and Faith Hubley, his spouse) have coined a style very unique to them. When watching Rooty Toot Toot, you can recognize the style behind it. You can see the shapes that make up the characters, partly because they are woven into the designs, and then played around with within the animation. (Another film of theirs that I would call ‘indexical’ would be Moonbird, as even though it is a finished film, you can see the sketches of the characters and how they are over-layed with their surroundings and backgrounds.) This example is a very modest example, as Moonbird and Windy Day (also by the Hubleys) are more extreme examples, for this assignment I wanted to stick with things that I am more familiar with, hence why I chose Rooty Toot Toot.

You can watch Rooty Toot Toot with the link above. It is available on Youtube.

The HAND

For my personal choice for THE HAND in animation, I decided to go with the 1939 film by Len Lye, ‘Rainbow Dance’. This film was made using -at the time- breakthrough technology. It was ‘live action’ in the sense that there were people in front of a camera, but it used Pixelation, Augmentation, Color (before colored films were being made), and stunning VISUAL ANIMATED EFFECTS! Although Elvis Costello had the first animated music video with his hit song “Accidents will happen” in 1979 (which is admittedly the first ‘fully animated music video’, not just animated in general-), this animated film was a lot like one big animated music video! I encourage that when you watch it, you view it with this lens, as well as without! It can give you some fun perspectives! Len Lye is famous for working with colors and shapes, especially to music. In fact, the cover image of the animation world history blog is a snapshot from one of his films! How cool!

You can watch Rainbow Dance in it’s (I believe) full entirety here on Vimeo!

The ILLUSION

“Not lonely at all”
THe tree

For my last style, ‘the illusion of life’, I chose the soviet animation ‘The Tree and the Cat’. There are so many great examples of illusion of life. From storytelling to worldbuilding. It can be complex and fantastical- but something I love about ‘The Tree and the Cat’ is its simplicity. It is told much like a fable. I absolutely adore the style, the animation, the colors, the backgrounds and the personification of both the cat and the tree. I love the message it tells, it is not just a story but it hits you in the feels. It makes you think. It pulls you into the world and makes you feel as if you were the cat, only to reveal that all along, you were the tree. The illusion that yes, trees can talk! Yes! Cats can talk! It brings you in on your human experiences to create this illusion of a story that resonates with the viewer while also being a magnificent piece stylistically (art/animation wise) as well. It is work like this that really inspires me.

You can watch the full short here on youtube with english subtitles^

Works Cited

The Tree and the Cat. (Дерево і кішка) Directed by Yevgeny Sivokon, performances by Davyd Babaiev, Sergei Filimonow. Animated by Kievnauchfilm. (1983)

Rooty Toot Toot. Directed by John Hubley, Performances by Thurl Ravenscroft, Annette Warren. Animated by Art Babbit, Pat Matthews, Tom McDonald, Grim Natwick. (1951)

Rainbow Dance. Directed by Len Lye, performance by Rupert Doone. Music by Burton Lane. (1936)

“IMDb”, (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028156), accessed Sep. 11, 2024

“IMDb”, (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2443150/?ref_=ttrel_ov“, accessed Sep. 11, 2024

“IMDB” (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043980/), accessed Sep. 11, 2024

“Vimeo”, (https://vimeo.com/191289129), accessed Sep. 11, 2024

“YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl3xoKrgabY&list=PLW4PZJfG0c4PIoczP0dq1lhktZ-vW9aYk&index=19) accessed Sep. 11, 2024