making of duet

[furushil]

You may have all seen this by now:



I really don't like it if tech people talk about 2D animation as if it is super ancient. "[...]to breath new life into an art form almost lost to us[...]", really ? . I understand that it is a tech conference, but do they always have to be so "we are living in the future" ?

[ten_zero]

An Assist post : Making edition from Google I/O 2014 "Google Spotlight Stories project"


I’m afraid of become it give misleading explanation again by my poor English language, but ...

Not always 3D and Digital computing technology as the most advanced of animation.
Because a Japanese (from classical Chinese) proverb says "温故知新" - look up a same meaning in Deutsch, "Man versteht die Neuen durch die Alten".

Spoiler : in Français :

C'est avec du vieux qu'on fait du neuf
from a public library entrance of Kyoto, Japan.

Truely, some people appeal for "hand drawing or analog/traditional technique is over, digital & 3D technology is best" -
I do not think so, just will be a symbiotic relation as pencil & animation papers with TVPaint Animation (and etc.).

[Elodie]

I watched the film yesterday. Well, that's cute and well-animated, but there is nothing extraordinary, nor in the story, neither in the technique. Use your phone as a camera to follow the animation is fun, but, well... It did not amazed me.

It's a cool idea, but I think the popularity of this film is mainly due to the name of Glen Keane, not because of the short itself.

And I must admit the tech conference left me cold. But I think their reaction about 2D just comes from Hollywood's spirit : Hollywood told "2D is dead, let's do 3D only", and all big companies follow this unofficial order. Finally, in Europe you have much more choice to make a feature film, because 2D and even stop motion are not dead, and European people know it.

[ten_zero]

And I must admit the tech conference left me cold. But I think their reaction about 2D just comes from Hollywood's spirit : Hollywood told "2D is dead, let's do 3D only", and all big companies follow this unofficial order. Finally, in Europe you have much more choice to make a feature film, because 2D and even stop motion are not dead, and European people know it.

1 up from the far east islands.

[Fabrice]

You may have all seen this by now:

I didn't, so thanks for posting.
I liked it, even if not impressed by the technology behind.

I really don't like it if tech people talk about 2D animation as if it is super ancient. "[...]to breath new life into an art form almost lost to us[...]", really ? . I understand that it is a tech conference, but do they always have to be so "we are living in the future" ?

Interesting point of view and post furushil.

Several years ago, I saw a french documentary about prehistoric caves (Lascaux in France, probably).
It was explained that people used lights and fire to show/hide painted animals on the wall of the caves.
All that shadow and light game was giving the illusion of movement, because different part of the images were visible through their respective emboss and colors.

At my eyes, talks about tech and artists are often pretentious : "we used the best artists (how can someone judge this ?) with the lastest tech ... so we made the best animated masterpiece."
Animation has always been here and will always be. We are just continuing its tribute to life, but with different tools.

[furushil]

Several years ago, I saw a french documentary about prehistoric caves (Lascaux in France, probably).
It was explained that people used lights and fire to show/hide painted animals on the wall of the caves.

Ou yes, didn't some students at Gobelins make an animation about this?


I am pretty young and I love tech myself but I still don't get this idea of standing in the room with your phone and moving it around to catch some pieces of animation. How is this better from just watching it on the big screen?
But well, I never tried it, maybe it is kind of cool.

Sometimes when I see for example that people use a super high end computer to render out one thousand filter on top of each other and then convince themselves that it is super cool, I think it is just silly.
Makes me always wonder: how will it be when I am old?
I guess this is part of life

[ten_zero]

Several years ago, I saw a french documentary about prehistoric caves (Lascaux in France, probably).

In 2011 ?
http://www.passesimple.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Fabrice]

Hi Ten-Zero,
I think you might have found it

Ou yes, didn't some students at Gobelins make an animation about this?

Yes, but it was completely different compared to the real animations in caves.

I am pretty young and I love tech myself but I still don't get this idea of standing in the room with your phone and moving it around to catch some pieces of animation. How is this better from just watching it on the big screen? But well, I never tried it, maybe it is kind of cool.

I also prefer to watch on a cinema screen of TV.

Sometimes when I see for example that people use a super high end computer to render out one thousand filter on top of each other and then convince themselves that it is super cool, I think it is just silly. Makes me always wonder: how will it be when I am old?

I think one stays young as long as (s)he keeps evolving with flexibility.
It's not a matter of technology.

[slowtiger]

Well, that's cute and well-animated, but there is nothing extraordinary, nor in the story, neither in the technique.

Exactly my thoughts. Someone over at cartoonbrew commented that animators may not always be good storytellers, which is true.

I found myself thinking about several aspects during watching this:
- we have seen this grow up thing quite a lot of times. Nothing wrong with that, but ... not new.
- beauty in animation is nearly always identical with youth. (See "Anna and Bella" for something different.) Also, love and relationship seem to be based on beauty alone.
- animation seems to concentrate on depicting humans under 30.
- ballet and stage are an overused metaphor for goals in life. Furthermore they're about personal dreams only, quite egotistical (that "live your dream" bit).

I think I'll show this to my students and let them discuss.

[Fabrice]

it could be compared with this, btw :

[Elodie]

it could be compared with this, btw :

Spoiler : :

Except I find Ryan Woodward's short film much more beautiful, fluid and magic than Duet
In that short, there is no story, it's just a dance between two characters (the same kind of dance you may see in modern dance). But, as it's animation, it allows Ryan to play more with characters' abilities, strong lines and emotion.

Plus, Ryan's short is, IMHO, made just for the passion of animation, music and dance. There is no "technical pretentiousness", not like in Duet (as you explained) :

At my eyes, talks about tech and artists are often pretentious : "we used the best artists (how can someone judge this ?) with the lastest tech ... so we made the best animated masterpiece."

[Fabrice]

I agree with all what you said.
That why the comparison is interesting.

[Elodie]

I reassure you, I thought about Ryan's film too when I watched Duet

[furushil]

Well, that sure did stray off topic quickly

Don't be so hard on Glen Keane, though
There is nothing wrong with telling the same story again, but differently.
I think he is a master and his animation has a lot of emotion to it.

My main point is that people often think that new technology=progress. That may be true in many fields but in art it is not like that. New technology is not equal progress in arts, it does not make art better.
Art may be different with new technology but not better. Many times, poeple who are saying that art evolved through certain technology just want to sell a product (like in this case).

Edit: Oh, I just realized that I posted the wrong video at the beginning . I wanted to post the "making of duet" video that ten_zero showed where the lady says my quote Well, now we have both and something to talk about.

[Fabrice]

sorry for the off-topic messages and comparison with someone else animation.

Don't be so hard on Glen Keane, though

I didn't want to be : I like "Duet", but I don't think the way it's shown in the making of is the good one.
- - -
Back to the subject :

New technology is not equal progress in arts.

Hmmm. What is the "progress in arts" ? it's no easy to define, but it's often said in various making-of (especially in the US, but not only : there are examples in Europe and Japan).