After completely discussing the story yesterday that we are going to animate, along with our thumbnail drawings and having our hands on exploring experience with sand, we started off today with a refreshing dose of experimental films that truly depicted experimental animation cannot be confined in any definition. The films were -

Promised Land  by Benjamin Probanza, available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuyk8If5hJQ

En Tierra by Cesar Diaz Melendez (2006) available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYTB6ic3Odk

Sand Animation: 'Making of' The Hunter (2012) by Marieka Walsh, available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDnvZ9Lm0Bc

Rainbow Dance (1936) by Len Lye (using batik technique), available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L00R9Drn1mc

The Peanut Vendor (1933) by Len Lye, available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQYZPwEdPoo&spfreload=10

The highlights of the session were -

Lapis (1966) by James Whitney,  giving an eye pleasing experience synchronizing sitar music with hand drawn dots, available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzniaKxMr2g

An Optical Poem (1938) by Oskar Fischinger, using paper cut-outs and invisible threads.

These two were indeed a treat to the eye, available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=they7m6YePo

After viewing the films we geared upon the final discussion about our story in terms of visuals and then put the foot on the pedal and tasks were divided.  Animation was started. Some were busy refining the storyboard, some took the research task, and some held the sound department.

While researching for the sound, I came across these two videos about the Kom tribe, which I thought might be useful to all. The links are given below-

1.       Folk cultural dance of the com tribe at the Hornbill festival.

     Hornbill Festival is the premier festival of Nagaland held every year in the month of December.    Also called the 'Festival of Festivals', Hornbill festival showcases stunning natural beauty and great cultural traditions, Nagaland can offer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5CxxM4tvn8       

2.       This video emphasizes the traditional attire of the Kom tribe. This clip was shot during the shooting of documentary "Journey across tribal arts in North east India" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huqNdspAeOA

All in all, the day didn’t end at all.

Cheers,

Amruta Bakshi