Haeckel Project: Define and Ideate

Define

My project is a narrative animation constructed entirely from the scientific drawings of Ernst Haeckel. It references classic 20th Century storybook illustration techniques, but ultimately aims to tell a more postmodern tale.

I am using images that are scientific, unromantic, and often grotesque, to build a storybook landscape of whimsy and fantasy. This creates an interesting tension.

I want the plot to reflect this tension - it will have the beats of a conventional morality tale (again evoking the storybook feel), but will ultimately subvert this expectation, culminating in an amoral outcome that is disorienting, surreal and absurd.

However: If the entire story was too bizarre, too alien, it would become confusing. Not knowing what to connect with, the audience would feel alienated from the beginning, and would not be capable of being transported 'into' the surreal from the familiar.

In other words: In order to disorient my audience, I must first orient them.

I have shown my work-in-process images to various people, and have found that different people see different things. This is OK to a certain extent, and is even encouraged - I don't want to force people to see things a certain way. But in order to create a satisfying narrative, my characters need 'hooks' so that the audience can empathize with them, or otherwise form opinions about them.

Ideate

So, having defined my project as an 'animation using scientific collage' my line of enquiry is: How do I bring the familiar to this unfamiliar style? How do I make a film that the audience will find worth sticking with?

I have begun to refine my characters and scenes, in an effort to simplify them so that they 'read easier'. I have attempted to make the clothes more cloth-like, the faces more face-like, and the animals cuter (the four-legged creature will be our main protagonist. For most people, he is the easiest to empathize with). See images below for examples.

It is worth noting that my Studio lecturer (Matt) has raised legitimate questions about the need for a coherent narrative. He believes the visuals can stand on their own, forming and reforming without needing to tell a story. If I do go the narrative route, I will need to explain my reasons for doing so. This is something I'm still figuring out.

So at this point, I have a few different ideations for my plot:

1. A folklore-style morality tale that is ultimately subverted.
2. A series of loosely connected vignettes showcasing the animation style and concepts.
3. A less traditional narrative, more farcical in nature, where the boundaries between different characters are challenged (i.e. they morph into other characters, etc.).
4. A music video.