Sultan T. Sloth explores ‘Sultan T. Sloth’ explores the chaos of our everyday and anxieties through a hybrid animation aesthetic blending stop-motion and 2D animation. Focusing on the at times mundane world of an adult through a nostalgic lens, in this case children's literature.This animation is based off original printed illustrations from the book 'Sultan T. Sloth' by Denise Stacey through a series of short, animated vignettes.
This video is a short extract of a longer series of vignettes under development.
Credits:
Film By: Amber Stacey
Written By: Denise Stacey
Music and Sound By: Lucca Torres
Narration By: Chris Barker
Costumes By: Kerrie Demayo
Supervisors:
Matthew Riley
Evan McInnes
Jadd Zayed
Behind the Scenes Video:
https://youtu.be/TTzNAXeIBrY
Abstract:
Animation can provide a temporary haven for people during stressful and difficult times, allowing us to hit pause on life and find relief from our everyday chaos and anxieties. This animation titled ‘Sultan T. Sloth’ explores this,
by focusing on the at times mundane world of an adult through a nostalgic lens, in this case children's literature. Demonstrating a contrast between adult life and a child's perspective. The aim of this work is to translate the original printed illustrations from the book 'Sultan T. Sloth' by Denise Stacey to the screen through a series of short, animated vignettes.
Drawing on the significant history of stop-motion and traditional 2D illustrated animation techniques, my work investigated how these two opposing methods of animation can be combined through practice-based methodology. Although there have been a variety of different hybrid animation experiments over the years (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971), (Boxtrolls, 2014), (Iron Giant, 1999), there is a gap throughout animation production that explores stop-motion animation being composited into 2D environments, without the use of 3D props and built set design. The BBC’s TV series of Paddington Bear (Paddington Bear, 1976) used a stop-motion puppet within a 3D space that was made using 2D illustrated paper cut outs and 3D objects. Inspired by this, my own work provided a rich opportunity to experiment with storytelling further, compositing a stop-motion puppet into a full 2D digital environment.
The hybrid approach to this animation allowed me to harness the audience's nostalgia and familiarity with the children's book format and apply this to my own work, promoting increased communication and engagement
with narrative, emotions and ideas. Through harnessing this nostalgia, this work provides its adult audience
with a haven of comfort and relief from their everyday chaos, through a novel and whimsical aesthetic, and reminds them of the joy and wonder that they as children saw in the mundane.