Good evening!
This week’s blog of the week is inspired by a short titled ‘Divers‘ by Paris Mavroidis!
I stumbled upon this short while flicking through the Vimeo Staff Picks. As I’ve recently gained the courage to animate a bit more in 3D, I really did enjoy this piece.
Parts that really stood out to me:
The Composition
The composition of each frame was something that I particularly enjoyed!
Paris Mavdroidis uses alot of simulataneous as well as ‘wave’ motion on the divers – creating interesting patterns that are really mesmerising to watch. This is especially drawing for me to watch as they are human divers.
The Music
The main soundtrack behind this animation was by Kaki King. The fact that this soundtrack doesn’t start playing until the first diver has dived is effective – as the silence of the first few seconds makes the audience feel intrigued and expectant.
The mood behind this soundtrack is very soothing and calming – it makes the idea of diving into the air something that is to be enjoyed. As diving into the unknown may usually been seen as a scary thing – the opposite is portrayed in this animation and I believe that the music has definitely carried this.
The use of ‘wind’ sound effects behind this soundtrack also creates a sense of realism throughout the entire animation, while adding to the ‘soothing’ mood of the fall.
The Concept
The concept is really interesting!
Having divers dive through the clouds as such great heights is not something that we often see or imagine in everyday lifer – which is why this short has a sense of abstraction to it.
The underlying sense of unpredictability also draws the audience to keep their eyes glued to the screen.
The Colour Palette
Very basic yet bold colours are consistently seen throughout the entire duration of the animation.
The primary red colours of the divers swimming suits contrast well with the pale blue and dark greysof the sky. This makes the divers stand out against the background, allowing the audience to enjoy each motion with ease.
Main things to take away:
Motion: The effect of having multiple divers moving in unison as opposed to having the one diver.
Pattern: Using characters to create something more abstract.
Music: Using an effective and suitable soundtrack to portray a certain theme.
Composition: Very clean and clear frames – put the audience at ease as we know exactly where to look.
That is all for now! Until next time!
Katie
References:
Video & Images:
Mavroidis, P. (2010). Divers (Short Animation. [image] Available at: https://vimeo.com/8658994 [Accessed 18 Jan. 2019].