Post #10: “Angst”

This animation, even though it is done simply, it is beautiful. It is about a kid and his dog. Life has got the kid down and has made him fearful to leave his house. Through all of the terrible mishaps the dog has been there to try to help. At the end it is finally the kids turn to help his dog as he is blown away in the heavy wind. Although I love the story this animation tells, I feel that it is the backgrounds and simple grainy animation that makes this cartoon stand out.

Many animators would want their creation to look crisp and run smoothly. This animation however, seems to take on the characteristics of an old home video. This is done by limiting the amount of animation put into each character and repeating their movements. This causes the animation to clip along. This home video look gives the depressing moments the true feeling of painful past memories. The animation is coupled with the use of a gusty wind sound effect and a haunting black and white color scheme, reminiscent of the video from The Ring.

Using the color scheme and haunting sound effects give this animation not only the feel as if you are watching a home video, but it also feels like a bad dream. This is amplified by the oblong building shapes and drastic contrast between the black objects in the foreground and the light of the background. The contrast used reminds me of the Scary Story books (picture below).

In the end the ominous wind and sound associated was harnessed in order to send all the dogs back home. This turns the bad dream into a good one. It then shows the kid willing to walk his dog showing that the fear of the world had been lifted. Although the fear and anxiety had been lifted from the boy, the contrasts, wind and flickering animation persists. This shows that even though the boy is out in the world again, the uncertainties and dangers of the world are still present.

I commented on Megan’s Blog and Brittany’s Blog.