Introducing the idea of a low-cost model of animating

    Inspired by the ongoing energy and economic crisis, this blog strives to research a sustainable model of film animation. Animation is known to be a time-consuming and costly process of artistic expression, however, that is also changing at present, and it is up to us to keep this trend alive. While traditional animators used to draw each part of every movement frame by frame, nowadays digital animation offers new perspectives and contemporary tricks, worth exploring. Stop motion, on the other hand, continues to remain slow, pricey and not (always) so eco-friendly. My aim is to create a digest of analog techniques that will serve as a tool for newcomers in the field to examine a more eco (nomical and friendly) approach to animating. Still, hopefully, it would also serve veterans as a fresh, new way to exploit traditional animation.    

My interest in developing this methodology increased when I became a mom and my time and devotion switched overnight towards the new being that entered my life and completely transformed my world-view. I could no longer close the door of my studio and keep it locked 12 hours per day, animating non-stop, as I did in the past because I had someone who needed me to be there for them always. Therefore, I knew I had to reinvent my position as an animator-author in order to be able to still create, and tell stories, but above all maintain my primordial role as a mother. Inspired, instead of feeling trapped, I started to see new and substantial ways to produce content by exploiting the given materiality around me. Moreover, this enhanced my curiosity in regard to other meaningful things such as natural growth, light, and organic procreation, basically all that is part of our natural cycle and keeps life going.

              A still from the developing process of my animation "No one ever looked at elephants as you do"

I, therefore, have the need to share this practice, which strives towards minimalism, reduced production costs thus less waste production, and ultimately systematization of something I am striving towards - an example of sustainability. Tricks, or recipes I shall try to develop and analyze in the following threads shall be: documenting nature, the body is the puppet, harvesting the potential of kinetic objects, and much more. These topics should give an insight into alternative ways of creating a story by means of what already exists instead of producing new content. Stay tuned for more!