Monday, January 28, 2008
Inspiration
So I thought I'd post the image that is the major inspiration for my short. It was done by John Tenniel in 1872 as a plate for "Through the Looking Glass". Enjoy!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
What exactly is a short?
Before I get into this, let me say that the following are my opinions alone and anyone who would like to voice their opinions here are more than welcome to!
Technically speaking, a short subject or short film, otherwise known as a "short" is a film that runs no longer than 40 minutes. Who decided this? I have no idea. Animated shorts often run about 7 minutes long, but there are a few I've come across that almost hit the 40 minute mark! But a short isn't about length or time, it's about content and story. And in an animated short it's also about the medium. Sometimes the story and the animation are cartoony, sometimes they are serious, stylized and even abstract.
Aside from the technical definition, "What is a short?" is sort of a trick question really. Basically, it's whatever the artist/creator/film-maker wants it to be. Art is very difficult to define... unless, unlike me, you're a right wing Republican ("I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that." - Justice Potter Stewart, Jacobellis vs. Ohio) For me, with my current project, it's many different things...
But what a short is will be different depending on who you talk to. For some it might be a way of getting a political or environmental message across, such as "Badgered". For others it may be a way to explore personal issues, like the Academy Award winning "The Moon and the Sun: An Imagined Conversation", where the film-maker engages in a discussion with his deceased father in hopes of resolving his conflicted feelings about the man. And some are just plain fun. But no matter what, they are a way of telling a story or expressing an opinion, no matter what it may be. But there's plenty of time to get into that. So please keep coming back and keep your shorts on!
Technically speaking, a short subject or short film, otherwise known as a "short" is a film that runs no longer than 40 minutes. Who decided this? I have no idea. Animated shorts often run about 7 minutes long, but there are a few I've come across that almost hit the 40 minute mark! But a short isn't about length or time, it's about content and story. And in an animated short it's also about the medium. Sometimes the story and the animation are cartoony, sometimes they are serious, stylized and even abstract.
Aside from the technical definition, "What is a short?" is sort of a trick question really. Basically, it's whatever the artist/creator/film-maker wants it to be. Art is very difficult to define... unless, unlike me, you're a right wing Republican ("I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that." - Justice Potter Stewart, Jacobellis vs. Ohio) For me, with my current project, it's many different things...
- A chance to share a poem I love.
- A message about facing ones fears.
- An opportunity to push my creative and technical skills.
- and most important of all... a way to have fun!
But what a short is will be different depending on who you talk to. For some it might be a way of getting a political or environmental message across, such as "Badgered". For others it may be a way to explore personal issues, like the Academy Award winning "The Moon and the Sun: An Imagined Conversation", where the film-maker engages in a discussion with his deceased father in hopes of resolving his conflicted feelings about the man. And some are just plain fun. But no matter what, they are a way of telling a story or expressing an opinion, no matter what it may be. But there's plenty of time to get into that. So please keep coming back and keep your shorts on!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to the Gaslamp Digital blog! My name is Eliot Sirota. The focus of this blog will be on creating animated short films. Admittedly, there are several other blogs covering this topic, but since I'm working on my own animated short I thought this might be a good way to explore and exchange ideas with others with similar interests by raising topics that are, in my opinion, of importance to the craft, both artistically and technically.
My short is called "Jabberwocky" and is based on the poem of the same name by Lewis Carrol, from the book "Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there." It is a slow going work in progress due to time constraints and the desire to get everything just right, but it is also a labour of love. I will occasionally post some concept art or maybe even an animation test or two, but I don't want to give to much away just yet... sooner or later I might need to recruit a little help as well. Making a film, even a short, is not as easy as some might suspect!
I want to hear from others who also are making, or have made animated shorts and hear about their experiences, challenges and triumphs. I will also throw out some recommendations for shorts that inspire me. Some are lighthearted, like those from Disney or Pixar, while others are darker and show that animation isn't just for children, such as "The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello" or the highly disturbing "Fallen Art".
So please join me in exploring this unique medium. Hopefully we can all benefit from one another and bring our ideas to fruition! Stay tuned for my next post... "What exactly is a 'Short'?" Talk to you soon!
My short is called "Jabberwocky" and is based on the poem of the same name by Lewis Carrol, from the book "Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there." It is a slow going work in progress due to time constraints and the desire to get everything just right, but it is also a labour of love. I will occasionally post some concept art or maybe even an animation test or two, but I don't want to give to much away just yet... sooner or later I might need to recruit a little help as well. Making a film, even a short, is not as easy as some might suspect!
I want to hear from others who also are making, or have made animated shorts and hear about their experiences, challenges and triumphs. I will also throw out some recommendations for shorts that inspire me. Some are lighthearted, like those from Disney or Pixar, while others are darker and show that animation isn't just for children, such as "The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello" or the highly disturbing "Fallen Art".
So please join me in exploring this unique medium. Hopefully we can all benefit from one another and bring our ideas to fruition! Stay tuned for my next post... "What exactly is a 'Short'?" Talk to you soon!
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