Showing @ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 09 Feb only
Will Anderson / Scotland / 2011 / 16 min
BAFTA winning short animation The Making of Longbird, by Will Anderson, concludes the successful Snapshots series from Edinburgh College of Art graduates. For Anderson, the medium is the message and animation becomes the subject matter explored in this mockumentary with a somewhat self-deprecating look at the god-like art of ‘giving life’.
Longbird combines cutout animation with live-action, both of which are expertly mastered, and follows a budding young artist (Will Anderson) as he attempts to resurrect the iconic Longbird, a character created by imaginary animator Vladislav Aleksandrovich Feltov. The relationship between the insecure but ambitious young animator and his character seamlessly inverts the status of creator and creation.
Anderson creates a reflective distance to the film’s own animation, in tune with his conviction that animation as a means of storytelling should be justified. Despite the hurried conclusion, the film’s thoughtfulness and humour suffice to explain the film’s deserved critical success.
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