Notes Towards The Use of a Documentary Approach in The Teaching of

Pedro Serrazina Abstract Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Since its early days, animation film has always Tecnologias reflected its cultural context at the time of cre- ation. Nevertheless, it is still widely perceived as kid’s entertainment.

Reflecting on practical examples and teaching methodologies, this text argues for a practice of animation which, by adhering to documenta- ry strategies, engages with real issues, leaving behind the traditional Disney//fantasy/ game-inspired references that frame most of the animation students’ intentions at the begin- ning of their path.

Rather than a matter of technique, and regard- less of the much debated issue of realism, this text suggests that a teaching framed by a docu- mentary approach, bringing questions of identi- ty and social perspective to the core of the prac- tice, reinforces animation as a thoughtful and participative role in the contemporary moving image debate.

Keywords: animation, documentary approach, teaching, identity, social perspective

50 Context shorts (Hunger Strikes, 2013, by Jona- Grierson defined documentary practice than Hodgson; Guantanamo Diary, 2015, as the “creative interpretation of reality,” From its early days, the animated film by Laurence Topham)1, continue and Corner used the expression “the art of has always reflected its cultural context. affirm animation practice as an agent record,” and Winston suggested “claim- Like other art forms, animation produc- of commentary upon social and cultural ing the real” was a main characteristic tion echoes what is going on at the time developments. (Ward, 2005, p. 6). These attempts at of creation. It is easy to find examples of encapsulating its essence, place dealing this, both in features and shorts, in main- Another important area that has tackled with reality at the hear of documentary stream or in less well known films, help- social issues has been notoriously ad- film making. ing us trace a continuous thread from dressed by Jayne Pilling in Women and the commencement of the animation Animation: A Compendium (Pilling, 1992). Not many of the animation films referred industry to present times. The association between independent to so far in this article can be considered, animation and female expression has a even within the broadest of terms, to fall From its beginnings in the 20th century, long tradition of addressing real social within the documentary canon. But the cartoons paid “homage to the machine”, issues (also see Ward, 2005, p. 84). definitions above can be applied to all reflecting a fascination with the mechan- of them: in those examples, animation ical age and the change of rhythm during It is also important to identify another reflects its times and draws upon real- the industrialization of society trend in animation practice: the doc- ity to create subject matter. From that (Klein, 1993, pp. 75-80). Benchmark umentation of the directors’ history perspective, it is undeniable that a doc- films like McCay’s Sinking of the Lusitania (Landreth’s Ryan, 2004, is an umentary approach informs aspects of (1918), Disney’s Plane Crazy (1928) (with example here) and of the practice itself.2 its practice. its reference to Lindberg’s transatlan- tic flight), the World War II propaganda In Documentary, The Margins of Reality, Case study: The Blackout shorts (from both sides of the trenches), Ward argues that “‘documentary’ must Animal Farm (1954) by Halas and Batche- now be seen as a range of strategies in a Sharron Mirsky’s The Blackout (2013)3 is lor, Bakshi’s Fritz the Cat (1972), and plen- variety of media” (Ward, 2005, p. 82). The a short animation film that addresses a ty of others, can be easily called upon author includes animation within that two day power blackout that affected a to exemplify how animation served as range but warns us that it “represents large area of Ontario, leaving more than a visual reflection of unfolding historical one of the clearest challenges to sim- 50 million people without electricity.4 events. plistic models of what documentary is and can be. […] The frame by frame pro- Recent examples, from Persepolis duction process means […] that it cannot (2007), (2008) and adequately represent the real – which mainstream American series (like The should be one of the defining features of Simpsons or American Dad), to indepen- documentary” (Ward, 2005, p. 85). dent shorts (like What Barry Says, 2004, by Simon Robson), or even the Guard- Ward makes use of several historically ian newspaper-sponsored Guantanamo relevant definitions that are of help to us:

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The Blackout (2013), by Sharron Mirsky.

Mirsky makes use of documentary strat- The rewarding outcome evokes the feel- feel how “people came together” due to egies, interviewing Toronto inhabitants ing of what it was like to be there, high- the momentary collapse of organized and using city soundscapes, together lighting the powerful increase in human city life, something we take for granted. with animation to generate and combine interaction against the fragility of the in- both an eyewitness reporting and a vi- frastructure that normally binds society. The film attempts not only to record a sually poetic interpretation of the expe- As one of the characters/interviewees specific event and its consequences on rience. says during the film, we understand and a social level, but also to visually inter-

52 Notes Towards The Use of a Documentary Approach in The Teaching of Animation Pedro Serrazina

pret the reality of what took place during munity that reacted in a specific way to tions of their social surroundings, while those two days. Its strength comes from an unexpected ordeal? By all means yes. at the same time widening their per- the way the solid basis in real, lived ex- ception of what animation practice can perience, is further enhanced through Without wanting to be dragged into the really be, beyond the traditional Disney/ moments of poetic and animated liberty. argument about the ontology of docu- anime/fantasy/game inspired clichés. mentary and its practice, I use this film as a reference because I am interested Animation and the real Case study: Animaidstone in what it exemplifies, its implications Examples like this clearly emphasize a in terms of the practice and teaching of During my tenure as animation course powerful characteristic in animation: a animation. leader at UCA Maidstone we organised a preoccupation with reality and human conference event, AniMaidstone (2009): nature, and its creators’ availability to re- The underlying question will persist: Can sponsored by a combination of academ- cord and comment on real events. animation, a visual art form in which all ic (the University for the Creative Arts its elements are “manufactured,” be con- and its Animation Arts course) and local From that perspective one could align sidered as documentary? The question institutions (Maidstone Housing Trust, this kind of filmmaking within a broad is especially pertinent if we only consider Kent County Council, MediaTree and documentary practice but, doing so, documentary as a factual representa- Maidstone Borough Council), the project we are faced with one of the questions tion of events unfolding in real time and highlighted animation’s potential for so- that underlines documentary appraisal space - As if behind the camera we could cial commentary and reinforcement of and its veracity, thus summarised by have a mechanical being, not manipu- local identity and community. Ward: “how to deal with and understand lating or interfering with the event that it something that quite clearly is attempt- registers. The event combined a one day interna- ing to represent reality (or some part of tional conference with guest speakers, reality), but as it does so, uses specific Many others have better questioned and practitioners and scholars, and a practi- aesthetic devices. A commonsense [sic] addressed the issue of documentary ve- cal project, in which 2nd year BA students suggestion is that the aesthetics some- racity. But my intention is to suggest a produced 4 hybrid -animation how distort or change the reality being different debate: the use of a documen- documentaries, addressing community represented” (Ward, 2005, p. 6). tary approach brings essential questions groups and their issues. to animation teaching and practice de- In practical terms, does a film like The velopment that I find relevant. It intro- As described by an online article on the Blackout attempt to visually document duces a way to lead students to ques- University for the Creative Arts website: the city, place and people, exactly as they tion their own boundaries and limits; to were at the time of the power failure? No. question their own lifestyle and personal “Students were given the oppor- But does such a film attempt to -docu experience, and to bring that to the work. tunity to work with Maidstone ment the reality experienced by some of Housing trust tenants including those that were there, how they felt, not Such approach can generate a practice young families, over 60s, dis- only as individuals, but as part of a com- that is more challenging and engaged abled groups and youth clubs, with the real, questioning preconcep- to create short films on social in-

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tervention and reinforcement of cultural identity, highlighting lo- cal issues. The project also gave community groups a chance to tell their stories and celebrate the fantastic work of volunteers and support workers.”5

The whole project was launched with a master class by documentary filmmaker Kim Hopkins, who had worked with BBC World on Women in the Front Line and Nurses on the Front Line.6 The students involved were divided in 4 teams. Each team (of 5 students) was mentored by a single filmmaker (Candy Guard, Anna Orchard, Lucy Sullivan, and Stephen Brown) during their weekly meetings with the community groups.

For five weeks the student teams met and worked with their allocated com- munities to produce films about social groups that were, in one way or anoth- er, at the margins of society. In practical terms, the students felt this was their toughest project so far: by being put Full House (2009), by Bennett, Jouppila, Joseph and Wen, one of the AniMaidstone animation/ face to face with real situations, uncom- documentaries, available on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEsTYiE7nV4 (Link accessed fortable subjects and people of different on the 8th of December 2015) ages and life experiences, the project challenged them and placed them com- pletely out of their comfort zone.

54 Notes Towards The Use of a Documentary Approach in The Teaching of Animation Pedro Serrazina

During the process of creating these want to do animation now, in this day One of the units I have been running in films, they dealt with realities they would and age? the past few years puts a documentary not normally face or even consider as approach at the core of animation prac- a subject for animation, and had to find Despite the geographical, organizational tice: I invite a guest artist (a creative solutions for very straightforward prob- and cultural differences between teach- practitioner from one form of media or lems: for example, some of the interview- ing in London and its outskirts or in Lis- another) to come and talk to the class. ees simply did not want to be shown on bon, the answers are predictable: “I want So far we have had musicians, an illus- film. to tell a story,” “…to give life to charac- trator, a director/musician/graphic novel ters,” “… to create a universe”... artist… The choice has been to bring in As such, their methods and understand- people who are current, contemporary ing of the animation process were put But, as I write this, I go back to the texts professionals. The artists present and into question: They discovered through handed in by my students only a week discuss their work with the students, and practice new strategies to communicate ago and confirm that, aside from the the whole conversation is recorded. ideas and that animation is not simply expected desire to “make things move” a tool to create imaginary landscapes and to “tell stories,” most of the 15 stu- where fantasy worlds unfold. dents of my latest class also include in their reply, in some form or another, that The films were screened publicly at the they want “to communicate,” “to share a Hazlitt theatre, in the heart of Maid- personal experience” or “show a view of stone’s city centre, celebrating a shared the world.” experience. But, more than bringing together two different sides of Maid- Maybe this is due to my own sugges- stone, the academia and the community tions and guidance; maybe I orientate (during both the process and the screen- them towards this kind of subject mat- ing event), the successful result was ter and naturally, by doing that, I frame also expressed on a pedagogical level: their practice. But the goal is clear: The the students experienced that animation intention is to exercise and open their can also be a tool to better understand practice to the world out there; to count- the world and to mediate between the er the romantic view of the real and a personal view of reality. working alone for hours and hours in his/ her individual film; to place them within a wider, real context, engaging with and Practice at Universidade reacting to real people, in opposition to Lusófona a pervasive way of working and socializ- One of the questions I ask my students ing that is increasingly happening within every year is why do they want to do an- computer mediated environments. imation. More importantly, why do they

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Students filming the members of Dead Combo, an alternative folk-rock music duo (2014).

I am Tigerman, based on the music and persona of the one-man band The Legendary Tigerman (2013).

56 Notes Towards The Use of a Documentary Approach in The Teaching of Animation Pedro Serrazina

Students with composer/jazz musician/ Pizzaboy and Dog Mendonça graphic novel author Filipe Melo (2015)

The brief requires the students to identi- fore need “only” to develop a personal fy and edit some part of the conversation strategy to accomplish the task. that is inspiring to them and, based on that, to develop a concept that justifies the combination of live action footage with a chosen animation technique. The final result should be a short film, a visu- al “portrait” of the guests’ work and their persona (never a music video: an imme- diate/easy solution for the students, es- pecially if the guest is a musician).

This assignment implies a kind of report- age approach, and has the advantage of putting the students to work with an ex- isting “story,” avoiding the distraction of creating a narrative from scratch (some- thing they can learn in other units). They start their work with material that is al- ready relevant and inspiring, and there-

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Posters for the films produced with Dead Combo and illustrator Alex Gozblau (2013).

This process allows them to focus on Similarly, at a time when “old fashioned” In projects like the ones described above, the actual usage of animation as a tool and mainstream cinema seems to be at the students’ main tasks are, as well as to engage with the real and steers them a creative dead-end (and looks for ani- developing a unique visual approach, to away from the clichéd idea that anima- mation and the digital to reinvent itself), discover a personal way to deal with the tion is mainly a form of escapist enter- it is important to keep establishing ani- real while taking ownership of their sub- tainment. mation as a relevant, contemporary art ject. These discoveries have the poten- form: an art form that drives its own nar- tial to change the students’ understand- At a time when animation can be seen rative and is not simply content to be a ing of what animation can actually be. on almost any device or visual platform, facilitator of yet more of the visual clutter it seems important that the industry and that is so ubiquitous in this day and age. Conclusion its practitioners continue to consciously consider its role: For too long animation Arguably, this can only be achieved This kind of approach does not follow has been widely seen as kids’ entertain- through meaningful content. More than strict documentary rules – in fact, I am ment. Newcomers to the practice should ever, I believe, it is necessary that anima- not concerned about defining with the be taught/reminded of an historical tion reinforces its connection with con- students, whether or not the results they tradition that reflects on current/social temporary life. achieve are documentaries; I am not events. concerned by the form or perception of

58 Notes Towards The Use of a Documentary Approach in The Teaching of Animation Pedro Serrazina

animation documentary, but mainly at of technique, regardless of the “amount how the process required allows the stu- of realism” involved, such approach and dents to think more for themselves rath- its research, bring questions of identi- er than mimic a style or trend. ty and social perspective to the core of the practice. And, by doing so, animation This process carries within itself a line reclaims a thoughtful, intervening and of questioning that is very close to Grier- participative role in the contemporary son’s definition of documentary. But the moving image debate. discussion about the legitimacy of ani- mated documentary7, although relevant, is left for another context.

However, I do agree with Honess Roe when, in her article published in this same journal, she proposes that “a more “360-degree” consideration of animated documentary might enrich our under- standing and future study of the form.” Like other film makers, animation direc- tors do not want to be restrained by the technical or formal definitions of what they are actually trying to produce. As Honess Roe suggests, “one of the rea- sons […] that John Grierson’s 1933 defi- nition of documentary as ‘the creative treatment of actuality’ has had such lon- gevity is because it is broad church - it allows for a wide variety of aesthetic and practical approaches to making nonfic- tion.”8

Such a wide view of the form(s) is en- couraging and exciting: It seems obvious to me, as an , that this cross-fertilization and the use of a doc- umentary approach bring something of importance to the discussion of contem- porary animation. Rather than a matter

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Bibliography: Notes

Honess Roe, A. (2013). Animated documentary. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 1 Links to both films, accessed on 7 Decem- ber 2015:

Honess Roe, A. (2016), Against animated documentary?, International Journal of Film http://www.theguardian.com/world/vid- eo/2013/oct/11/guantanamo-bay-hun- and Media Arts. 1(1), [20-27]. ger-strikes-video-animation

http://www.theguardian.com/world/vid- Klein, N. (1993). 7 Minutes, The life and death of the American animated cartoon. Lon- eo/2015/jan/20/guantanamo-diary-video don: Verso. 2 Complementary to this, it should also be re- ferred the growing awareness within the an- Pilling, J. (1992). Women and animation, a compendium. London: BFI Publishing. imation industry for the need to document its own practice. Paul Wells’ recent series of documentaries, for the Animation Academy Rozenkrantz, J. (2011). Colourful claims: towards a theory of animated documenta- at Loughborough University, addresses a ry. Film International, 6. Available from: http://filmint.nu/?p=1809. growing preoccupation of animation practi- tioners and scholars in preserving its own history and body of work. Ward, P, (2005). Documentary, the margins of reality. London: Wallflower Press. 3 On December 1st, 2015, Sharron Mirsky’s film could be seen here: https://vimeo. Ward, P. (2008). Animated realities: the animated film, documentary, realism. Recon- com/54821094 struction: Studies in contemporary culture, 8(2). Available from: http://reconstruction. 4 According to Time magazine “more than 50 eserver.org/Issues/082/ward.shtml. million people had lost power in parts of On- tario and eight U.S. states.“ http://science. time.com/2013/08/13/ten-years-after-the- great-blackout-the-grid-is-stronger-but-vul- nerable-to-extreme-weather/ (accessed on: 1 December 2015).

5 http://ucreative2.ucreative.ac.uk/arti- cle/24098/Maidstone-hosts-film-festi- val-exploring-cultural-identity#.VmBaHXbh- CUk (accessed on: 4 December 2015)

6 http://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/2009/02/ bbc-documentary-film-maker-launches-an- imaidstone-2009/ (accessed on: 4 Decem- ber 2015)

7 See Rozenkrantz: Colourful Claims: To- wards a theory of animated documentary, in Film International, 6 May 2011. Available from: http://filmint.nu/?p=1809 (accessed: 6.12.2015)

8 See Honess Roe: “Against Animated Docu- mentary?” [20-27], in this number of the International Journal of Film and Media Arts.

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