"La Noria" is an animated short created by Carlos Baena; it is about a young boy who has recently lost his father and is now dealing with the pain. I think what most amazed me about this short was both the way they conveyed their message and--more importantly--the aesthetic of the animation. It plays as a full-length feature despite being only 12 minutes long.
I think one of the first things that sticks out is the way they chose to portray grief: the boy's pain manifests as a horde of hideous and terrifying creatures. They initially tear everything apart and break the ferris wheel the boy was making with his father. Ultimately, however, it turns out that they have been tearing everything apart to construct a ferris wheel for they boy to remember his father by. Once he starts up the ferris wheel, the demons disappear, and the boy is left alone with his memories. The transformation of the demons' nature shows the stages of grief and how people deal with loss.
The aesthetic of the animation is simply beautiful: it encompasses sorrow and beauty, and the details are impeccable. The shots are carefully planned out, and it honestly reminds me more of a live-action movie than an animated one. 1:42, for one, is an example of both framing and the rule of thirds. Furthermore, they have an excellent control over the character and are able to portray a large variety of emotions, even more subtle ones. They have great textures on, and everything is clearly bump-mapped. You can even clearly make out the bumps on the demons' leathery skin. I think the most beautiful scene comes at then end when the ferris wheel comes to life. I especially love 9:45 and the combination of the joy on the boy's face and the lights reflecting on his face.
I would love to be able to portray emotions like this animation does, everything seems so utterly human, and this would definitely play into my theme of looking outward and human nature. I also want to work more on my shots so I can have frames that are outstanding and perfectly sum up the animation. Certainly, I can't replicate the caliber of the animation as I am one sole person, but I can work towards improving myself nonetheless.
Work Log:
Monday 10/28: Presentations
Tuesday 10/29: Presentations
Wednesday 10/30: Presentations
Thursday 10/31: Presentations
Friday 11/1: Worked on Essence
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