This week’s class focused on experimental animation and the ideas of formative and conceptual abstraction. We watched a range of short films that explored colour, shape, rhythm, and sound instead of following a traditional story. Some were created directly on film using scratches or paint, while others used abstract movement and repetition to create a visual rhythm, almost like music.
We talked about how early artists used animation to try out new ways of expressing themselves after watching the movies. They didn’t just see movies as a source of entertainment; they also saw them as a way to be creative and experiment. I thought it was interesting how much emotion and meaning could be shown without words or people—just through movement, sound, and timing.
We also talked about how these early experiments changed animation today and how technology keeps giving artists new tools to use. In general, the class helped me understand that animation is more than just telling a story. It made me think about how shape, rhythm, and visual structure can convey ideas on their own, which is something I want to learn more about in my own work.