A Haunting Animation. Writing with restraint and solid execution.

[Ban]

This is less of a writing discussion than a writing appreciation. I recently saw an animation on youtube that has stuck with me and which I'd like to share, because I found it interesting that it managed to accomplish that haunting feat. Its animation is of high quality, but sparsely implemented. The plot and its resolution are apparent the moment the story is laid out. And while the symbolism and subject matter are horrific, they are strikingly ordinary (though I would say that that elevates the horror). Yet despite these apparent constraints, they each work in the video's favour through its solid, simple execution of them. A takeaway I had is that at least for me, fear for another can be far more potent than fear that oneself experiences.

I do wish to preface the video with a warning that the subject matter is heavy. I think we can have a good discussion on it, though of course the rest of the thread will then feature spoilers.

 

[Finchbearer]

Online grooming subject matter aside, I think it’s only the type of writing that would work within an animation. And working within restriction is a brilliant exercise for creativity across many mediums.

 

[Ban]

I've seen the chat-log style of writing done well in the form of short stories as well. If we extend that to short stories that use the posts and comments of fictional forums, there's a lot of prose in that space. I do agree that the sound and visuals elevates it all. If this had been purely a written story, I wouldn't be so affected by it.

 

[Finchbearer]

You’re a poet aren’t you? What do you find when you want to convey something with so few words? What appeals to you about restraint?

 

[Ban]

Constraints necessitate choice, which curtails fluff. What I appreciate most in this video are the leg movements of the lamb. Because the entire video is shrouded in darkness, that one, simple movement pattern highlights innocence and carelessness in a dark and frightening world. If the animator had chosen to brighten things and add eye-catching, moving parts elsewhere, that significance would have been lost. I find such restraint commendable.

To bring it back to poetry, I find that there is a lot of power in structuring words such that they function as a magnifying glass. By repeating certain terms (albeit through synonyms), or limiting textual clutter, certain ideas and visuals are rendered more poignant. It's more difficult to achieve that in a sharp and effective manner through prose. That being said, plenty of poems benefit from length. Cheops by J.H. Leopold uses its wealth of words to illustrate the grandeur of his subject matter.

 

[PunkRoar]

I totally get what you're saying about that animation. The way they've managed to convey such a deep and haunting story with minimalistic animation and straightforward storytelling really hits hard. It's fascinating how powerful a simple, well-executed concept can be, especially when it comes to evoking emotions like fear and concern for others. Your observation about fearing for another being more impactful than fearing for oneself really resonates with me.

Inspired by this, I started dabbling in editing videos myself, aiming for that kind of simplicity and emotional depth. I found Movavi to be an excellent tool for beginners like me, offering free video editing software without leaving a watermark, which is great for keeping the focus on the content. If you're interested in trying out video editing, you might find Movavi helpful. You can check it out here: Top 20 Best FREE Video Editing Software with NO Watermark [2024]. It's been a helpful starting point for me in exploring video editing.

 

[Jackarandajam]

I would suggest McCarthy writes with the same sort of restraint. Out of context his sentence structure and word choice are maddeningly simple and his style usually the barest skeleton of straightforward description.
In context he uses that simplicity like a cat of nine tails.
I have to go long periods between his books, but the horror coveyed through his barebones style is worth a study.