animated dance Erica Russell 'Feet of Song'

Feet of Song
A Film by Erica Russell

Russell addresses African rhythm and dance in this film in an almost cubist style.
This film was introduced to me by my photographer friend Marysia and I particularily like the tones of colour used in it. I studied Afro Caribbean dance technique during my years in Jamaica in the 70's and this film reminds me of that time. Studying the dance style helped me to understand the roots of many of the people there ( although the indiginous people of Jamaica were in fact the Arawak indians and they were wiped out by invaders and disease! Indians, Africans, Chinese, Libyans, Europeans and other nationalities were introduced to Jamaica over the centuries through the slave trade, Sugar industry etc).




I learned recently that Robert Burns was due to emigrate to Jamaica to work in the sugar industry along with many other Scots, but got his customs and excise work instead! I wish I had known that all those years ago!I did of course do a Burns supper while I was there...tho trying to explain 'Pusie Nancy' was interesting!

Norman McLaren, the creative mind

Norman McLaren's place in the history of animation is that of a pioneer of technique. Transcripts of interviews with him later in life bring the reader in touch with a shy sensitive, multi sensory man who saw the world in a very unique way. He was deeply affected by the world around him and his films respond to that world . My interest is in examining the man behind the films.

Just as the architect's work has no meaning if you do not look at the space it encloses, we as humans would not be alive if not for the spaces between our heartbeats or our breathing in and out. As a choreographer I am interested in the spaces between things also. the interim between one pose and another is filled with movement and the choreographer's task is to find a unique way to make that transition. This seems akin to the animator's art. What lies in the mind of the creative artist between idea and realisation also holds great fascination for me.(As does the space between the performance and the audience interpretation and reaction).

McLaren also discussed the space between. In his own words;

Animation is not the art of drawings that move but the art
of movements that are drawn.What happens between each
frame is more important than what exists on each frame.
Animation is therefore the art of manipulating the
invisible interstices that lie between the frames
( Collins 1976)

As a dancer the appearance of stillness is difficult to to achieve without extreme discipline. It is intersting that McLaren subjected himself to sucha test of discipline (in his field) in making 'lines vertical' and 'lines horizontal' (Furniss 2007).

McLaren's sensitivity and acute awareness of movement, stillness, dance and music makes his work unique. Maynard Collins' book on Norman McLaren does give great insight into McLaren the man(1976). Maureen Furniss examines the context in which McLaren's work now sits in 'Art in Motion, Animation Aesthetics (2007).

A dancer can never achieve total stillness.Every muscle will be twitching to keep balance, your heart and lungs still performing their essential movements.Animators recognise this and manage to achieve that constant
'flicker'in the shift from one frame to the next.

Stanislavsky suggested stillness is the ultimate movement skill.

(to be continued!)

Exploring Practce

Coming to an animation and visualisation  masters course as a choreographer has been an interesting journey so far. There are many skills to learn about..in order to make informed choices for my film and animation work. To date,skills explored have included SLR camera work,digital video camera, filming in a group..class topic -Dundee-, life drawing, after effects, brief introduction to 3D animation on Maya, and of course learning to blog!

Life Drawing
It is a long time since I last did life drawing so my first attempts were a bit rough! I felt I could only sit for a short time on the first two sessions but things improved slowly and I now feel I can concentrate quite some time.
Taking this into thoughts about animation I feel I would certainly like to do some sketches of dance to work with. I will contact Janet Smith at Scottish dance Theatre to arrange to sit in on class.

quick sketches....sept/oct 2010

I have already made a decision not to use 3D myself but have identified artists who would willingly collaborate with me should I change my mind on this. I have also made a decision to include 2D animation work and am working on my own drawing skills with this in mind. Again there are artists who would work on this with me. The life drawing is a challenge I am really enjoying, and would like soon to try to capture some quick images of movement. Perhaps the best way is to tee up a session at Scottish dance Theatre, so I will talk to Janet Smith about this. I had a phone call on Friday from a year 2 animation student who would not only like to work on some animation with me but was also an accomplished dancer herself. There seems to me an ideal opportunity to have dance/ film /drawing/ animation crossover here so later in the term we will meet up and test the water.....or maybe snow!!! as right now I am looking out at 8 inches of snow on the roof tops and hedge!!! I am already thinking of movement sequences to work with, and on Friday looked back at some of my past choreography searching for material. I will get into the edit suite and make a short clip of my work for this purpose.

Newburgh shoreline in the snow.............
On Friday I also spent 2 hours with Malcolm looking at after effects...lots of ideas there for me..thank you Lucy for setting this up.

 

life drawing ....getting there slowly!

I have tried a mix of materials to draw with. I like softer pencils but also graphite sticks. I love working witrh charcoal but have not tried to sketch figures with this yet. My tutor, Sharon should be able to help me with this!!  I have looked at animation withcharcoal and really like the effect. It seems to me this would lend itself well to dance drawings and help achieve the sense of fluidity I am looking for................   

At last I managed to buy a decent camera. I want to do some stop motion work so a camera is an essential! I found a Fujifilm finepix HS10 and so far am pleased. My first shot was this majestic tree on the back road to Sheriffmuir. The stormy weather had suddenly given way to a patch of sunshine!!

                                                                                                                                      

Norman' skates

These are not actually Norman's skates, but my dad's. They are from the same time in history and I remember my father wearing them when he taught me to skate in Dunblane's ochlochy park. When I found these in the attic, I thought of the letter Norman wrote home to his mum about skating on the ice behind his home in Canada in 1943. The war was on and my dad was a prisoner of war in Stalag 20 B in Germany.  Norman was a free man skating in Montreal!! While my dad's skates would be sitting unused at home. I thought these ice skates could be used to tell a little tale of their own!!!           

 Although I have not taken the film on ice I chose a concrete surface which seemed to me to be close to the colour of muddy ice and to sepia photos. This gives the images a timeless quality I think....

 so this is Norman working away in his studio...not in 1943 but much later..he had his new specs which he felt he had to have...his old tortoiseshell ones seemed rather old fashioned he said..            

and below is a picture of my dad, Jim, in 1943 sent from Stalag XXB on the Eastern border of Germany. Such a contrast for two cousins!!!!!!!                                                                     

 Here is a fragment of a letter sent home from Germany from my dad in 1943      

and this is a fragment of a letter from Norman to Jim in 1981. He has mistakenly called Jim his nephew!! and Jim has penciled in COUSIN!!

Norman as choreographer?

These are short clips from a film made by Norman McLaren. Pas de deux being one of a number using dancers.It is clear McLaren had a great interest in movement and dance.My recent research has evealed, in fact that he loved dancing. His film made at art college, 'Camera Makes Whoopee' ,has a large section of dance in it and I already see in this the accute spatial awareness that I think made him unique.It is interesting to note that one of the reasons he engaged in dance film was as a teaching aid for ballet dancers. Ballet Adagio was expressly for this purpose. He always seems to have been ready and willing to share his ideas and although he was a shy man in many ways, he was nevertheless a good communicator.


Norman McLaren was a pioneer of technique. He was an animator but also a director, musician, artist and keen observer of humanity.A multi faceted individual who had so many great ideas . It probably goes without saying that he was also an incredibly hard worker! He threw himself heart and soul into his projects, and that shows in his films. It is interesting to note how many of his films still seem relevant today. The film techniques may in some cases seem quite dated but often the subject matter overrides this, I feel ,and  films like 'Neighbours' have as much power to move emotions as they must have done in 1950.

He had a great sympathy for oppressed people of the world.I wonder if his mother encouraging him to go to visit the 'slums' near his home increased his awareness of those less fortunate than him.I have recently wondered if those 'slums' were in fact 'The Raploch' which is at present undergoing an amazing regeneration.

So what was it that was so special about him as a person? How did he generate ideas?
He once said that if he had been a dancer he would have created movemnt in a very different way, but movement was nevertheless his main language as an animator.His was constantly trying to bring some sense of motion to his paintings as a student, and film presented the solution.

So how would a Norman McLaren choreography look?
This is one of the questions I hope to explore in my masters degree.

music and film

I am always amazed that Norman was doing this by 1950..no paper...straight on to the film!!
The ultimate marriage of image and sound.....showed this to my son `finn who is a musician and we had a great conversation about it. He felt he would like to try the technique!!
This must also be amazing for him since now when you play a cd on your pc you have a visual automatically to accompany it!!

atmosphere, simplicity, music

Thank you Kaye for introducing me to this wonderful film. I have watched it again in the light of your detailed analysis of it. The music ...funny that I was so entranced by the film that I did not remember that it was an accordion..the father of european folk instruments!( Actually my musical son tells me it might be a French musette...that is also the name of this type of tune...)This of course immediately sets the film as a kind of folk tale I think. Certainly it takes place in the countryside..perhaps there is an inherant supposition of country values too.
The visual of the film was so beautiful. the simplicity of sepia tones and black/ brown and cream. Line drawings..not too much detail to distract you from the message but always enough to trigger your emotional response.Again I am reassured that my love of simplicity in visual art is grounded. I found this film very moving, totally gripping and very satisfying. Less is more!!

Dance and film possibilities

This Australian company have some unique exploration into dance and film.
This one particularily highlights a possible linking of dance and the pattern in space.
I used to imagine what a dancer and a pot of paint could create on a huge white floor.
I guess this is something like I dreamed? How is it done I ask