Paul Wells vs. Science

   

In all forms of art there is precedence and there are rules. Throughout the history of painting, the world has witnessed precedence get set and destroyed. The tradition of painting things as they are in real life (with artists like Gustave Courbet) was shattered by surrealist and abstract artists (such as Pablo Picasso) who decided that they wanted to paint what they felt, not what they saw. Even in film, there is the classical Hollywood ritual of a structured narrative and a limited palette of shots and framing- an institution that experimental filmmakers and conceptual directors have come to intentionally neglect.

The issue implied between Paul Wells’ “True Animation” and John Halas’ “Animation: The Physical Laws” is whether or not the conventions of using physics and scientific laws within animation are merely a precedence to be transcended or a rule to be followed religiously. Halas believes in the rule. In his book, he references Newton’s three laws on page 32, and dives into detail and example. This reading makes it apparent that the over arching argument is that just because the world an animator creates is completely from scratch, it is still necessary to follow the world’s natural guidelines and that there will be enough room for creativity amongst that:

“Imagination follows on scientific analysis, taking its cues from what is real.”

                                                                                          -Halas p. 60

This thought differs from Wells’ Picasso-esque mindset of “aesthetic expression” on page 29, but Halas bridges the gap in his emphasis on the importance of creativity toward the end of the chapter:

“The artist is under obligation to create something which goes beyond the manufacture of a carbon copy of natural forms and movements-- the province of the live-action camera. “

                                                                                          -Halas p. 60   

Wells would agree in this sense of auteur, that the artist is in total creative control, but he would take it one step further. His belief is that, like the mind and heart, animation should be free and abstract and that expression in its uninhibited form is the only way to create animation. In my own experience as a spectator and appreciator of art I have found myself standing in Halas’ camp. There are certain rules of art, like rhythm in music, that make the piece palatable and enjoyable. This set of rules, these elements of art are the common ground in which the artist and the spectator are able to meet and connect. Without it, the artist can try to bare his soul to the world without parameters, but we the viewer will not understand, as if he were trying to tell us a story in a language we do not speak.

Nina Paley's "Two Geometric Smiling Circles Sing the Blues"

Chapter 3 Narrative Devices:

Metamorphosis: Something that transitions into another

Condensation: Taking a long story and making it short (condensing it)

Synecdoche: A part representing a whole

Symbolism: (similar to synecdoche) something that represents something greater (i.e. the American flag is a symbol of freedom)

Metaphor: A more recognizable, more obvious symbol

Fabrication: copying the real world, often through animation (Andy from Toy Story is a fabrication of a child)

Associative Relations: Relating things that weren't previously relatable

Sound: diegetic and non-diegetic noise that sets mood and pace of movie

Acting and Performance: movements of the character created by the animator

Choreography: motion used in animation

Penetration: the animator's ability to relay abstract ideas and deeper meanings through his animation

     Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues is a painfully long film that follows the life and troubles of two main characters through a few different story lines. While I personally did not enjoy the movie or my time watching it, it did have some noteworthy characteristics. The style, music, narrative, and intentional contrast were all unique in their delivery.
     For reasons that I assume were to keep us all from shooting ourselves from boredom, there were three different constantly switching styles in the film. It bounced back and forth between a colorful, geometric, cartoony-looking animation style that was used to tell the story of Sita. This style, in partnership with the narrative, was used most likely to tell that part of the story in a playful manner (including the violent war scenes in which sweet oblivious Sita was inside singing her blues with a smile on her face). There was a shaky, epilepsy-inducing comic strip style that was used to tell the story of the San Francisco based author. In using this traditionally American style of animation, she was able to show us that the author is in fact living in America. The third style and form of narrative is seen when the deities or gods (or just ancient looking old people) are trying their best to tell the story of Sita. This ancient puppet style of animation was used to show the antiquity and classicality of the story, as it is an integral part of the religion and society of the people native to this region. Either that or Nina Paley is using the most out dated form of animation in one last, almost quite successful, attempt to get us to stop watching her weird movie.
     The music choices in the film were mostly characteristic of the style it represented with the exception of the fact that Sita is singing 1920s American blues in the middle of ancient India. This is indicative of the intentional contrasts in the film.
     While this movie is tragically unentertaining, it does contribute to the progress of animation through it's developmental approach. Paley ties in experimental elements (i.e. the photographic looking shots mixed in with the hand drawn animation in San Francisco and New York) with certain aspects of traditional story telling (protagonist, antagonist, resolution, a narrative we can follow etc.) and is worth watching for for strictly educational purposes.

Animation Breakdown

Chapter 2:

Wells breaks animation down into three major styles: experimental, developmental, and orthodox.

Experimental is animation with no walls. It is not restricted to common narrative (or narrative at all) and its primary uses are experimentation and projecting the auteur's feelings in an unencumbered way. It is the style in which the creator is most 'present.' An example would be "Transfigured," by Stephen Arthur.

Developmental animation occurs when there are elements from both extremes present. For instance, often the creator is still very present in style (like experimental) but the animation will follow a common narrative (like orthodox). It can be aesthetically stylistic while having a storyline we can follow. An example of this would be a tv show called "Uncle Grandpa" which is mixed media and trippy, despite being a show for kids.

Orthodox animation is very traditional. The artist is gone, dialogue is important, there is continuity, and there is form in the narrative. This is what we most commonly see in popular art and culture. Disney and Universal lean heavily toward orthodox with productions like Wreck it Ralph and Feivel Goes West.

The Meaning of Life, by Don Hertzfeldt, would most likely be classified as developmental erring on the side of experimental. Its lack of clear narrative and emphasis on aesthetic would land it in the category of experimental with only tastes of orthodox (presence of dialogue and some continuity) would pull it only slightly in the direction of developmental.