HUM 203: The World in Motion, Animation in Theory and Practice

Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Final project

As an assignment for animation class, I began this piece by reflecting on my relationship with virtual worlds in general. When I do creative pieces like this one, even if not on the computer, I get very consumed and can spend hours perfecting and nudging details. Before I realize it, I am in the world of these characters. Or they are in mine. So I made this cartoon with the aspiration of articulating that feeling of invading and being invaded by none other than the virtual. Myself and my characters—or, rather, the red lady and hers—represent the actual and the virtual, respectively. They feed off of each other, and it’s confusing which one provides our vitality.

I used Adobe Photoshop for this animation. My favorite tool is the filters, which add character and texture to objects that would otherwise be plain, like the backgrounds. My favorite filter is ‘plastic wrap,’ which I used for the computer screen. Also, I purposefully created a visible difference between the rigid movements of the stick figures and the more flexible movements of the red lady. In general, my favorite thing about this work is how colors and shapes develop personality and spirit in the piece. They look cool, but unusual—humorous at times and eerie at others. All of my characters, though very simple, have interesting personalities that I like to portray through their eye and facial expression—even if it’s just a stick figure, and I think I do a good job with that “expressing expression.”

I am filled with a sense of pride and confidence in my creation, even if it’s just a class assignment. When people see my work, I'd like them to identify with the lady with the red hair and to reflect on the digitalization of today’s world and how we can be totally consumed by it, but also to be amused.