Animation Deconstruction

I chose two images from the Mark Osborne animated short, More. Though the shots are from the same film, they are drastically different in color and movement. The first shot consists of a mostly monochromatic color scheme made up of greys, but with a seemingly out of place bright yellow smiley face. This contrast of color is meant to make the “happiness” seem fake or forced; that what the characters in the film were considering happiness is a false, empty, counterfeit emotion, bringing no real contentment to the citizens of this fictional world.

The color grey is often associated with sadness – partially the case in this instance – but in the short, it represents the mundane, monotonous, tedious and frequently repetitive life that the characters live. Most of the movement seems very assembly line-esque and repetitious, almost robotic in many ways, helping to extrapolate the routine-like feel of the film. Similarly, the characters’ motions feel sluggish and strained, as if the wearisome drudge of everyday life crushes the individuals in the movie with a mind numbing, ever-present force.

The second of the two selected shots holds an extreme contrast in both color and movement. This blissful world is filled with many vibrant complementary colors, juxtaposing with the nearly monochromatic world of the previous shot. These bright colors bring a happy, hopeful sort of emotion, as if the darkness has lifted and people can escape from their wretched, heartbreakingly gloomy lives.

Though the colors are vivid and cheery, one may still notice the underlying impressions of falsity and hollowness in the world. There are almost no straight lines and the colors of most major objects constantly shift. The sky resembles a vibrating ocean of red Kool-Aid in the summertime, long after the ice has melted and it has become flavorless and watered down. The movement of characters is cartoonish and phony, aiding in bringing about the deceptive atmosphere. It is clear that this brilliant, dazzling world is simply a distraction from the doleful, downcast existence for the inhabitants of this glum biosphere.

In summary, the color and movement of these shots lead is to deduce that the characters in the animation are meant to live unhappy, monotonous lives. Some may say that is depressing, but hey, that’s life.

Scene Deconstruction

I believe that the theme of District 9 is racial equality. The film shows that all people, no matter how different, deserve to be treated equally and fairly. It is an active theme, because the issue of race is never directly stated, but rather shown.

The filmmakers who produced District 9 create an uncanny amount of tension between the humans and the aliens. Shape is one of the key ways they go about doing this. A human, in particular the main character of the movie, is, in essence, mostly rectangular. The shoulders form corners matched by partially parted feet creating the entire shape. In sharp contrast to the human rectangle, the aliens are somewhat ovular, made up of mostly curved lines. The differing shapes create a separation of features, accentuating the differences between the two species, and making the interspecies prejudice more pronounced. Similarly, the sheer size of the aliens makes them seem more formidable, causing the humans to act more aggressively and thus instigating a rise in tension.

            Though the differences in shape generate contrasting physical characteristics, there is a certain affinity in the movement of both. Observably, humans move and act like humans, that much is expected. But the alien creatures have a very similar human gait, very humanistic sort of movements that make them more relatable to viewers. This similarity in movement types correspondingly aids in the rising tension, as audience members are subconsciously guided in empathizing with the aliens while the ‘evil’ humans bring about unjust terror.

            The tension continues to build as the main character, Wikus, starts to transform into one of the prawns. There is a release at the end when Wikus’ wife is being interviewed, during which she is holding a handmade flower. We know from earlier in the film that Wikus liked to make his wife gifts, and the ending shot is of a prawn making the flower we previously saw in his wife’s hand. We are led to believe that Wikus has become one of the prawns in a very active manner.

            

Storyboard Immitation

I realize that this is not the correct answer, but it does fulfill the length requirement.

The filmmakers who produced District 9 create an uncanny amount of tension between the humans and the aliens. Shape is one of the key ways they go about doing this. A human, in particular the main character of the movie, is, in essence, mostly rectangular. The shoulders form corners matched by partially parted feet creating the entire shape. In sharp contrast to the human rectangle, the aliens are somewhat ovular, made up of mostly curved lines. The differing shapes create a separation of features, accentuating the differences between the two species, and making the interspecies prejudice more pronounced. Similarly, the sheer size of the aliens makes them seem more formidable, causing the humans to act more aggressively and thus instigating a rise in tension.

            Though the differences in shape generate contrasting physical characteristics, there is a certain affinity in the movement of both. Observably, humans move and act like humans, that much is expected. But the alien creatures have a very similar human gait, very humanistic sort of movements that make them more relatable to viewers. This similarity in movement types correspondingly aids in the rising tension, as audience members are subconsciously guided in empathizing with the aliens while the ‘evil’ humans bring about unjust terror.

            The tension continues to build as the main character, Wikus, starts to transform into one of the prawns. There is a release at the end when Wikus’ wife is being interviewed, during which she is holding a handmade flower. We know from earlier in the film that Wikus liked to make his wife gifts, and the ending shot is of a prawn making the flower we previously saw in his wife’s hand. We are led to believe that Wikus has become one of the prawns in a very active manner.

Song Deconstruction

I realize that this is also not the correct answer, but it does fulfill the length requirement.

I chose two images from the Mark Osborne animated short, More. Though the shots are from the same film, they are drastically different in color and movement. The first shot consists of a mostly monochromatic color scheme made up of greys, but with a seemingly out of place bright yellow smiley face. This contrast of color is meant to make the “happiness” seem fake or forced; that what the characters in the film were considering happiness is a false, empty, counterfeit emotion, bringing no real contentment to the citizens of this fictional world.

The color grey is often associated with sadness – partially the case in this instance – but in the short, it represents the mundane, monotonous, tedious and frequently repetitive life that the characters live. Most of the movement seems very assembly line-esque and repetitious, almost robotic in many ways, helping to extrapolate the routine-like feel of the film. Similarly, the characters’ motions feel sluggish and strained, as if the wearisome drudge of everyday life crushes the individuals in the movie with a mind numbing, ever-present force.

The second of the two selected shots holds an extreme contrast in both color and movement. This blissful world is filled with many vibrant complementary colors, juxtaposing with the nearly monochromatic world of the previous shot. These bright colors bring a happy, hopeful sort of emotion, as if the darkness has lifted and people can escape from their wretched, heartbreakingly gloomy lives.

Though the colors are vivid and cheery, one may still notice the underlying impressions of falsity and hollowness in the world. There are almost no straight lines and the colors of most major objects constantly shift. The sky resembles a vibrating ocean of red Kool-Aid in the summertime, long after the ice has melted and it has become flavorless and watered down. The movement of characters is cartoonish and phony, aiding in bringing about the deceptive atmosphere. It is clear that this brilliant, dazzling world is simply a distraction from the doleful, downcast existence for the inhabitants of this glum biosphere.

In summary, the color and movement of these shots lead is to deduce that the characters in the animation are meant to live unhappy, monotonous lives. Some may say that is depressing, but hey, that’s life.