(Film SPIN) The Utopia Scene (The Lost Thing)

Whole film:

The Lost Thing

(sorry it has foreign subtitles)


Scene breakdown:

The Utopia Scene

Before listening: 

Writer, Illustrator, Producer, Composer, Foley artist, CG designer, Editor

What would each of these people be responsible for in creating an animated film?

Who would guide the project as a whole?

Who would have more creative freedom, who would have less?

Which job would you be most comfortable doing?


1. Shaun Tan: writer illustrator

components
a binding aesthetic
distant childhood memories
deep-seated memories
spatial relationships
lingering
under the surface

Replace the  bold words with one of these words:

appearances, unifying, separate details, unconscious, compositional, remaining, early


2. Music composer

otherworldly
a question of how experimental to make the scene
in the end they decided for a melodic, warm feel
so the audience felt the conclusion of the story

Replace the  bold words with one of these words:

tuneful, unconventional, resolution, timeless yet strange

Why did they decide to use a guitar in the Utopia sequence?


CG Artist and Animator / editor


1. What made the Utopia scene special in the film?
2. Why was it tricky to create the horn creature?
3. What part of the blimp creature was challenging to model?

A great starting point 
exist slightly on its own
reference sketches
creature by creature a slightly different challenge
tapering shape
texture reference
sway around

Replace the  bold words with one of these words:

surface, float, surface, one character at a time, way to begin, independently, schematic, unique,


Sound design

foley artist
how literal should we go?

They broke down each character into:

1. what it was _______
2. visual ______
3. the way it _______
4. also it's c______ and p__________

guidelines
prop closets
markings
mic up

the literal sound didn't communicate the correct t_____, w______, s_____ or e________

Why was the sound of squeaking wood appropriate for the bird in the cage?

Replace the  bold words with one of these words:

rules or principles, record, sound making, objects for theatre or film, lines, physically realistic,


Producer

the big reveal
capture the pathos

Replace the  bold words with one of these words:

surprise, sadness

1. Why does she call Utopia "the big reveal"?
2. Where was "the original picture"?


Shaun

1. Why did Shaun decide to have no music over the credits?
2. Why does Shaun prefer ambiguous endings?
3. Why is the film deliberately not giving a clear concept?

epilogue
adds a sad note
counterpoint
transition
living nightmare
dichotomy
ambiguous
a life outside the film 

glimpse
origin story
adaptable

Replace the  bold words with one of these words:

after story, contrast, backstory, change, brief vision, binary decision, open-ended, beyond, feeling