project proposal

For my project this term I want to continue to work on a project of mine that I created in my animated documentary class last term. I made two short animations about my dad, using phone call conversations with my mom, reminiscing about my dad. I want to continue working on this series, entitled "Dad Jokes." I combine humor with grief and loss to create poignant films that people can relate to. 

I plan to start by recording new audio conversations with my mom, as well as possibly others, and myself talking about my dad and his infectious laugh, sense of humor, and positive outlook on life. Once I've recorded my audio, I'll go back and listen to everything I have and work in Premiere to cut and trim my audio down into what I want in my final film. After I have honed my audio, I'll begin animating in Photoshop. Using frame by frame, I will animate as the story the audio is telling progresses. The audio is my main focus of the piece, using animation to further the story. Finally, after finishing the animation in Photoshop, I will bring everything into Premiere to piece it all together and finish the film.

A contemporary artist that relates to my project and has inspired my work is John Summerson. Summerson creates animations and animated documentaries. Many of his films deal with similar topics of grief, loss, and love. One particular animation of his that inspired me is called, Road Trip. 

Connecting my project to Roland Barthes' reading, he describes, "this relay-text becomes very important in film, where dialogue functions not simply as elucidation but really does advance the action by setting out, in the sequence of messages, meanings that are not found in the image itself" (41). This quote from Barthes can relate to my project. The audio phone call conversation I will have with my mom is meant to be the main subject and focus of my film, us talking and reminiscing about my dad, funny stories we remember fondly of him. The animation, or the image, is meant to advance the dialogue. The animation alone, without any audio, would not have anywhere near the meaning and message the dialogue coupled with the image will.