If you hover over this page there are three sub pages with research on the following topics:
Pixilation
Under the Camera
Rotoscoping
Proposal Pitch - Prezi
Research: Experimental Animation
Experimental Animation:
"Abstraction: (Len Lye - Abstraction)
Abstract Animation resists the way audiences want to see a documentary and instead inflicts the way a Documentary should be seen i.e the way you could potentially view a colour as a symbol of expression over the usual orthodox version of Animation that would use character expression to portray a feeling or emotion.
Abstraction is a form of movement and modernism, they use symbols within Animation to convey their auteur technique and the meaning behind it. Abstraction is used to reduce a form back down to it's essence, animators and abstract artists tend to extract a subject or object to it's usual contact. It also purges the screen of overt human action whilst developing rhythmic interaction of basic symbols n which music replaces the narrative. It's also used as an element to simply inform and highlight the content. As soon as the camera was introduced to the art world, it made the audiences and directors question whether they needed to draw realistically anymore because there would be a piece of equipment that did the exact same thing, however, artists would often create a manifesto before creating an Animation.
Interpretive form: The bias of experimental Animation is aesthetic and non-narrative, though sometimes these aesthetic conventions are deployed to reconstruct a different conception of narrative. Predominantlyy, though experimental animation resists telling stories and moves towards the vocabulary used by painters and sculptors. Resisting the depiction of conventional forms and the assumed 'objectivity' of the exterior world.
Experimental Animation prioritises abstract forms in motion, liberating the artist to concentrate on the vocabulary the director or animator is using in itself is the imperative of giving it a specific function or meaning.
Contrasted with orthodox animation, experimental Animation is often combined with different modes of animation. This operates in two specific ways - first to facilitate the multiplicity of personal visions an artist may wish to incorporate in a film. Secondly to challenge and re-work the way orthodox codes and conventions new effects.
Presence of the artist: The presence of an artist within any animated film is largely personal, subjective, original and are the work of the artists seeking to use the animated form in an innovative way. In a lot of ways it could be said that these visions are 'impenetrable' and resist easy interpretation, being merely the absolutely individual expression of the artist. This in itself draws attention to the relationship between the artist and the work and the relationship of the audience to the artist is often strengthened through the work.
However, sometimes individual innovation is localised in more accessible ways which have a relationship with dominant forms, despite how tenuous the link. It may be, for example that the experimental animation will try to create something aspiring to the condition of the dream-state, which of course has it's own abstract logic. This means that it conforms to a common understanding of the 'dream' and thus may be subject to scrutiny through psychoanalysis. It is often the case that experimental animation is closely related to philosophic and spiritual concerns and seeks to represent inarticulable personal feelings beyond the orthodoxies of language.
Dynamics of musicality: Experimental Animation has a strong relationship to music and, indeed it may be suggested that if music could be visualised it would look like colours and shapes moving through time with different rhythms. Many experimental films seek to create this state, and some filmmakers perceive that there is a psychological and emotional relationship with sound and colour which may be expressed through the free form which characterises animation.
Therefore, sound is important in any animated film, but has particular resonance with experimental film, as it is often resisting dialogue, the cliched sound effects of the cartoon, or the easy emotiveness of certain kinds of music. Silence is an avant grade score, unusual sounds and redefined notions of language are used to create different kinds of statements. It may be said that if orthodox animation is about 'prose' then experimental animation is more 'poetic' and suggestive in it's intention." [1]
Documentary Genre: The purpose of a Documentary is to document i.e to report evidence of something that has actually happened. It can show this by using actuality footage or reconstructions. Documents are full of factual information.
Types of Documentary: 1. Fully Narrated: An off screen voiceover that makes sense of the visuals and dominates their meaning. It anchors the meaning of the visuals and pins down the meaning of an image. Natural History documentaries are the most common fully narrated documentaries. 2. Fly on the wall: Also known as 'Cinema Verite'. The Cameras record subjects without interference and viewers come to their own conclusions. 3. Mixed: Uses a combination of interview, observation and narration with archive footage. Most documentaries are mixed. 4. Self-Reflective: When the subjects of the documentary acknowledge the presence of the camera and often speak directly to the documentary maker. 5. Drama: Also known as a 'docudrama'. It is a re-enactment of events as they are supposed to have happened. 6. Docusoap: Combines elements of the documentary and soap opera genres. For example, 'Airline' it revolves around the same ''characters'' in it.
'Audrie and Daisy' (2016, Cohen and Shenk)
The Documentary focuses around the issue of Sexual Assault and plans to expose the trauma surrounding teenage sexual assault and slut-shaming within teens. The documentary style is very voice of god style with talking heads in-between; they are animated to hide the identities of the males who committed the assaults and the style of the animation beautifully corresponds with the content within the documentary.
"The interviews with Audrie Pott's assailants are difficult to listen to, but engrossing to watch because of the way they're animated to keep them anonymous. The irony is frustrating, though, that they're given anonymity when Audrie was so publicly and tragically denied her dignity." [2]
Louis Theroux: Documentary Styles
Louis was born in 1970 and is an English documentary filmmaker and broadcaster.
He is well known for his documentaries 'Louis Theroux's weird weekends'.
Most of his documentaries are reflexive as his presence is in front of the camera, but there is also narrative alongside the documentary . However, sometimes he does join in on the activities he is documenting, but he keeps detached from the situation. For example, this is within documentaries 'Transgender Kids', 'Americas Most Hated Family', 'Extreme Love: Dementia' and 'Louis and the Nazi's'. The main conventions of a Louis Theroux documentary is that answers are mainly found through interviews. An example of this would be the 'behind bars' series in which Louis interviewed a dangerous person that was handcuffed to protect him. Louis offers a presence which provides an outside influence in contrast to other documentaries where the camera's are placed and the people on camera have to 'pretend' as though they aren't there. This therefore combines with the need for interviews form Louis's perspective.
(still from Louis Theroux - 'Behind Bars'; prisoner that was handcuffed to protect Louis)
Furthermore, his documentaries are handled by only one camera and considering it's handled it is constantly moving to follow Louis around. This provides constant running and therefore less planning in terms of what footage is required.