Primary research from the 2013 Book ‘Animated Documentary’ by Annabelle Honess Roe.
Present in several animated documentaries is the method of rotoscoping, which in its essence copies the real-life movements of a person and projects them onto an animated character. For the documentary Chicago 10 (Morgen, 2007), animated was used in place for the missing live-action footage that took place in the courtroom during the trial of Chicago 7 and was adapted from the original court transcript (Honess Roe, 2013). This benefitted the documentary aesthetically, as the striking contrast between live-action and animated helped separate the reenactment from the real and prevented inconsistencies between the actual participants (Abbie Hoffman, David Dellinger, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines and Lee Weiner) and their potential live-action counterparts (Honess Roe, 2013).
Motion Capture, derived from the rotoscope, was the technique used for the animated sequences in the feature and adds a stylised emphasis that makes it stand out as a piece. While using motion capture, which generally aids the mimicking of realism, the movements are more spasmodic, unsteady and have asynchronous lip movements (Honess Roe, 2013). This adds a stylisation that could further distance it from its live-action counterpart. However, this brings to attention one of the issues surrounding the animated documentary, as the asynchronous movement of the lip can break the illusion of realistic speech. In this instance, the voices are documentation of real events and real people, and this inconsistency could be detrimental to the portrayal of the trial. Honess Roe brings to attention that in Chicago 10 (Morgan. 2007), the voice actors are notable celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo and Jeffery Wright are audibly recognisable to viewers and disembodies the voice from the digital reconstruction (2013:60). While not documentary, In the case of Beowulf (Zemeckis, 2007), digitally replicated actors such as Angelina Jolie suffer from similar issues, as the realism in her voice did not match the animated performance and brings to attention something fundamentally wrong (Tinwell, 2014)
These elements can be related to the uncanny valley theory as arrhythmic bodies and disconnected voices arouse questions of the solidarity of ‘life’ in an animated character. Sporadic and ‘jerky’ movements present in motion-captured data can be reminiscent of a viewer watching a seizure, which evokes a ‘fight or flight response as a person in this state of instability feels potentially life-threatening to a spectator (Tinwell, 2014).
The grotesque design, seen in animated documentaries such as Ryan (Landreth, 2004), contains aesthetic issues surrounding the Uncanny Valley. While its design is so deformed and distant from reality, it almost surpasses the valley; the elements of hyperreal skin textures and minute details in the hair add a level of realism that pushes the boundaries of spectator comfort. Tinwell discusses how most facial expression is conveyed through the uppermost region of the face (eyebrows, forehead), and a lack of this can appear static and robotic in facial emotion (2014). Ryan, once again, almost surpasses this, with clear, expressive forehead lines and fairly realistic eyebrow movements; however, he often has dead eyes and limited motion in the cheeks, which do not match the realism of his facial design. ‘Dead’ and minimal movement facial expressions are robotic and appear lifeless, which can remind a viewer of the inevitability of their own death (Freud,2003). While displeasing to the eye, the grotesque uncanny essence of the character design in Ryan (Landrth, 2007) seems to visually support the mental deterioration of the characters, and this reminder of death helps illustrate the death of the central character, Ryan. Naturally, this can be detrimental to the animated documentary, as even as artistic expression, it can cause a grotesque and unlikable diversion to viewers when designed in unappealing ways.
Rotoscope as a method is not always detrimental to the animated documentary. A prime example is the work of Bob Sabiston, creator of the software ‘Rotoshop’. Sabiston’s Animated Documentaries Snack and Drink (1999) and The Even More Fun Trip (2007) display the extensive use of Photoshop software, which allows lines to be drawn around live-action footage. The loose and psychedelic aesthetic of snack and drink seems to be benefitted by the motions of the rotoscope. It reflects the natural world in a kinesthetic sense but visually enhances the mental viewpoint of its interview, Ryan Power, who has Autism. The messy elements of these films add an “indexical link to reality” that help validate them, both visually and audibly, as documentaries (Honess Roe, 2013: 64). The out of proportional and minimally drawn characters paired with hyperrealistic movements work in a way that the “Chicago 10” documentary failed, especially in areas regarding lip synchronisation (Honess Roe, 2013). The handheld, shaky visuals and unquestionable real-world audio give the films a gritty amateurish ambience familiar with home movies that seem to add a level of nostalgia to the piece. It may be interesting to note the ‘Rotoshop’ software seems reminiscent of older 2D draw animation yet uses new, inquisitive software to tackle its creation. According to Victoria Grace Walden, nostalgia can be linked to the rapid progression of faster technologies and wishing for it to be slowed down (Walden in Dobson et al., 2019). Sabiston’s approach, interestingly, through time, has created a feeling of ‘real-worldness’ and nostalgia that seems to give the pieces a certain realistic appeal to them while rapidly progressing the realism and style of his own work technologically.
Rotoscope, therefore, is an important element to the animated documentary that can both be a detriment and a visual aid to the medium. However, while as a method it produces its own effect, the design aspect of the characters seem to be the key driver in its effectiveness of character portrayal.
List of Figures
.Figure 1: MORGEN, B. 2007. [Film Still]. Chicago 10. United States: Consolidated Documentaries, Participant, Public Road Productions.
.Figure 2: LANDRETH, C. 2004. [Film Still]. Ryan. Canada: Copperheart Entertainment, National Film Board of Canada.
.Figure 3: SABISTON, B. 1999. [Film Still]. Snack and Drink. United States: Flat back Films.
Bibliography
- Dobson, N., Honess Roe, A., Ratelle, A. and Ruddell, c., 2019. The animation studies reader. 1st ed. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
- Freud, S., 2003. The Uncanny. London: Penguin.
- Honess Roe, A., 2013. Animated documentary. 1st ed. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Tinwell, A., 2014. The uncanny valley in games & animation. 1st ed. CRC Press.