War Story

        It was Aardman's animated interviews, and War Story in particular which was the main inspiration behind my desire to use an interview as the foundation of our documentary animation. While Creature Comforts are the studio's most famous interviews, these are arguably not documentary films, as the interviews (with actual members of the public) are taken out of context and presented for comedic rather than factual or educational effect. 

       On Probation (and Down and Out) is an excellent example of an animated observational mode documentary. Taking a piece of audio recording (a somewhat mundane piece in which negotiations are made with a probation officer), the animators than recreate a perfectly believable set in which this conversation may have taken place. There is no manipulation and little emotion; the conversation is presented for what it is with no ostensible attempt being made to influence that viewer's reaction. In short, it is a fly on the wall observation of an everyday scene. The only remarkable feature is that the protagonists have been replaced with well observed plasticine facsimiles.

        War Story is constructed in the style of a stereotypical interview, as we have come to expect from live action documentaries. The film alternates between a talking head of an (animated) elderly gentleman recounting his experiences of World War Two, and 'flash back' footage of his younger self in scenarios which correspond to his recollections. However, unlike a live action documentary, where the supportive footage could be expected to be largely comprised of archive films, in War Story the footage is more personal to the character, showing his experiences not as though he were being filmed but as though we were omnipresent observers.

        This is a similar approach to Fettle Animation's Children of the Holocaust in which interviews are placed alongside animation which is not factually accurate, but effectively emphasises the tone and emotions of the voice over. While neither War Story nor Children of the Holocaust suffer from dull material (the interviews are very engaging) World War Two and the Holocaust are perhaps topics which may not appeal to all at a first glance. However, as animation the appeal is broadened, in the case of Children of the Holocaust becoming suitable for children, which the films would most certainly not be if accompanied by the archive footage featured in many live action Holocaust documentaries. In the case of War Story, Aardman's distinctive animation style helps emphasise the inherent humour in the interviewee's dialogue. The subtle nuances in the performance, such as the character's bouncing nose and cartoonish sleepiness, contribute levity to what could have been quite dry.

        Animation helps make these topics more appealing, more engaging and more approachable. Due to the distasteful and perhaps off-putting nature of our subject, it would be prudent for us to take note. While it would not in our case be appropriate to use humour to broach a difficult subject we can temper our imagery (in the manner of Children of the Holocaust) to make the topic more palatable to audiences, while not diminishing the emotional impact. Indeed, sometimes it is more powerful to imply than to show.

        One final consideration. An interview may seem an honest and truthful form of documentary, after all it is the spontaneous opinion of an impartial interviewee, but as Kath Shackleton of Fettle pointed out, an interview has the potential to be edited and manipulated to fit the directors needs. An interviewee could have been given direction or guidance on what to say, or sections of their dialogue could have been cut, as was the case with Children of the Holocaust. This may not have been done with dishonest intent, but changing an interview has the potential to change the meaning and message.