Speaking With Animation - "Papiroflexia"

I came across this animation while browsing through youtube. It was labeled "Orgami World", although the title that appears in the actual animation is "Papiroflexia." The animation was done by Joaquin Baldwin. I chose this animation as the subject of my post because it was both well animated and creatively engaging.

As both a film and creative writing major, one of the things I scrutinize in any piece is story. The story in this animation is simple, creative and effective. The short narrative basically follows a man who is able to transform the world around him into origami. As we follow the man, we see him transform the urban landscape around him into a beautiful natural state. At the end of the piece, the man transforms himself into an origami bear, completing the transformation from crowded city into serene nature. It's a very creative, yet straightforward story; which is what ultimately makes it so effective. The simplicity of the story does not mean that it lacks depth. On the contrary I think that the simplicity of the actual narrative emphasizes the thematic depth of the animation. The two most compelling themes which caught my attention were that of city versus nature (or chaotic order versus serene wilderness) and the ability of the individual to make a difference. The piece is very imaginative and inspires an equally creative response from the viewer.

The animation also works if it is considered from a more technical standpoint. One of the things that stuck out to me most was the use of sound in the piece. The harmonious soundtrack is juxtaposed with the harsh city noises to further develop the theme of city (or civilization) versus nature. Another juxtaposition I noticed in the piece involved the use of colors. The main character himself sticks out in the dull and dark colored urban landscape because of his bright color. As he changes things from their urban state into a natural state, they become brighter in terms of color. For example, when he changes the car into a deer it goes from being a dark gray color to a brighter brown. The dull gray airplane is transformed into a more vivid blue bird. In the scene with the quick transformation of the buildings and roads into trees and paths, the sun comes out and illuminates the entire landscape, casting it in a bright array of colors which highly contrast the stark colors of the urban landscape which has now been fully transformed. The use of such juxtaposition further develops the thematic opposition of city and nature.

Since the environment in the piece is essential to the animation it is important that the landscape be represented in an effective way. In my opinion the use of space in the animation is what makes it so special. The way in which the character slowly travels through and transforms his environment is very creatively and (more importantly) effectively executed. Though it was a cartoon animation, the movement through the piece was not choppy, but very smooth and even lifelike.

The use of depth to create a greater sense of space is extremely important in a story which is about a character who is changing that same space which he is traveling through. There were plenty of objects in the foreground and background (signs, buildings, cars, etc.) which effectively created a sense of depth in the piece. If you look closely at the background, the sky itself looks like a crumpled piece of paper. It was little things like this that made this animation flow so smoothly. The style of the animation is very important as a complement to the theme and story of the piece. Ultimately, all these element help create a very compelling animation.