[Animation work5]Light and shadows

Inspiration

The shadow puppet play, also called "shadow play", is a drama form in which the player holds the human figures that are engraved by the animal hides with colored paintings, and reflected on the curtain through the light, singing and dancing controlled by the player with the silk string, gongs and drums music, playing a series of stories. It is widely spread in most regions in China, except Tibet and Xinjiang, with different styles of shadow puppet play in different places. However, the characters shaping and performance skills are all quite exquisite, with play themes including the Chinese ancient magic, myths, religions, monarchs, legal cases, wars, as well as talented scholars and pretty ladies, the secular life and so on.

Figure1: shadow play(sources:http://www.yejocircle.com/uploads/9/2/4/9/9249622/1875998_orig.jpg

The shadow puppet play with written records dated back to the Song Dynasty, and Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty had the performance of shadow play yet. At that time, the shadow plays were divided into the shadow hand play, the shadow puppet play, and the large shadow play. Many grand occasions of the performances had been recorded by the Song people. While in Yuan Dynasty, owning to the westward conquest by the Mongolia troops, the Chinese shadow plays were introduced into the Middle East, Arab, Turkey, Egypt, and other countries, and later brought to some East European countries. In Ming and Qing Dynasties, the contents and forms of the shadow plays had some new developments, thereby forming the various genres with local colors.

Figure2: shadow play(sources:http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/photo/2012-02/16/131413770_11n.jpg

Revolving scenic lantern is one of this play

Revolving scenic lantern is a traditional Chinese art installation. And it is perfect to combine Chinese tradition drawing with Animation. Because image on the screen can move it without electricity.

This lantern originate in Han dynasty. Traditional lantern bracket by the main body and composed of two parts, a main body formed with a cylindrical onionskin paper fixed to the cylindrical screen and the top of the pinwheel paper screens, various patterns painted on the surface of the paper screen and through a rotatable shaft is connected to the bracket bracket, bottom hollow, set on a candle holder.Candle is lit, paper screens inside air is heated up, rising hot air pushing paper screens at the top of the windmill rotate and rotate with paper screens, you can see the difference from the pattern troops chase, moving image material for King .

Figure3: Light(sources:http://13gramm.com/bilder/produkte/gross/Geschenke-Weihnachten-Krippe-Windlicht-in-Geschenketube.jpg

In this work，we need to study and creative use of light in the animation.

I watched short animation from Lotte Reiniger - Papageno(1935)

In this animation Lotte Reiniger used shadows to their fullest extent.The whole animation is a shadow play. Very interesting animation and it has a distinctive artistic style to display a story.

Although Lotte didnt use colour in this animation, but we still can feel rich emotion from image and music.

One of this work's way is Chiaroscuro, It seems like negative space.Negative space means the empty or open space around an object that defines it.In layman's terms, it is the breathing room around the subject that determines how appealing it looks.

Figure4: Negative space(sources:http://tangyauhoong.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Negative-space-thumb.jpg

So i want to use this way to create a short animation of people who come home but still busy to work or other things until midnight.

I just want to use simply shape and line to display what i want to tell.

I use moonlight，light and some cloud shadows in it.

With rhythm of music illuminate the ambience

Reference

Figure1:shadow play(sources:http://www.yejocircle.com/uploads/9/2/4/9/9249622/1875998_orig.jpg）

[Accessed: 31 October, 2015]

Figure2:shadowplay(sources:http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/photo/2012-02/16/131413770_11n.jpg）

[Accessed: 31 October, 2015]

Figure3:Light(sources:http://13gramm.com/bilder/produkte/gross/Geschenke-Weihnachten-Krippe-Windlicht-in-Geschenketube.jpg）

[Accessed: 31 October, 2015]

Figure4:Negativespace(sources:http://tangyauhoong.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Negative-space-thumb.jpg）

[Accessed: 31 October, 2015]