SILENT INTERLUDE
During this period of my life, like many others trying to reclaim their lost childhood, I really got into collecting toys and comics. One afternoon as I was reading a copy of GI JOE silent interlude by Larry Hama, I realized that I wanted to make this story come to life.
I had all the action figures needed to recreate the comic, and although I had never made a stop motion short film based on existing source material, I thought it would be a fun short-term project.
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2014
G.I JOE:Silent Interlude-Stills
When you delve into the realm of G.I. Joe, a comic book that skillfully danced the line between exploring the military industrial complex and selling toys to children you start to realize how complex a universe Larry Hama, Marvel Comics and Hasbro created.
G.I. Joe managed to touch upon aspects of our collective reality, inviting contemplation even amidst the absurdity of a cartoon about war where none of combatants ever die.
In its own unique way, G.I. Joe managed to tackle complex themes, presenting them in a manner digestible to young minds while captivating their imagination.
It's fascinating, albeit somewhat disconcerting, how a franchise aimed at children could subtly address such weighty topics. G.I. Joe, in its own peculiar way, presented a distorted reflection of our world, both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Through its fantastical lens, it illumiated the complexities and shadowy machinations of global power dynamics and the paradox that without war there would be no peace.
Over the course of 18 months, I sourced all the materials, built all the sets, and meticulously recreated the comic book one panel at a time.
Once again, I bit off more than I could chew and underestimated the effort required to build all the sets, shoot every scene, compile all the footage, sync all the audio effects, and edit the final video.
What I thought would be a 4-6 week project monopolized a majority of my time for the better part of two years. In this laborious 18-month endeavor, I dived headfirst into the world of stop animation, hoping to capture the essence of the G.I. Joe universe.
Alas, while it certainly has its moments of promise, let's just say it falls a tad short of the mark.
The final short 8-minute film needs a lot of work. It is slow and janky at times. I learned a lot about filmmaking during this project – continuity, scriptwriting, camera operations, editing, visual effects, etc.
After walking away from the project for a short period, I re-edited the piece into a serial-style presentation. Instead of one 8-minute short film, I used the footage to create 8 one-minute episodes.
By doing this, I was able to cut footage that was unsmooth, shaky, and simply unuseable. This version presents itself in a faster-paced, more concise manner that mirrors the comic book's quick cuts and fast-paced story.
I suppose the lessons learned during this arduous process of mediocrity are far more valuable than the lackluster final product itself. I've come to appreciate the complexities and challenges of stop animation, and I've developed a deep understanding of what not to do next time. Ah, the wisdom that comes from failure!
I had all the action figures needed to recreate the comic, and although I had never made a stop motion short film based on existing source material, I thought it would be a fun short-term project.
G.I JOE:Silent Interlude-Stills
When you delve into the realm of G.I. Joe, a comic book that skillfully danced the line between exploring the military industrial complex and selling toys to children you start to realize how complex a universe Larry Hama, Marvel Comics and Hasbro created.
G.I. Joe managed to touch upon aspects of our collective reality, inviting contemplation even amidst the absurdity of a cartoon about war where none of combatants ever die.
In its own unique way, G.I. Joe managed to tackle complex themes, presenting them in a manner digestible to young minds while captivating their imagination.
It's fascinating, albeit somewhat disconcerting, how a franchise aimed at children could subtly address such weighty topics. G.I. Joe, in its own peculiar way, presented a distorted reflection of our world, both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Through its fantastical lens, it illumiated the complexities and shadowy machinations of global power dynamics and the paradox that without war there would be no peace.
Over the course of 18 months, I sourced all the materials, built all the sets, and meticulously recreated the comic book one panel at a time.
Once again, I bit off more than I could chew and underestimated the effort required to build all the sets, shoot every scene, compile all the footage, sync all the audio effects, and edit the final video.
What I thought would be a 4-6 week project monopolized a majority of my time for the better part of two years. In this laborious 18-month endeavor, I dived headfirst into the world of stop animation, hoping to capture the essence of the G.I. Joe universe.
Alas, while it certainly has its moments of promise, let's just say it falls a tad short of the mark.
The final short 8-minute film needs a lot of work. It is slow and janky at times. I learned a lot about filmmaking during this project – continuity, scriptwriting, camera operations, editing, visual effects, etc.
After walking away from the project for a short period, I re-edited the piece into a serial-style presentation. Instead of one 8-minute short film, I used the footage to create 8 one-minute episodes.
By doing this, I was able to cut footage that was unsmooth, shaky, and simply unuseable. This version presents itself in a faster-paced, more concise manner that mirrors the comic book's quick cuts and fast-paced story.
I suppose the lessons learned during this arduous process of mediocrity are far more valuable than the lackluster final product itself. I've come to appreciate the complexities and challenges of stop animation, and I've developed a deep understanding of what not to do next time. Ah, the wisdom that comes from failure!