Barry Purves Talk

Earlier this week, the famous Barry Purves came into the Leeds College of Art to talk to my class about storytelling through animation. He did this by showcasing two of his films and then walking us through both frame by frame, describing his thought process and explaining why the shot is good or bad.

Purves really loves the concept of theatre and acting; he didn't do well in his initial acting career so decided to translate that passion into animation. He believes stop motion has the most in common with the theatre, since they both use props, make up and sets to portray their stories.

One of my classmates asked Purves to explain the reason he believes practitioners still use stop motion today, despite computer generated imagery being developed. He stated it is because in a way, it's the most relatable animation technique to audiences; seeing puppets and common materials come to life through animation to a lot of people is astounding. Though CGI has many positives, because of the space within the computer, they are able to put cameras where it is not possible in real life, so this and the plastic feel of the characters make CG seem slightly less believable. Whereas with stop motion, all you need to see is a few props and hints of a story, so that the viewer can fill in the gaps themselves and turn it into a story that they will enjoy more.

The audience is naturally more aware of what a stop motion puppet is, what it's made up of and the materials used to build it; this is why seeing it come to life through animation, breathing, talking and feeling emotions, is considered to be more amazing to watch.

This explanation is incredibly relevant to my dissertation, since I am comparing animation techniques; it is worth taking into consideration as I start my practical work as well, since having an open mind to the advantages and disadvantages of each, whilst considering what the audience will think of my film, will ultimately allow me to consider my shots and set it up well.