This project is a 2D visual art creation using illustration and musical accompaniment. The theme of this project is 'Choice' (first-person narrative initiating something, anything). The goal/message of this video is to allow audiences to understand that each individual has the freedom to make decisions that do not comply with mainstream ideologies/opinions. It also emphasizes that the journey away from the crowd, or being alone, is a long, dark and difficult one.
Summary: A chicken wanders away from its flock, not wanting to comply anymore and curious as to what can be found elsewhere. He thus embarks on a journey to find his own meaning and freedom.
When I first started the project, I looked into what animals I wanted to use to emphasize my message. My first thoughts were to use a fox as they are lone animals, but I thought about the fact that it had to be a species that bonds together in order to stress the courage of leaving the crowd. I wanted it also to be a simple animal that was not a unique or rare species to highlight that anyone is able to choose for themselves and they do not need to encompass any special attributes. Therefore, I choose the chicken, a common livestock animal that stays within its flock at all times.
This video is made from frames of illustrations, meaning each movement, each differentiation, each picture is drawn by hand and compiled together. The drawing portion of the project was not difficult but took the longest to finish considering there are over 100 individual drawings.
The color palette in this project is simple: black and white with gray and shades of gray at the end. I wanted to emphasize the long and arduous journey using a solid color as background that expresses no creative engagement; a dark place where the chicken thinks of nothing but one thought: to keep going. As he ventures through external distractions, he becomes closer and closer to his destination (freedom) and here the frames begin to fade into a pure white. The final liberation is exemplified through white as it is associated with pure and cleanliness, hence new beginnings.
In terms of external distractions that appear in front of the chicken, these come in the form of environmental distractions, addiction distractions, and people distractions. For example, environmental ones are visualized through the downpours of rain and thunder. Addiction distractions such as the coop or hen house tempts the chicken to go inside and rest instead of pursuing his freedom. And people distractions are split into acquaintances, admirers, and enemies that distract and try to influence the chicken away from his chosen path. This is to emphasize the lonely and dark path one must risk taking in order to obtain freedom or liberation.
All sounds are composed by me using a virtual Piano app on my iPad. I was able to create this due to my previous training in music; I played the violin for 8 eight years when I was younger! I wanted the sounds of the chicken steps to be low and eerie and played around the piano a bit until I decided to go with a low C. Then, with each external distraction, I pinned small samples of combined notes to illustrate them as best as I can. As the background changes and the chicken is about find his freedom, I went to the higher octaves and played a similar melody to the one at the beginning. The video ends with a neutral A as 'Choice' appears on the screen.
The final sound and on-screen editing of this creation was put together using iMovie Version 3.0.2.
Futhur Resources:
Louisiana Channel. “Yayoi Kusama Interview: Earth is a Polka Dot” Interview by Christian Lund, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, London, February 2011. Interview filmed by: Matthias Pilz. Kusama's installation filmed by Martin Kogi. Translation: Nami Yamamoto. Jan 8, 2015. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21NrNdse7nI
ZCZfilms. “Louise Bourgeois - Peels a Tangerine” YouTube Feb 17, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2mx1gZqh1E
Skawennati “Greetings from Skyworld” (2020) Art Museum University of Toronto. https://vimeo.com/480829379
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