Week 10 Play and Stillness

Bird and Cage

Context

Magic Paper. A Stop motion Animation by Guldies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ_zMNNsmCk

This reference is a stop motion combines paper stop motion with real objects.

My animation is about release the bird from the cage ( the screen). I play the bird animation and then open the cage with a mouse. Look, the bird flies out of screen and perch on my hand.

Method

I draw the bird animation in Photoshop and combine with the stop motion in After Effects. And it is important to put the sound effects in. The bird paper has a handed, so I can grab it with two fingers.  

Response 

The bird animation was made for my studio game. In the game, the bird can also be released by using a key to open the cage. But the bird would be received in an inventory. When I design this action I want the player can realize that he is carrying the bird. However, in-game, there is no direct touch. Thus, this stop motion comes out. The Stillness not only can be though as the state before I click the play animation button, but it can also recognize the world behind the screen. The animation in photoshop is stoppable because the players can pause the animation whenever they want. On the other hand, the real world is continuous, unstoppable environment. So, I use the stop motion when the unreal bird breaks into reality.

Reflection

I think the play is the antonym of stillness. Play is an action, but stillness is an unmovable state. In my view, the stop motion can be the play of stillness because each frame is stillness, but it became continuous when the frames connect. 

The stillness could be also defined as the time is paused or the time passes relatively slow. Thus, the play would consider being a more active, playful and alive state. The stillness sets off the move in play and the play sets off the stop in stillness.