'//_sleeper': ’lo-fi’ independent animation research
- Submitting institution
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University of Portsmouth
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 25176203
- Type
- L - Artefact
- Location
- British Film Institute, Southbank Centre, South Bank, London
- Open access status
- -
- Month of production
- November
- Year of production
- 2018
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
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- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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0
- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This is a 7-minute short animated film written, directed and designed by Jordan Buckner and submitted via USB requestable from the REF archive as a single item output with contextual information of pre-production/production design content. The film originated from a commission project funded by the British FiIm Institute and the BBC in 2018. //_sleeper is an example of computer-generated animation produced within a low-budget, independent framework.
The primary research explored the extent to which the necessarily ‘lo-fi’ animation aesthetics of independent production can create work that is narratively expressive and personal, with a unique visual identity. The research/production process for the film interrogates O’Reilly’s animation principle of aesthetic ‘coherence’. A range of techniques were explored including lo-fi construction methods, library textures, stepped animation and mixed media/VFX to test the applicability of the concept of aesthetic ‘coherence’ to the stages of production experimentation. These were then utilized for personal storytelling. //_sleeper expresses an abstract, purposefully ambiguous narrative to reflect themes of mental illness, grief and anxiety. This style of storytelling is often not possible within a bigger budget studio animation framework but, here, the aesthetic parameters of ‘lo-fi’ production have been expanded.
The resulting output was aired across BBC Four & BBC iPlayer on BFI Southbank and BFI Player (2018). The film’s success demonstrates that, through a defined research process, ’lo-fi’ independent animation can produce aesthetically innovative and socially relevant artefacts, and make the sector more accessible, diverse and ‘auteured’ than previously. It is now possible for a sole animator with overall control over production processes to make films that equal those of bigger, commercial studios - both in narrative concept and visual aesthetics.
//_sleeper was additionally disseminated at the London International Animation Festival, 2019 and the Dublin Independent Film Festival where it was nominated for Best Animated Film, 2019.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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