Notes Towards the Use of a Documentary Approach in the Teaching of Animation

NOTES TOWARDS THE USE OF A DOCUMENTARY APPROACH IN THE TEACHING OF ANIMATION 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 creation. 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 documentary strategies, engages with real issues, leaving behind the traditional Disney/anime/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 documentary approach, bringing questions of identity and social perspective to the core of the practice, 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 western 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 short film 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), Waltz with Bashir (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: 51 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS vol 1, n.º1 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 live action-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- 53 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS vol 1, n.º1 tervention and reinforcement of cultural identity, highlighting local 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.

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