when I’m animating there is so much to keep in mind. camera placement, props, character design, set design, lighting, colour etc.

These can be a little overwhelming and it’s easy to just launch in and see what happens, then play with everything as I work.

I’m learning to explore the meaning of a piece first and let that be the guide for all mise-en-scene decisions

(mise-en-scène)

arranging of visual elements such as:

• Sets
• Props
• Lighting 
• Costumes
• Actor blocking
• Shot composition 

this arrangement tells a story for example:

in this shot from Jurassic Park the story is claustrophobic terror. 

massive jaws tear into the frame. jeep walls offer no escape. the tiny desperate hands try desperately to hold up a sheet of glass. 

there is a sense that doom is inevitable and there is no point trying to escape this monster

this colourful shot from Barbie tells a very different story

in Barbieland, the Whitehouse is next to a ferris wheel and a donut shop. you get the sense that Barbie can do anything she wants, yet everything feels somehow small. like Barbie is trapped in this perfect world where everything is easy.

It’s amazing that these two very opposite shots could offer the same feeling. Claustrophobia and a desire to escape.

the struggle of telling real stories

it’s fun to make a cool animation with monsters and crazy lighting. or some super realistic couch with water pouring on it.

but I am afraid to really be with a character and explore a relationship.

so how do I do this?

make real characters

so often my characters don’t have names. give them a name and an emotional drive. pour myself into the character.

make the setting matter

why are skeletons dancing on a barn? that’s just random animation happening. let’s consider the emotion and let that drive the setting.

watch and read

maybe it’s time to watch more emotional tv and movies and read books that are grounded in truth.

like. the last movie I watched was The Little Mermaid reboot which definitely didn’t make me feel much. contrast that with Mitchells vs The Machines which is also aimed at kids but it had me holding back tears.

I can still enjoy silly media but if it’s truly nonsense then it may be numbing me. the same way reading reddit endlessly is an escape.

Just like Barbie and those kids, I need to challenge the world as it is and find happiness. and not get eaten by the T-Rex of mediocre animation.

This frame shows a man on a bench with a massive creature in the foggy background. there is a sense of mystery but no emotion.

How can i improve this piece? Well let’s tear it apart into the elements. a man on the bench makes me think of a lonely widow. A city being destroyed by a monster makes me think of Godzilla or Cloverfield.

Perhaps the story is of a widow watching the world be destroyed. He is not sad because he is ready to die and join his wife in Heaven.

So we see this couple come to this bench every day. Then we see she is no longer with him. He is sad and lonely on their bench.

Catastrophe strikes and demons destroy the city. He watches. Is he sad? Scared? Relieved?

How would I feel as a lonely widower who is watching the world end? Now that’s a good question.

The meaning of a scene guides the clear choices of lighting, decor, and camera placement.