Making Moving Image Tells - Part I

Animation has been defined in many ways by experts from various disciplines. One animator may say animation is the art of bringing to life that which was lifeless; another may say animation is a moving image resulting from a sequence of thousands of images that may or may not be lifelike. Nevertheless, one common theme defining animation is the process of creating illusions through movement working with ‘space’ and ‘time’.

The Creative Economy Agency (CEA) in collaboration with the Faculty of Digital Art Rangsit University, the Embassy of France, Alliance Française Bangkok, and Graphy Animation, are organizing “Making Moving Image Tells”, the online exhibition that lets the audience engage with the art of storytelling through a variety of animation techniques.

Audience will also be able to explore the process of creating moving images through a multidisciplinary approach that makes those stories unique in telling about life, people and society, and ultimately lead you to discover your own meaning of storytelling with animation.

The etymology of ‘animation’ comes from Latin, consisting of the root ‘anima’ – meaning ‘to breathe life’ or ‘soul’, and the suffix ‘mation’ – meaning ‘performing’. “Animation” therefore translates to ‘a bestowing of life’.

However, the meaning of animation is never confined to one single definition. Rather, it is a term evolving with the context and technological advancement, and human imagination.

Humans perceive images and movement to better distinguish and understand their surroundings. The skillset to tell which objects move and which don’t have since become one of the basis of human instincts.

Perception of movement coupled with ideas and imagination, mediums and innovations developed through the ages thus created countless stories.

Senses, perception, and experience as humans came into contact with still images, moving images and illusions, all have played a role in shaping how humans think.

Human’s visual perception has been evolving, from the days of cave paintings to photographs, which in turn gave rise to the sequencing of the images, and eventually resulted in images that appeared to move when played at the right speed.

Once the process of recording an image was possible, perception, memory, and the way to manage the past for human beings was transformed, from an abstract approach to a more concrete form.

Then aerial and radar images once again drastically changed the way we perceive and interpret truth. Humans could see images beyond the distance of what the eyes could, through interpreting symbolic images.

In daily life, however, humans usually see moving images that are too fluid to perceive as a series of still images.

Other than being the basic principle to create moving images in animation, the in-between can also be used to observe the occurrences in the world.

The audience can also control their frame as well as the time they spend looking at each image. The gaze that moves through the pictures function in the same way as film cameras, with the difference being the ability to dictate their own space and time.

it is apparent that the point of view with which the artist has chosen for this piece is completely different.

This work is an attempt to record the movement of a dancer walking back and forth at various speeds. The exercise was led by Mike Croft, who questions and challenges the perception of the familiar frame-by-frame animation works.

The work results in an exploration and recording of movement as perceived in any given moment without relying on the movement structure as a whole.

What comes to your mind when speaking of animation?

2D / 3D cartoons from global studios? Feature-length films composed of tens of thousands of pictures playing in sequence? Images moving in tandem with the song in music videos? Or are animations simply the creation of illusions through space and time?

Learning and understanding the nature of various spaces in animation, and exploring limitless possibilities of techniques are key to developing animations regardless of form.

Stories with moving images told by both foreign and local artists, each of whom has different approaches, beliefs and perspective towards animation, are curated for the audience to question their own perception of movement, of change, and of life, which may transform your preconception of animation.

When the record player spins, the image of the sun, clouds, water, fire, animals, humans, and other things will move in a flowing cycle in tandem with the recorded sound.

The movement of energy is thus translated onto paper, and fluid movement generated via computer.

When a zoetrope is spun and viewed through the slit, the rotation speed creates an afterimage and the pictures appear to be moving.

The artist talks about engagement and overlapping of space between children and adults in various communities, and allows the audience to engage with the work and the space by controlling the movement speed with their own hands.

What is different, however, is the aesthetics of emotions as the audience engages with the work, which also depends on the artist’s skills and even the materials used.

Even more interesting are the tools and ideas used in animation, a wealth of future possibilities to be explored by creators and audiences alike.

“Animation is a medium, not a genre” is a phrase widely used in recent years on various platforms of animation creators. It suggests new ideas and approaches towards animation, not merely as a genre of narrative on screen, but as a medium with limitless potential.