Emma K Niemis

NUA Animation Blog BA1b (Part 1)

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BA1b Research: Narrative Weekly Summary (Week 10)

In this final week of Research Narrative, I practically did all of my Narrative essay, the drafts, changing my essay question and the actual essay, I left a lot of it to last minute, which I am not pleased with. This last-minute essay writing happened last Unit as well because writing an essay is very stressful for me. It is frustratingly difficult to start writing from a bullet point draft for me, I can’t find my words or my sentences until I get into the flow, about two paragraphs in, then at that point the essay writing is fine. However, having said that I am actually very happy with my final essay, I think I got to speak about what I wanted with the essay question change, which helped me write it as I was passionate about it. 

I think I could have done a lot of this essay earlier on in the week if I was so terrified of starting it, starting it earlier would mean that my tutor could have marked my actual essay writing rather than just my notes. So, if I had to do my week again I would definitely start earlier and send it over to my tutor to mark more of an essay rather than a plan. Hopefully, my essay is still of a good standard as I had it checked by various people for spelling and grammar mistakes as well as their critique.

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BA1b Animated Sketchbook Weekly Summary (Week 10)

In the final week of working on Animated Sketchbook I finally completed my expression change sequence and perfected my flour sack sequence. I am very pleased with my expression change sequence, which turned out very well in my eyes and fitted all of the improvement feedback I received. Especially timing which I was worried about for the past weeks but I think I got it just right with this final animation. In regards to the flour sack sequence, I am glad I worked on it further because this now final outcome really emphasises the weight of the sack, being this heavy lump, struggling to get up. I’m glad I watched Wall-e the other day because that scene where the captain gets up for the first time, really helped me imagine a heavy sack getting up off the ground in terms of balance and weight. 

I don’t think I could have done anything else towards this project in terms of the animations, however, I really think I should have done more observational drawings and experimental drawings, to work out some of the poses for my animations before drawing them into TV Paint. If I could have done this week again I would have drawn more, although it wouldn't have affected my animations, it would have been something good for me personally in terms of honing in my drawing technique and trying out new things that we don’t necessarily do in life drawing.

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BA1b 3D Digital Weekly Summary (Week 10)

In the final week of working on my 3D Digital task of finishing up my expression change character animation in Maya. After doing the delivery and the final animation I’m fairly pleased with the outcome of this animation. I think it’s my best animation so far that I’ve done in Maya, that really expressed what I wanted it to express. I did end up asking my friends to tell me if the look of disgust/shock was clear enough and they thought it was, so I left it as it was. However, I didn’t get a chance to ask my tutor. My favourite part is the body movement to my blink as it gives the illusion of breath for my character, bringing them to life. It’s definitely not perfect, but I think it’s the best I could have done. I also think I’m come far, from really struggling with Maya to being fairly comfortable with it and creating something I like.

I think I could have done more experimentation in Maya, like I said last week, however, I got ill and I had to prioritise other work that I needed to catch up on this week. If I could do this week I again, I would have tried out more animations and possibly modelling in Maya before the projects end.

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‘Only in Animation’

To what extent does this Paul Wells quote apply to your chosen film? Explain how the medium and materials enter, shape, and define the narrative. If your chosen film subverts or ignores conventional expectations of a ‘plotted’ narrative, identify the strategies employed in its place.

Anomalisa (2015) is a stop motion animated film based on play written by Charlie Kaufman. The film is directed by Kaufman and stop motion animator Duke Johnson, from animation production company Starburns Industries. I will explain how the medium of stop motion and the materials used enter, shape and define the unconventional, but very human narrative of Anomalisa. I will investigate why it can be considered unconventional due to its deviation from expectations of a ‘plotted’ narrative, and what alternative strategies are put in its place, as well as detailing why the plot events can only be achieved through the medium of animation.

Live action film is usually a default for film makers as it is easy, well understood and culturally ingrained. When animation is used, especially stop motion which is rare for a feature film, it is usually an artistic choice to best suit the narrative. In Anomalisa, realism is part of the style of the piece by using realistic puppets with 3D printed faces and life like sets that pay very close attention to detail. According to Carol Koch, the character sculptor on Anomalisa, Kaufman and Johnson could “with a few simple words, draw very concrete pictures in your head” (Variety, 2015). The figures’ realism is a result of a combination of design choices for the materials. Each hair follicle was individually punched into the silicone skin on the arms, eyes and head. The main characters Lisa and Michael had mohair and alpaca hair respectively (Schildhause, 2015).  The eyes were a big focus for the directors who obsessed over making them “very reflective and look moist” in order to avoid uncanny valley and make them “feel alive” (q on cbc, 2016). Another step to avoid uncanny valley was to have bigger heads, hands and stubbier legs that aren’t proportionally human. In another example of hyper realism, the directors chose to show the physical seams of their puppet’s face because it “related to the themes that were in the story” (Smith, 2016). The silicone skin and 3D printed faces have a Caucasian flesh tone and an opaque quality that realistically reflects the light off the skin. The shape of the sculpt also implies a distribution of body fat that resembles a normal human body type. Finally, the doll sized clothing and props for the cast of puppets had a design that specifically complemented the personality of the character, like the long sleeves of both Bella and Lisa which they persistently tug at to show their nervousness.

In Anomalisa there is a heavy focus on the human condition: the film makers use the hyper realistic puppets as a tool to express this, knowing that the audience are innately drawn to faces. All characters apart from Michael and Lisa share the same face and are voiced by Tom Noonan. Using a 3D Program, the puppet makers generated an average face from composites of employees (Schildhause, 2015). With this cast of figures that share the same voice and removable 3D printed face, the directors are able to break the fourth wall in a way that can only be done through this medium. For example, when Michael is losing his mind, he starts peeling back the printed face to reveal the clip mechanism inside his head, then replaces it upon hearing Lisa’s unique voice. This direct acknowledgement of its own medium of puppetry and stop motion has a direct influence on Anomalisa’s narrative, although Kaufman declared that animation was “just another medium to explore”. His main focus was on presenting the narrative so that there is an “interaction between the person who’s viewing it and the piece”, hoping that it was layered enough so that “people can come away with separate and individual reactions to it” (q on cbc, 2016). I believe animation was key in shaping Kaufman’s plot because, in the words of Jennifer Jason Leigh, the voice actor for Lisa, stop motion is “evocative” since we can “project ourselves in a way that you can’t do maybe when it’s a real person” (ScreenSlam, 2015).

Anomalisa was originally a play written by Kaufman resembling a radio play with the actors sitting still on the stage with scripts, and with Carter Burwell’s original score the audience would create the imagery themselves. The same three actors Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Thewlis and Tom Noonan, voiced their characters before any creative design, and recorded them all interacting together. This voice over technique and production order is very unusual for animation, which usually has voice actors alone in booths recording after the animation has been made. Anomalisa’s narrative also ignores conventional expectations in terms of plot structure and its characters. A conventional story is about change, however this isn’t the case for Anomalisa’s main character Michael. Michael is a motivational speaker with a trait akin to the Fregoli delusion, where he sees everyone as the same person and can’t tell them apart. He is stuck in a cycle of loneliness, with an “inability to connect despite being more connected than ever” (Johnson, q on cbc, 2016). This state of mind is questioned when Lisa is introduced into his life: thinking he has finally found someone unique, he showers affection onto this insecure woman, nicknaming her Anomalisa, insisting on her singing for him and proceeding to have sex. However, in the morning she starts to become like everyone else to him; bland and uninteresting, she takes on the face and voice of the crowd, leaving a disappointed Michael to return home. In terms of narrative structure the turning point, Lisa, causes no change or resolution for the protagonist Michael, since he returns home the same as he was at the beginning.

A conventional plot gives us a complete, emotionally satisfying experience with no loose ends, but Anomalisa’s lack of resolution denies the audience this. Michael is also a very unlikable character, fetishizing this low self-esteem woman and dumping her as soon as he’s had his way. Some reviewers believe him to be a narcissist, “using the concept of mental illness as an excuse to treat others interchangeably” (Film Formula, 2016), theorising that Michael may not visually see everyone as the same but it’s how he thinks of them. Alternatively, there is a noticeable change in Lisa, the supporting character, who is shown in the final scene to be pleased with her nickname of Anomalisa, which translates as Goddess of Heaven in Japanese, being visibly more confident and happy. The strategies employed in the absence of these conventional expectations is in the attention to detail in the film’s medium, materials, true to life themes and natural comedy that comes from three talented actors performing together in real time. However, the narrative can also be perceived as conventional in the commonality of loneliness and isolation, making us pity Michael but also fear becoming him. This theme can make the narrative quite a common one, but viewers who look for the finer details find a possible second narrative.

It’s widely hypothesized there are two perceivable narratives within Anomalisa. Taken at face value, Michael meets a unique woman Lisa, spends a night with her, then in the morning they go their separate ways. Prior to the meeting, he drunkenly purchases an unusual antique while looking for a souvenir for his son: a Japanese sex doll. The next time we see the doll is when he presents it to his disapproving son. As it sings a traditional Japanese folk song his wife comments on the semen like substance coming out of it. The last time we see Michael, he is sitting opposite the doll staring at it as it sings with its unique voice. The second narrative hypothesis is that Lisa was this unusual Japanese sex doll. There are plenty of similarities between the two and clues to suggest that they are one and the same, and we must remember that we are seeing the story through Michael’s unreliable eyes, where things are not what they seem. “Characters are interesting when there’s friction between ‘what’s seen’ and ‘what is’” (White, 2016) and Michael is a perfect example of this. The initial piece of evidence is when Michael hears Lisa’s voice for the first time, during the sequence where he is losing his mind and peeling back his own face.  This is the trigger point where he starts to fantasise that Lisa is a real person. Lisa and the sex doll share a scar on the same side of their face, have a unique voice and both sing for Michael. They also have the same attitude towards Michael, “as a product the doll’s imperative is to please the consumer, just as Lisa supplicates Michael by trying to change herself and her behaviours according to his liking” (Film Formula, 2016). However, the most important piece of evidence is the sex scene and its aftermath. This scene is a long and continuous, focusing entirely on realism between these two characters, but they take no precautions and Michael ejaculates inside her. Kaufman pays very close attention to small details and Johnson “wanted it to be a natural progression” (q on cbc, 2016), so when Lisa has just met this man after not being sexually active for 8 years, you would expect precautions would be on her mind. By choosing not to include this, supports the second narrative since in Michael’s last scene, semen comes out of the doll as it sings. Anomalisa’s two different narratives within one, ignores conventional storytelling but this was exactly the intention of Kaufman so that viewers would have an individual reaction to the piece.

In conclusion, Anomalisa’s attention to detail in its medium and materials perfectly enters, shapes and defines Kaufman’s unconventional narrative, making it so painfully human in its realism, its animation, characters and story. However, despite its realism, Anomalisa still provides a unique experience thanks to the elements that are only available in animation.

Bibliography

·         Akaforty (2016). Anomalisa - The Japanese Doll explanation [Internet] 17 January 2016. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/YMS/comments/41czg8/anomalisa_the_japanese_doll_explanation/ [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Anomalisa, (2015) Directed by Charlie Kaufman, John Dukeman. United States of America: Snoot Entertainment, Starburns Industries [DVD]

·         Being John Malkovich, (1999) Directed by Spike Jonze. California, United States of America: Astralwerks, Gramercy Pictures (I), Propaganda Films, Single Cell Pictures [DVD]

·         Blind Field (2016). Monotony and Efficiency in Kaufman’s ‘Anomalisa’ [Internet] 8 March 2016. Available at: https://blindfieldjournal.com/2016/03/08/monotony-and-efficiency-in-kaufmans-anomalisa/  [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Dogtown33 (2016). Anomalisa theory about Michael and the geisha doll (spoilers) [Internet] 16 January 2016. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/41auzq/anomalisa_theory_about_michael_and_the_geisha/ [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Film Formula, (2016) Anomalisa Analysis: Michael’s Quiet Perversions. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vbb_HvxOdE&index=73&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Film Herald, (2016) ‘Anomalisa’ (2015) Explained. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQAftcZJQLc&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR&index=68 [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Movieclips Coming Soon, (2015) Anomalisa Featurette - Crafting Anomalisa (2015) - Charlie Kaufman Stop Motion Animated Movie HD. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkOH_6uzASs&index=67&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Play It Again, Dan (2016). Defying the Animation Narrative: The Brilliance of Anomalisa [Internet] 24 March 2016. Available at: https://playitagaindan.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/defying-the-animation-narrative-the-brilliance-of-anomalisa/  [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         q on cbc, (2016) Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson on Anomalisa. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNQHYyLaNFY&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR&index=74 [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Schildhause, C. (2015) Behind The Seams: The Creative Team Behind ‘Anomalisa’ Discuss The Making Of A Stop-Motion Masterpiece. Uproxx. Available at: http://uproxx.com/movies/anomalisa-behind-the-scenes-interview/ [Accessed: 22nd February 2017]

·         ScreenSlam, (2015) Anomalisa: Behind-the-scenes B-roll Part 1 - Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODssMUlQO44&index=71&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         ScreenSlam, (2015) Anomalisa: Behind-the-scenes B-roll Part 2 - Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTWqZ80ff2U&index=72&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         ScreenSlam, (2015) Anomalisa: David Thewlis ‘Michael’ On-Set Interview. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCKDYjj6Pc&index=69&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR&t=2s [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         ScreenSlam, (2015) Anomalisa: Jennifer Jason Leigh ‘Lisa’ On-Set Interview. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DATO9uoWklM [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Shoard, C. and Barnes, H. (2016) Charlie Kaufman on Anomalisa: ‘The internet is a terrible danger’ – video interview. The Gaurdian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2016/mar/08/charlie-kaufman-on-anomalisa-the-internet-is-a-terrible-danger-video-interview [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Smith, N.M., Busch, M., Carey, N. (2015) Anomalisa: the tiny details of filming puppet sex in Charlie Kaufman's new film – video. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/dec/22/anomalisa-charlie-kaufman-interview-stop-motion-animation-video [Accessed: 22nd February 2017]

·         Smith, Z. (2016) Windows on the will. The New York Review of Books. Available at: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/03/10/windows-on-the-will/ [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Stevens, D. (2015) Anomalisa. A beautiful, tricky, heartbreaking puppet show from Charlie Kaufman. Slate. Available at: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2015/12/charlie_kaufman_s_anomalisa_reviewed.html [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Team America: World Police, (2004) Directed by Trey Parker. United States of America: Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, MMDP Munich Movie Development & Production GmbH & Co. Project KG [DVD]

·         Variety, (2015) 'Anomalisa' ­- Sculpting Animated Characters with Carol Koch ­- Variety Artisans. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AILnP1Y-0o&index=66&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         Wells, P. (1996) Understanding animation. London: Routledge. Pp. 19

·         Wells, P. (2006) Fundamentals of animation. [E-book + book] Lausanne: AVA Publishing.

·         What it all Meant, (2016) Animation in Anomalisa. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ezp_KSvNnc&index=70&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR&t=3s [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

·         White, L. (2016) BA1a Research: Character (Week 2) NUA Lecture 4 October 2016

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‘Only available in animation.’

To what extent does this Paul Wells quote apply to your chosen film? Explain how the medium and materials enter, shape, and define the narrative. If your chosen film subverts or ignores conventional expectations of a ‘plotted’ narrative, identify the strategies employed in its place.

Paragraphing:

1.       Introduction

2.       Materials and medium, why? Stop Motion why?

3.       Why it’s an unconventional narrative & strategies

4.       Sex Doll theory, why not basic love story & dark themes

5.       Conclusion

Introduction:

Anomalisa is an Oscar winning R-Rated movie based on radio play written by Charlie Kaufman, film directed by Kaufman and Duke Johnson (animator)

Explain how the medium of stop motion and materials enter, shape, and define the unconventional but very human narrative and make the film only available in animation

the plot events that can only be achieved (or made acceptable) because of the medium of animation eg. Going insane, face falling off

Anomalisa can be considered unconventional due to its deviation from a ‘plotted’ narrative (events are rearranged, shaped, story = what’s happening, plot = why it’s happening)

“true to life” puppets, actions and themes, they the intimacy they depict and the way “we can project ourselves [onto puppets] in a way that you can’t do maybe when it’s a real person” – Jennifer Jason Leigh (Lisa) interview

Can take away two separate narratives in the story, that both work, although this explicit theory due to the inherent innocence of animation most people don’t see the alternative narrative? Therefore, assume Lisa was real

real dark themes/graphic or explicit imagery – (and here there's a bit of crossover with your original question): are they made more or less acceptable/palatable because the 'actors' are puppets rather than humans? Yes and no

Para 1:

Materials = which an artwork is created, the     medium affects how the message is perceived – Lynsey lecture week 2,     Discourse = how the narrative is told – Lynsey lecture week 5

Film ie “Capturing reality is the default     because it’s the easiest, more visceral and historical” animation is a     choice “first step to understanding a story” – Animation In Anomalisa

Realism part of style

Characterisation - you could also bring in any     info you have about the technical side – how the puppets were     designed, created (did Kaufman have any say in this)

“the mixture of artifice and realism they     represent, with their peach-fuzz skins of silicone, and their hair-like     hair, and not-quite fluid and yet entirely recognizable human gestures.” –     windows on the will

Puppets are very realistic but still puppets,     artistic choice to show the visual seams of the face “related to the     themes that were in the story.” – Kaufman and Johnson (Smith,2016), this     could mean better projection of emotions from audience onto characters     (only available in animation)

Stop motion medium means that directors can     convey actions (eg. Taking of face, same face and voice for others),     emotions (eg. Lust, loneliness?) and characters (eg. Slightly odd     proportions = stubby legs, big head, big hands) that can’t be replicated     in real life or to the same effect or as well as, focused a lot on the     eyes to express emotion, bring puppet to life “very reflective and looked     moist” “make them feel alive and really articulate, so the eyes were very     animatable” “avoid uncanny valley” – Johnson radio interview

“long, slowly unwinding love scene that’s this     sometimes savagely unromantic…so unexpectantly intimate” – heart breaking     puppet show compare sex scene to puppets sex scene in Team America: World     Police?, sex scene took 6 months, used special puppets and rigs – Johnson     interview for radio 

“Animation very subtle and nuanced” – Kaufman (interview on radio) but when Kaufman was asked if animation allowed him to do more with story he said “just another form to explore” and “an exciting learning process for me” Radio Interview – the story is the important thing for Kaufman and the “Interaction between between the person who’s viewing it and the piece” – radio interview (it's always good to address both sides of an argument in an essay)

“Hopefully it’s layered enough that people can come away with separate and individual reactions to it” – Kaufman radio interview

Andrew Stanton quote? “satisfying to work something out yourself and not be told?” supported by Kaufman who said he hates giving people a solid answer for the meaning or correct narrative, wants to leave it up to imagination, didn’t even discuss theme between the directors when making it

the plot events that can only be achieved (or made acceptable) because of the medium of animation

Stop motion wasn’t a must for Kaufman and his story but Stop motion makes film “stronger”, “makes an even more poignant and fascinating story overall” – Animation in Anomalisa, because it stands out more, with Stop motion = “tactile”, “evocative” “emotional pull” and “because they’re puppets we can project ourselves in a way that you can’t do maybe when it’s a real person” – Jennifer Jason Leigh (Lisa) interview, more of a blank slate

how a film full of puppets can say something so important about the human condition (does their generic look make it easier  to say something about being human – their blankness helps us relate to them more easily??)

Breaks fourth wall in a way only done in animation, goes particularly well with stop motion eg. Face falling off, direct acknowledgement to its own medium

Puppets can have same face and voice, live action can’t, didn’t realise this at first, have oh shit moment,

Other radical stop motion filmmakers eg. Jan Švankmajer (Czech), The Qay Brothers (American) and Robert Morgan (British), inherent jerky movement of stop motion adds to unease and taxidermy, old dolls and odd materials that can be only be done in animation otherwise wouldn’t be as creepy or impactful

also this new genre that seems to be developing: big stop motion films aimed primarily, or partially, at adults. It's a bit cultish, voguish (especially with new Wes Anderson film currently shooting): why do these live action directors suddenly want to make films in stop motion? 

Stop motion rarely used, especially for adults, usually for pre-school, why so popular now?

Para 2:

Anomalisa was originally a radio play, written by Kaufman and performed twice

Compare radio play to animation ie. The way they did it, what’s different and the same, eg. Same cast, actually act out what’s happening in the form of animation, play was just them talking and standing (find quotes from Kaufman in notebook) “what your hearing is not what you’re saying and the idea was that the audience would create the imagery” – Kaufman radio interview, in play in sex scene actors stand on either side of room and make sex noises?

“adult themes aren’t necessarily a new thing in the evolution of animated films” – Defying the animation narrative, link to research in narrative in notes, started off in 16th century as moving porn images for adults – Kinograph (flip book) – Lynsey lecture week 2

A lot of animated films are “comprised of adult themes and messages that are discreetly conveyed to children” for example Up with themes of “loss and death” but also with films like South Park that are definitely meant for adults, uncensored and very crude – Defying the animation narrative

“you have to liberate people from [film theory], not give them a corset in which they have to fit their story, their life, their emotions” – Guillermo Del Toro in Week 1 notes of Narrative

Not conventional story telling because character doesn’t change, there isn’t really a climax, however do think it’s trying to teach us something about loneliness and connecting with people, how not to live, feeling slight pity for Michael and fear of becoming him (fairly unconventional)

Michael is an “unreliable narrator” can’t trust what we see from his eyes, audience unable to trust him leads to the two narratives being able to simulatiously exist

Fregoli delusion – sees everyone as same person, can’t tell them apart, Michael doesn’t have this but “his condition is heavily inspired from it”- Kaufman Interview

Different ways of seeing Michael, disorder or narcissistic? Link to article explaining the latter

Doesn’t follow conventional narrative in terms of structure (no satisficing ending) and protagonist (very unlikable, no redemption) Lisa is more tragic more likable, both as lonely as each other, but at the end she feels better optimistic, goddess of ? (Japanese name) whereas he doesn’t change (unconventional)

Anomalisa’s “sense of ‘nothing happens’ is part of this unconventional narrative that actually makes the film brilliant”, it shows “true life” in terms of we see Michael do very simple human activities eg. Peeing, showering, “mirroring real life”, “grounded in reality”, “The animation puts us in a narrative dilemma where we become unsure of our visual environment, which inadvertently syncs us with the main character’s dilemma of being immersed in a world that he no longer comprehends” do I agree with this? – deifying animated narrative

Lots of radical scenes eg. Long sex scene & removing the puppets face (meltdown) accepted due to inherent innocence but still shocking (compare this to comedy – Team America: World Police puppet sex scene)

Societies have to adapt and change so it’s the same with stories, rejecting the old and accepting the new – Lynsey lecture week 4, with this story in this age “our inability to connect despite being more connected than ever” – Duke Johnson, Interview q on cbc

Strategies put in place to make up with it being unconventional; beautiful, true to life and attention to detail animation with comedy very human

Performed by voice actors before filming the animation and all together, usually animation comes first (unconventional) quote from interview on radio

and, on a similar note, is this basically 'just' a 'love story'? I've seen reviews that say the most unconventional thing about the film is the animation, mention grandparents? Some people don’t think about the film afterwards and don’t notice the small details that Kaufman cleverly includes, eg. All same face and voice, sex doll theory (lead onto this)

Para 3:

Two different narratives within the story; Lisa = sex doll, Lisa = Real and different, both are plausible

Sex doll theory seen as plausible by variety of hints, losing his mind when hearing voice, same features as doll eg. Scar and voice, we see all of sex scene with no precaution, no pulling out, sex doll has semen in it, at the end the song describes Lisa being a dream, “as a product the doll’s imperative is to please the consumer, just as Lisa supplicates Michael by trying to change herself and change her behaviours according to his liking” (scene in the morning) – Michaels quiet perversions

Kaufman usually pays very close attention to small details and Johnson “wanted it to be a natural progression” so why leave out precaution when they have sex? “aftermath, so unrealistic” – Japanese doll explanation reddit

Sex Doll theory, “If this is truly a film about the depths of loneliness, what is more lonely than the experience of masturbating alone in your hotel room with a sex doll?” (and imagining that it is a real human being who was special) & “what other experience has the immediate effect of being so special in the 5 minute period while it was happening and seeming like boring, disgusted nothingness immediately after the deed is done?” (doesn’t quite fit Anomalisa because Michael’s with Lisa for a whole evening and its only until the morning does he think of her as undesirable and like the rest) – Reddit Anomalisa theory

The staging (language of animation) in the animation suggests both narrative can be true

Mise en scene = Both the doll and Lisa are on the right hand side when they’re introduced, also when she’s in the bedroom she’s on the left hand side when she sings and in the final scene when the doll sings she too is on the left hand side

due to inherent innocence do most of audience assume she’s real? Or sex doll theory more readily accepted because it’s an animation? Both are “just as compelling and just as likely” – Anomalisa explained

dark themes/graphic or explicit imagery – (and here there's a bit of crossover with your original question): are they made more or less acceptable/palatable because the 'actors' are puppets rather than humans? “the very language of animation seems to carry with it an inherent innocence which has served to disguise and dilute the potency of some of its more daring imagery” (Wells, 1998, p.19)

This concept ignored by audiences because of it’s inherent innocence? I asked my Grandparents about it and they found it disappointing with an uninteresting story and didn’t understand why it needed to be stop motion

Conclusion:

Round everything up and relate to question!

A work of art is “an outward showing of inward nature” loneliness, narcissism of Michael – Lynsey Lecture week ? – conclusion?

 Bibliography

 Akaforty (2016). Anomalisa - The Japanese Doll explanation [Internet] 17 January 2016. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/YMS/comments/41czg8/anomalisa_the_japanese_doll_explanation/ [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Anomalisa, (2015) Directed by Charlie Kaufman, John Dukeman. United States of America: Snoot Entertainment, Starburns Industries [DVD]

Being John Malkovich, (1999) Directed by Spike Jonze. California, United States of America: Astralwerks, Gramercy Pictures (I), Propaganda Films, Single Cell Pictures [DVD]

Blind Field (2016). Monotony and Efficiency in Kaufman’s ‘Anomalisa’ [Internet] 8 March 2016. Available at: https://blindfieldjournal.com/2016/03/08/monotony-and-efficiency-in-kaufmans-anomalisa/  [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Dogtown33 (2016). Anomalisa theory about Michael and the geisha doll (spoilers) [Internet] 16 January 2016. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/41auzq/anomalisa_theory_about_michael_and_the_geisha/ [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Film Formula, (2016) Anomalisa Analysis: Michael’s Quiet Perversions. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vbb_HvxOdE&index=73&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Film Herald, (2016) ‘Anomalisa’ (2015) Explained. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQAftcZJQLc&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR&index=68 [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Movieclips Coming Soon, (2015) Anomalisa Featurette - Crafting Anomalisa (2015) - Charlie Kaufman Stop Motion Animated Movie HD. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkOH_6uzASs&index=67&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Play It Again, Dan (2016). Defying the Animation Narrative: The Brilliance of Anomalisa [Internet] 24 March 2016. Available at: https://playitagaindan.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/defying-the-animation-narrative-the-brilliance-of-anomalisa/  [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

q on cbc, (2016) Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson on Anomalisa. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNQHYyLaNFY&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR&index=74 [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

 ScreenSlam, (2015) Anomalisa: Behind-the-scenes B-roll Part 1 - Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODssMUlQO44&index=71&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

ScreenSlam, (2015) Anomalisa: Behind-the-scenes B-roll Part 2 - Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTWqZ80ff2U&index=72&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

ScreenSlam, (2015) Anomalisa: David Thewlis ‘Michael’ On-Set Interview. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCKDYjj6Pc&index=69&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR&t=2s [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

ScreenSlam, (2015) Anomalisa: Jennifer Jason Leigh ‘Lisa’ On-Set Interview. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DATO9uoWklM [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Shoard, C. and Barnes, H. (2016) Charlie Kaufman on Anomalisa: ‘The internet is a terrible danger’ – video interview. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2016/mar/08/charlie-kaufman-on-anomalisa-the-internet-is-a-terrible-danger-video-interview [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Smith, Z. (2016) Windows on the will. Available at: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/03/10/windows-on-the-will/ [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Stevens, D. (2015) Anomalisa. A beautiful, tricky, heartbreaking puppet show from Charlie Kaufman. Available at: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2015/12/charlie_kaufman_s_anomalisa_reviewed.html [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Team America: World Police, (2004) Directed by Trey Parker. United States of America: Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, MMDP Munich Movie Development & Production GmbH & Co. Project KG [DVD]

Variety, (2015) 'Anomalisa' ­- Sculpting Animated Characters with Carol Koch ­- Variety Artisans. [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AILnP1Y-0o&index=66&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR [Accessed: 21st February 2017]

Wells, P. (1996) Understanding animation. London: Routledge. Pp. 19

Wells, P. (2006) Fundamentals of animation. [E-book + book] Lausanne: AVA Publishing.

What it all Meant, (2016) Animation in Anomalisa [YouTube video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ezp_KSvNnc&index=70&list=PL-RhqqYuEIowa7joVkUc_8dyTIDEL2vnR&t=3s

As you’ve probably noticed I have changed my essay question from Question 6 to do with animation’s licence to be more radical than live action cinema, to Question 4 ‘’Only available in Animation’  To what extent does this Paul Wells quote apply to your chosen film? Explain how the medium and materials enter, shape, and define the narrative. If your chosen film subverts or ignores conventional expectations of a ‘plotted’ narrative, identify the strategies employed in its place.’ This was because I was really struggling to link my points and arguments to inherent innocence. I have to admit I panicked a bit because I was behind with my work and already having troubles before even starting to write it. However, my tutor calmed my nerves and suggested I change to question 4 as that best suited what I wanted to talk about with Anomalisa. So the draft above are my edited bullet point notes of what I want to say in my new essay focusing on how the medium of stop motion, it’s materials enter, shape and define the unconventional narrative of Anomalisa.

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This is my edited final Flour Sack sequence based on the feedback I received last week in my Animated Sketchbook tutorial. Like my tutor suggested I made the flour sack a lot heavier looking by adding a slower get up and a wobble when he does stand to show the lack of balance in weight. There reference I had for this is shown in the previous post, a scene from Wall-e. This really helped me envision what I wanted from my flour sack, drawing a few reference pictures before finally sketching them out on TV Paint. I think this is a definite improvement from my previous flour sack sequence that I thought I had finished, so I’m glad I had that tutorial with my tutor to point out my inconsistency with weight. 

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The other day I rewatched Wall-e with my boyfriend and it reminded me of how great of a film it is. The story is beautiful that is brought to life so well by its 3D animation, it made us sob in parts because the emotion was so real. Anyway, I remembered this scene when I was looking for references of how to make my flour sack heavier when it got up off the ground in my second sequence. What I particularly loved in this is the wobble in the captain when he stands up for the first time, like a new born baby, his shape even resembles a flour sack! From this reference, I am planning to do a few sketches of the flour sack that imitates this realistic movement for my own animated sequence. 

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This my final Animated Sketchbook expression change sequence, which I finally completed this week. Even though it took a lot of work and re-work I am really happy with how the final outcome looks, I think it’s my favourite 2D animation I’ve made this year. I’ve put a hell of a lot of work into this so I’m also pretty proud it turned out so well. I think I solved my problem with timing and made it a lot less consistent by adding more frames of that disbelief/shocked face drawing, still making it look alive by adding the teary effect in the eyes. I also think the tear movement is a great end to the piece, as it really emphasises the emotion of the character in that frame. I don’t think there's anything more that I could have done or thought of to improve the sequence, but I guess there are small details that could be improved for example the consistency in drawing of the ears and shoulders. 

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While working on my Animated Sketchbook sequences I discovered an alternative way to do my expression change which would have looked quite cool. It looks a little bit like cell shading but I quite like having the real picture beneath my own drawing, I think it makes for a good drawing. In the future, I would like to experiment with this method as a way of doing 2D animation.

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Expression Change Delivery - Angle 3

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Expression Change Delivery - Angle 2

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Expression Change Delivery - Angle 1

This is my final 3D Digital expression change animation. I added in pretty much all of what I wanted to add, except I did leave out the double take because it was too much work. I’m pretty pleased with it and I think it’s my best 3D animation yet. The only aspect I would improve is the timing, I think it’s a little too consistent, to improve this I would say there should be a longer period for the bored expression and a quicker change into the angry expression. However, other than that I think its a big improvement from my other 3D animations, which is down to getting more comfortable with Maya and its many controls. 

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While watching Shrek 2 the other day I realised there was a good expression change similar to my own that I had to capture. This is my own gif of the scene where Shrek is shocked at Puss and then angry at the people who stole Fiona from him. It’s useful to see his body language and the way his eyes and eyebrows move during these expression changes. This will help me visualise my own expression changes in these emotions when working in Maya.

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These are some tutorials on facial animation, especially expression change to help me with my own 3D Digital expression change animation in Maya. 

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Expression Change Breakdowns - Angle 2

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Expression Change Breakdowns - Angle 1

These are my breakdowns for my 3D Digital expression change animation. From the key frames video, I added a bored blink and a look up and down before getting angry. I like the slow blink I think it exaggerates the bored expression. I also think the looking up and down before getting angry is a natural progression that you might see in someone before they get aggressive. I’ve still got a lot to do though, I would like to add that late mouth opening in the angry expression that I did in my video reference as well as just cleaning up the movement in general to make it look more realistic.  

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This is a video reference of myself acting out my 3D Digital expression change animation. I tried to make it as similar to what I wanted out of the animation as possible but also act as natural as I could. I spontaneously closed my mouth in a snarl when moving into the last pose, only opening my mouth when I make the final fists-up pose. I think this would go well in my animation so I will add it into my animation next time I work on it.