Our latest brief set us the task of creating a short animated film containing Kinetic Typography (Typography which appears in time to speech). First we researched to find a short speech by a creative practitioner whose words we found inspiring. For me this was Lawrence Weiner, and what he talks about during an interview with Debbie Millman. Not only am I a massive fan of his work, but felt it fell perfectly to my vision of words appearing in footage.

His Work:

So I took his style of typography, and gave it life. I spent a weekend shooting footage, and a day and a half editing the film and sound, before finally creating the animation. I’ve been without a laptop for a week and a half which is why it was slightly rushed but I’m quite pleased with the outcome.

On wednesday we were given our two hours to actually animate our idea, which was of course the Tree we spent a few days last week building. We shot the animation backwards, gradually taking the tree apart to simulate growth when played backwards. It was hard to keep the movements consistent in rotations, and also to get everything done within the amount of time we had. I set up my SLR next to the video camera, so I could shoot my own version of the animation. There was a few mishaps along the way, but for what is essentially the first time I’ve tried something like this, I’m pretty happy with the results.

Next Wednesday we will be given two hours to create an animation lasting between 10 and 20 seconds. The theme for everyones animation is books, but you really have a lot of freedom with regard to how you use books, and the part they play in the idea.

Our idea is based around the Tree of Knowledge. Below is tree we’ve built, made from thousands of pieces of paper, all taken from different books, and threaded onto wire. The wire branches were then tied together along with the help of a glue gun to create the structure of a tree. Finally I added white plasticine to make it stand up, but also create the trunk and enhance the overall look of the tree. On some of the branches are little books. In the animation the tree will actually grow from the “Book of Knowledge”. Each of the books is another world, and as the show you what grows within the book of knowledge, we will then show you the world that grows in a book within a book….

This will take a while to load. Its a test animation of the tree spinning.

Brief: Create 3D typography which communicates the word behind it
My word is “Horror”
Rather than being conceptual, and avoiding any cliches, I embraced them full-heartedly and created a set of six “scary letters” which in reality… appear to be more cute and nice than scary… But so is the effect of plasticine!

While writing down, trying to compile a list of the best films I have seen made in the last ten years, it becomes very easy to forget films which, at the time, stood out. One person who never slips my mind though, is Charlie Kaufman.

So effected have I been by his films, that his writing has changed my view not simply on films, but on creativity and even life itself. Here is someone widely acknowledged as constantly pushing the boundaries. Whether its Spike Jonze or Michel Gondry behind the camera, each of these films is essentially a Charlie Kaufman film.

The first time I became aware of his work, was about 4 or 5 years ago. I remember hearing from friends on its release, that “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” was not a “Jim Carrey” film, and advised that this was not something worth watching. A year later a friend had it on dvd, and convinced me I should watch it. I remember sitting there, mesmerised by its complexity, the fascinating concepts, the sheer beauty of it all. It was unlike anything I had ever come across, but at the same time felt so connected. The film swept me away, taking me on a journey unlike anything I had experienced. As it finished I could feel the emotional impact it had had on me, something you rarely have the opportunity to experience this deeply.

Now this was long before Kaufman had exploded to where he is now, within my own group of friends anyhow. From here I bought Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation. Malkovich again simply blew me away, the strange lives of the characters, the surreal story, the quiet genius of it all. Adaptation struck me in a different way. I didn’t feel like I had with Malkovich or Eternal Sunshine, but instead this film left me pondering exactly what it was Kaufman had created. His work untill this point had at least been comprehendible, but when you start dissecting Adaptation you realise just how much further Kaufman can go.

Last year I finally had the pleasure to see Synecdoche New York, Charlie Kaufman’s directoral debut and a film I had waited forever to see. I would safely say, that this is in fact his best film yet. A masterful film which is both surreal and relatable. It was an experience I never wanted to end. Not because it was enjoyable or entertaining, (though it is both these things to different degrees) but because this film deals with so many things on so many levels, there is so much here to get your mind into, that at times it can seem overwhelming. Not only is this Kaufman’s best film, but a likely candidate for film of the decade.