CoP3-Proposal

What benefit does animation have over live action in regards to visual storytelling?

As a primarily visual storyteller, aesthetics are important to me. The way an animation looks, the art style, the atmosphere, the direction, the cinematography, what the filmmaker trying to communicate visually; all of these things are at the forefront of my mind when consuming animation. Deconstructing the codified semiotics of a piece of visual media can help one better understand the fundamentals needed to create engaging and effective art.

For my CoP3 dissertation I intend to explore how the signs and semiotics unique

to animation bene t creators in communicating their art over other mediums, specifically Live Action, in a narrative context. To investigate this I will make analytical and critical comparisons between the ways in which filmmakers working in the different mediums communicate similar narrative themes and concepts using the techniques of visual communication in their respected repertoire.

As well as secondary research, I also intend on contacting existing artists and practitioners I feel specialise in unique styles of visual storytelling in order to garner a greater insight into their creative process and hopefully gain some pointers in which to take my practice moving into my final major project.

Visual storytelling in animation is and has always been something which greatly interests me and is an area in which I would like to explore further in my final year on Animation at Leeds College of Art. My intentions with CoP 3 are to provide a framework to work from when it comes to my Extended Practice; a design philosophy from which I will hopefully create a short animation which retweets the core tenants of what makes a strong visual narrative.