V.O.W N°38  (26 September - 2 October 2011)

The graduation short film, FRICTIONS, directed at L'École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs of Paris (animation section) in 2011 looks at inventive ways to integrate animation and live action performance. FRICTIONS mixes human live action movements and stop motion animation to create a seamless and overlapping narrative. By utilizing colored paper in different sizes, the director, Steven Briand, also known as Burayan, creates the sensation of a pixelated field that adds shimmer and excitement to the movements. From the wall, the pixel animation moves onto the body and inside it creating a rich play between elements on the screen. Moving from axis to axis, the performance comes together and interacts.

Using a Canon Camera 5D Mark II and a 24-70 L lens in a blue screen studio, the director, Burayan is able to assemble an experience that takes us on a journey of conflict, acceptance and peace. The colorful interactions between the human movement and the paper animations to create pixelation fields creates a spectacular array of color, movement and pictures. We continue to see a renaissance of stop motion animations from across the globe. It is great to see such a foundation of animation being pushed and mixed in new ways in order to formalize new narrative techniques for future technologies and experiences.