Pixilation

        Before this task, I had never heard of pixilation, and could only imagine that it was a digital process, having something to do with pixels. Therefore I was surprised to discover that it was a technique not dissimilar to stop motion animation, only using photographs of people and props rather than puppets. In principle, all you need to create a pixilation animation is a camera and maybe a tripod.

        In spite of these similarities to stop motion (one of my favourite styles of animation), I found it difficult to find much to admire in some of the examples we were shown, though this may be to do with the subject rather than style. Jan Svankmajer's Food was quite nauseating (though it was undoubtedly intended to be so) and I found the clay animation effects crude and jarring. On first viewing it, I didn't really see what Svankmajer was trying to communicate, but after doing a little research the general consensus seems to be that the vignettes are highlighting human greed and consumerism, but for me this message was lost behind the surreal stories.

        Norman McLaren's Neighbours was far more enjoyable. The pixilation in this film made the two characters (not to mention their homes and garden furniture) move in a slightly off kilter way reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin and other films of the silent era, which combined with the perfectly suburban setting, created a charming picture book feel to the film. Until that is all hell breaks loose over a flower and the two protagonists go to war, destroying everything and eventually each other. The simple plot works well as a microcosm for the cold war, allowing the audience to focus on the characters rather than searching for hidden metaphors. By using pixilation, McLaren is able not only to create effects which would not be possible with live actions, but is able to depict things which would be abhorrent if done realistically (a man throwing an infant across a garden) and make them funny. It is true that, to quote Terry Gilliam, "serious ideas can often be communicated very powerfully with humour" (from Frame by Frame Stop Motion: Non Traditional Approaches to Stop Motion Animation by Tom Gasek).