"Hair Love" is an animated short created by Sony Pictures Animation studios. It features a little girl and her father who are struggling with the little girl's hair. It masterfully executes a multitude of components:
Camera Shots: The shots in the film serve to emphasize emotions and power dynamics along with the characters. The shot at 0:51 has the points of emphasis on the girl's face and yet also shows that all of her hair doesn't fit inside the shot, emphasizing how big it is, which is a central point throughout the film. The shot at 2:14 shows the father filling only the top third of the screen while the hair occupies the rest to show how he is small and dominated by the hair. The bird's eye at 2:58 serves to show the same thing. Yet, the shot at 4:08 shows the father in a slight worm's eye, putting him in a position of power and also showing him from the daughter's perspective. The shot at 4:15 shows the hair occupying only a third of the screen while the father and daughter occupy the other two thirds, showing that they dominate the hair when they work together, which is one of the main points of the film. The shot at 5:07 uses mostly leading lines and framing to get us to focus in on the woman: our eyes go to her gradually, which lets us take in her condition and makes us realize that she has cancer. The shot at 5:38 then, of her daughter's drawing, puts the artwork in focus and shows its emotional importance.
Themes: The central message is reiterated throughout the film within the mother's videos: They can accomplish anything if they have patience and love. While the demon that they are tackling for the most part seems to be the little girl's hair, it actually serves as a subtle metaphor for the mother's condition, which is emphasized by her lack of hair. While it will be challenging, they can make it through together, as a family. The film also serves to show the cultural importance of hair in black families: it brings the members of the family together even though they are all battling with their own challenges and demons.
Art: The film blends two types of 2D art to fulfill their goal: while the backgrounds are watercolor-like stills for the most part (as is most evident at 5:04). However, the characters and some other elements are all drawn in a direct, solid color, which makes the stand out on the background rather than having any character blend in at any point.
Work Log:
Monday 2/3: Worked on character
Tuesday 2/4: Worked on character and letters
Wednesday 2/5: Worked on 3D printer
Thursday 2/6: Worked on unclogging 3D printer
Friday 2/7: Unclogged 3D printer
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