Stop-motion film maker, Jan Švankmajer is a Czech artist who is well known for his 'surrealist' animations and features. A puppet theatre was given to him at Christmas when he was a child; an early influence to his artistic development, later studying at the College of Applied Arts in Prague, then the Prague Academy of Performing Arts. He later joined the Czechoslovakian Surrealist group and was soon gaining a reputation for his distinctive use of stop-motion to create animations/ pictures, also using clay animation and breathing life into inanimate objects.
He is known to create short films, his trademarks in his films include exaggerated use of foley sounds - such as in eating scenes and fast motion sequences - such as when characters are walking or interacting. Food is usually a favourite subject and medium in his films - such as in 'Food' or 'Meat Love', which are very experimental and artistic. Many of his films are depicted from the idea of a child's perspective - yet have a night-marish and thrilling outcome which is almost disturbing; yet have a comical outcome. I think this is effective - especially in a short film as they can entice the audience.
'Meat Love' is a very comical one minute long sequence that shows two pieces of meat, romantically involved. They spin and dance to the music and play in the flour - and are then brutally plunged into a pan to be fried.
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| 'Dimensions of Dialogue' |
He is known to create short films, his trademarks in his films include exaggerated use of foley sounds - such as in eating scenes and fast motion sequences - such as when characters are walking or interacting. Food is usually a favourite subject and medium in his films - such as in 'Food' or 'Meat Love', which are very experimental and artistic. Many of his films are depicted from the idea of a child's perspective - yet have a night-marish and thrilling outcome which is almost disturbing; yet have a comical outcome. I think this is effective - especially in a short film as they can entice the audience.
'Meat Love' is a very comical one minute long sequence that shows two pieces of meat, romantically involved. They spin and dance to the music and play in the flour - and are then brutally plunged into a pan to be fried.
'Food' is one of my favourite films - the sequence is amusing and comical; split into the three meals of the day. Starting off with Breakfast, a man is seen entering a room where he reads instructions, using the robotic waiter style man to dispense the food - it is some sort of spell as once he eats, he is frozen, freeing the previous waiter. Lunch shows two men failing to catch the waiters eye at a restaurant - and therefore end up eating everything inside, including the table, chairs, clothes, cutlery most probably themselves. The final meal of the day, shows dinner being presented and garnished on a plate with a variety of sauces and dressings, we soon realise that these are all organs - after a waiter nails a fork to his wooden hand prior to devouring his real hand.
I find that Jan's use of stop motion is very artistic - especially in depicting surrealist themes as the images form are almost ever so slightly disjointed to create a moving product, which I would love to re-create - however due to timing and lack of experience I feel I will not be able to. In terms of mise-en-scene, he uses inanimate objects and brings them to life, creating scenarios that we may not understand - I find it however comical and amusing - also slightly disturbing for an audience.
| 'Alice' |
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