The Krakow Ghetto

I've done a bit of research for this next animation sequence.

My grandmother mentions the Krakow ghetto in her story, and I know that it is also where she and her family had to live for sometime (after it wasn't possible for them to hide). So, I think it would be appropriate to refer to that location and find out more about it for my film.

Here I found a photo of the ghetto from the same year the story takes place (1941).

Based on this I made this background and this bit of animation.

Here is the sequence (A few more painted frames are needed but for now this helps bring across the idea).

I will work some more on the holds (since the timing is a bit rough).

I think it's very useful for me to work in rough pencil tests mixed with rendered out painted animation. Working now with the gouache gives me a better idea of what I can do with it, an idea of how the sequence will look, and ideas for the next animation tests.

Also, some transitions (like in this clip) can't really be shown with a pencil - so I think it's not a bad idea to figure out how to do them now.

camera move

Hi Everyone!

My camera move continues into the apartment. The clip turned out to be a bit pale for some reason (sorry), but I hope that you can see what I meant to do.

I think that this man should definitely put down his arms before the camera moves (right now he's just frozen - which is a bit unnatural...). I'll try to fix this soon.

I'm pretty happy with how this is going, but I need a little help with the next few lines. Since I've decided not to go with the animatic on this part (in the animatic you saw them going into the apartment, now you are moving in the apartment), one transition needs to be redone, so hopefully we can figure out a way to solve it.

The next line is: "Sometimes you had to be very quiet there, when a stranger came to the apartment..."

I'm thinking of showing them standing in the room. Instead of showing the stranger, I'd rather show them thinking about that danger (maybe with a few cuts - to show a sort of panic). Now there is the missing link, because the line after this is about her father. In the animatic the stranger became a suit that became the father. Now when there is no stranger, I need to think of a creative way to get to him.

Sorry if this is kind of hard to follow... especially without the animatic.

Ideas would be great!

Another clip

Hi, thanks for your comments!

It would be great to get your ideas on this one too.

There is some weirdness with the candles at the very end (to be fixed). And also the ending should be slowed down.

But does it work well with the text?

For the next lines I'm thinking of turning the last image here into a city landscape or a street.

The smoke coming from the candles would be the smoke coming out of the chimneys of two houses maybe. But first I need to make sure this is ok.

I hope this works so far!

Animation test #3 + some ideas

I've been thinking and thinking (and thinking). And over thinking is a pretty frustrating thing.

So what I did is rearrange the beginning (up until the line I mentioned in the previous post: "I have so many memories..."). The dissolving transitions are gone - I don't even know why I put them there in the first place actually.

This first part wobbles around (I know!) - but it will be clearer when the ink and color are in there. I just needed to see if the idea works.

When this gets to the part with the eye (very last frames) it will switch to ink (up until then - watercolor).

Oh - and there is a one word lip sync (= "right?"). there is no sound so you'll just have to trust me that it's in the right place.

Now I still haven't completely solved the problem of what to do next - that is why it has been taking so long. One thing is definite: I have to show something Jewish in the memories, otherwise it is only slightly implied (and that is not enough I think).

The memories are not good. But I also don't think this would be the place for images of soldiers or prisoners (or would it?). But it makes sense to show this person is Jewish (and the rest is left for your imagination).

Also, I think I don't want to use any symbols so I could keep it sort of universal (do you agree?).

Some images I thought could work for this:

- lighting of candles as a Jewish tradition.

- Hand knocking over a glass of wine.

- wind blowing through a window.

- figures running. - to show some sort of danger?

- Hebrew letters in a book on a table - not such a good idea maybe..

Thumbnails:

2nd option could look like this (these images could appear one after the other- first candles, last window):

I have to say I'm really not too sure about any of these options (otherwise I would just go ahead and pick one).

Do you have a different idea maybe?


By the way, I watched this excellent Israeli animated documentary film a few weeks ago. It made me think about the depiction of brutal situations - how that is sometimes a good thing in a film (because it is truthful).

Anyway, it was really powerful.

http://waltzwithbashir.com/



Ok - I'll try to come up with more ideas!

Animation test #2

This one is 17 second long. I think I want to start the animation 5 seconds into the recording (it works better with the text for some reason).

The next line of text is:"I have so many memories that sit so firmly inside my mind, so that I will never forget them." (7 - 10 seconds, and I can add a small pause - like a chapter ends).

The pencil test that I have is still really rough, but here are 2 ideas for the next batch of animation (do you think 7-10 sec is a long enough time for a new mini idea?):

1. Keep the face in the last frame and have a few (three?) memories morph from the line behind.
A memory could shown by a different environment or things that are easily recognised (like a wedding or something?).
maybe 3 seconds each? and I could transition between them like I've done until now maybe.

2. If you think this would be unclear -

I could just keep things really slow until the story starts. And when it does start, I can pick up the pace of the animation (just so it moves differently). I'm worried that this slow part would become a bit boring to watch though...

What do you think?

1940s

Researching the 1940s reminds me why I was really hesitant about this project. Whatever information you are looking for - it is inevitable that you'll find very terrible images.

The Holocaust is a part of Israeli (or Jewish) history, but I think that for families of survivors (and the survivors themselves), it is something that still has a sort of presence even today (over or under the surface). It takes some emotional energy to deal with that.

But I'm glad I found a way to investigate people's behaviors from that time, without going into the most violent parts of the story (it would have been too difficult for me).

Here are some research images:

1. Cots

After almost giving up, I searched a website that has a record of all sorts of listed patents (of any product you can think of). So I chose a few cots where the mechanisms made sense to me, and scanned in my diagrams (and one photo from a different site).

2. Clothes (fashion)

For this I have 2 sources:

a. Magazine illustrations -

I found these images in a 1940s French fashion magazine ("Le Petit Écho de la Mode"). I'm assuming the general idea about fashion was the same in eastern Europe too.

b. Films

Professional costume designers have researched this decade already. These images are also in color (original photos aren't - so it's very useful).

For some reason I remembered 'The Pianist' as having really realistic costumes. It also a story (true story) that takes place in Warsaw, so the location is pretty close. Great film too.

3. City

Krakow was not damaged by bombings and such, as other places were in WW2. So photos of what it looks like today would be a good representation.

But here I found real photos from 1940 (from the web) and that gives me a lot more information.

This is of course outside the Ghetto.

- Almost no cars. I noticed a horse (lower left).

- 1 car far away
- Flags (in both photos).

I can always go back and research some more if I need specific information.

Animation test #1

So I've started out with a little pencil test (the tracing will be nicer on the final pass!). It is deliberately slow. I'm just trying to be careful; there is also the subtitle text to read and I don't want it to become too much.

This could either be the beginning or a middle section of the first part of my project (before the memory part begins). Where this ends I can make a small transition where you see just the cloth (it will be in color so it will be clearer) and then the hands could reappear from a different perspective.

I think maybe I should start with the hands putting down the pile (it's cloth). That way the animation wont start out with a action that is too elaborate. Plus it would gradually reveal the what this person is doing (does that make sense?).

I've also gathered some research images - I'll post those very soon.