Creating Open Stories and Using Found Works in a Post-apocalypse Animation

452 Pages·2015·18.86 MB·English

Inspirations from Installation Art: Creating Open Stories and Using Found Works in a
Post-apocalypse Animation

An exegesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Huang Jifeng
M.A. Art Design
(SouthEast University, Nanjing, China)

School of Media and Communication
College of Design and Social Context
RMIT University

April, 2015
Declaration

I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone;
the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic
award; the content of the thesis/project is the result of work which has been carried out since the
official commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid,
carried out by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed.
Huang Jifeng
12 April 2015
Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my supervisors, Dr. Marsha Berry, Mr. Jeremy Parker and Dr. Dan
Torre for their support throughout my candidature.
I would also like to thank staff members in school of creative media, RMIT University.
This exegesis has been edited. I would like to thank my editor, Meiki.E.Apted, for the quality
and effort she has contributed to my exegesis.
I also thank my friends who assisted me to finish my animation project: Hong Xiaoyue, Li
Yun, Zhang Xiao, Chen Xi, Zeng Hanjing, Xu Yu, Xue XiaoYue, Zheng Beiting, Wang Bo,
Mateus Caulkins, Clare Ryan, Leonie McNicol and others as I listed in the animated section.
I dedicate this research to my family, especially my parents, Huang ZhengJin and Yan Lijuan.

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................... ii
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iv
List of Figures and Tables ......................................................................................................... x
Figures ............................................................................................................................... x
Tables .............................................................................................................................. xii
Abstract .................................................................................................................................. xiv
Synopsis of animation project: The Hero's Journey ............................................................... xvi
Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 18
1.1 Research rationale ..................................................................................................... 18
1.2 Research background ................................................................................................. 20
1.2.1 Between installation art and animation .......................................................... 20
1.2.2 Found arts in digital space .............................................................................. 21
1.2.3 The post-apocalypse film and installation art ................................................. 22
1.3 Aim and objectives .................................................................................................... 23
1.4 Research questions .................................................................................................... 23
1.5 Research methods ...................................................................................................... 24
1.6 Scopes and limitations ............................................................................................... 25
Chapter 2 Literature review ..................................................................................................... 27
2.1 Installation art ............................................................................................................ 27
2.2 Postmodernity ............................................................................................................ 32
2.3 Symbols ..................................................................................................................... 34
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2.4 Narrative theories and the template of 'the hero's journey' ........................................ 36
1 Narrative theories ................................................................................................. 36
2 The Hero's Journey template ................................................................................ 38
2.5 Non-linear narration .................................................................................................. 39
2.6 Open text ................................................................................................................... 42
2.7 The post-apocalypse genre animation ....................................................................... 42
1 Genre theories ....................................................................................................... 43
2 The apocalypse belief ........................................................................................... 43
2 The apocalypse belief ........................................................................................... 43
3 The post-apocalypse genre on screen ................................................................... 45
2.8 The aesthetic features of animation ........................................................................... 47
2.9 Machinima ................................................................................................................. 50
2.10 Found footages ........................................................................................................ 52
Chapter 3 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 54
3.1 creative-production project ........................................................................................ 54
3.2 Heuristics ................................................................................................................... 54
3.2.1 Reading: surveying literature .......................................................................... 56
3.2.2 Making: the production practice and reflecting on my experience ................ 56
3.2.3 Comparing: comparisons to the work and experience of others ..................... 57
3.3 Research framework .................................................................................................. 57
3.4 Data collection and analysis ...................................................................................... 59
3.4.1 Observation ..................................................................................................... 59
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3.4.2 Reflective journal ........................................................................................... 59
3.4.3 Interview ......................................................................................................... 61
Chapter 4 The foundation works ............................................................................................. 62
4.1 The practice of The Endangered Earth ..................................................................... 62
4.2 Short stories and animation segments ....................................................................... 66
4.3 The apocalyptic element in foundation works ........................................................... 67
Chapter 5 The practice of The Hero's Journey ........................................................................ 70
5.1 Towards an open post-apocalypse story .................................................................... 73
5.1.1 Creating a linear post-apocalypse story from the pre-existing short stories ... 73
5.1.2 Improving: deconstructing the story and re-assembling the plots .................. 75
5.1.3 Adapting the screenplay to a back story ......................................................... 77
5.1.4 Creating an open story with non-linear narration ........................................... 78
5.1.5 Using the epilogue to subvert the story .......................................................... 80
5.2 Constructing a post-apocalyptic world ...................................................................... 81
5.2.1 Reproducing images of real world in the post-apocalyptic virtual world ....... 81
5.2.2 Reproducing/designing installation works as the virtual space of the story ... 83
5.2.3 Using readymades art works in the virtual space ........................................... 85
5.3 Character design ........................................................................................................ 87
5.3.1 The original design: the detailed anime style characters ................................ 87
5.3.2 Developing: to exaggerate the character......................................................... 89
5.3.3 Towards ambiguity: visual connections between characters .......................... 90
5.4 Storyboarding ............................................................................................................ 92
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5.4.1 Using multiple cinematographic techniques ................................................... 92
5.4.2 Deploying multiple production techniques ..................................................... 93
5.4.3 References: animation works that employ multiple techniques and readymades
................................................................................................................................. 95
5.5 Production.................................................................................................................. 98
5.5.1 Workflow ........................................................................................................ 98
5.5.2 Backgrounds: 2D style rendered 3D animation with machinima ................. 101
5.5.3 Objects: combining multiple techniques and materials ................................ 102
5.5.4 Characters: 2D animating ............................................................................. 103
5.6 Experiment with using found footages and machinima segments ........................... 104
5.6.1 Directly using found footages in post-editing .............................................. 104
5.6.2 Using found footages in composition to create visual effects ...................... 104
Chapter 6 Results and assessment ......................................................................................... 107
6.1 The inspirations from The Endangered Earth in the practice of The Hero's Journey
....................................................................................................................................... 107
6.1.1 The commonalities between the art forms of The Endangered Earth and The
Hero's Journey ....................................................................................................... 107
6.1.2 New concepts and techniques from installation art ...................................... 114
6.2 Creating a story for post-apocalypse animation through disrupting this genre ....... 123
6.2.1 Exploiting the convention of post-apocalypse genre .................................... 123
6.2.2 The coexistence of SF and supernatural beings ............................................ 124
6.2.3 Techniques to achieve new narrative structure and to provide openness in a
post-apocalypse animation .................................................................................... 126
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6.2.4 The feedback from readers: an interview ..................................................... 136
6.3 Found works in The Hero's Journey ........................................................................ 139
6.3.1 Using images of found objects as symbols in the virtual world of the
post-apocalypse animation .................................................................................... 139
6.3.2 Reproducing/designing installation artifacts as scenes ................................. 148
6.3.3 Found footages ............................................................................................. 150
6.3.4 Machinima as found works........................................................................... 150
Chapter 7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 154
7.1 New concepts and techniques from installation art practice.................................... 154
7.2 Disrupting the genre convention to create a story for a post-apocalypse animation 156
7.3 Using found works in a post-apocalypse animation ................................................ 158
7.4 Recommendation and further research .................................................................... 160
7.5 Afterword ................................................................................................................ 163
References ............................................................................................................................. 164
APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................... 180
Drafts of the screenplay ................................................................................................. 180
The first draft ......................................................................................................... 180
The second draft .................................................................................................... 187
The third draft ........................................................................................................ 208
The backstory ................................................................................................................ 232
Interview notes .............................................................................................................. 249
Interviewee A: an animation viewer ...................................................................... 249
Interviewee B: an animator.................................................................................... 258
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Interviewee C: an animation viewer ...................................................................... 265
Interviewee D: an animator ................................................................................... 274
Sketches ......................................................................................................................... 289
Characters .............................................................................................................. 289
Backgrounds .......................................................................................................... 313
Storyboards .................................................................................................................... 353
(1) The adaption of Dream .................................................................................... 353
(2) Storyboards ...................................................................................................... 362
(3) Layouts............................................................................................................. 392
Foundation works .......................................................................................................... 431
(1) Characters of Dream ........................................................................................ 431
(2) The Endangered Earth ..................................................................................... 435
Readymade resources used in this project ..................................................................... 443
(1) My readymade graphic works .......................................................................... 443
(2) Readymade graphic works provided by Hong Xiaoyue .................................. 445
Other sketches as inspirations ....................................................................................... 447

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