(The following content is personal interpretation, please correct me if there is something wrong.)
Cartoon Salon’s fourth animated feature film "Wolfwalker" won the 2020 Annie Awards for Best Director and Best Independent Feature Film and other awards, and also scored 87 points on the MTC website. Compared with the "Spiritual Journey", which is jointly and it competes for the Oscars, this film pays more attention to the portrayal of the characters' hearts and the use of audiovisual language. I think this is also the reason why this film won the best director of the Annie Award.
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1. A boring day
When Robyn was forced to work in the washing room, the pictures were mainly gray and white. The direct purpose was to create a dull and boring atmosphere, and at the same time to show that the work in the washing room was monotonous. The nun's dress is also off-white, showing the nun's personal emotions and the environment. In the second picture of p2, there is a split screen. The 4 pictures reflect Robyn's busyness. The two chains separating the pictures are the spiritual shackles that Robyn is trapped in.
2. Absolute power
In the use of color in audiovisual language, red usually symbolizes violence, desire, passion, and power. When the image of the protector of the country was shaped, a lot of red was set in his room to symbolize his absolute authority; in addition, the red on the clothes of the old man in the film also symbolized his status in the family; on the contrary, Robyn and Mebh's orange and green clothing symbolizes their closeness to nature, warmth and friendliness.
3. Round & natural, liberating
The circles appearing in these pictures not only symbolize the characteristics of the characters (top left), but also symbolize the subtle changes in the character's personality (bottom left, bottom right), and symbolize the character's situation (top right). The circle has the meaning of "reincarnation" and is often used in movies to symbolize "new life". In this film, it shows that the wolfwalker has an unfettered mood and is close to nature.
4. Square & shackle
The square has sharp edges and corners. In the scene of the city, the guardian's room and the washing room in Figure 2, there are a lot of squares, which are in sharp contrast with the smooth lines of the forest scene. They all render an environment full of oppression and imprisonment. The sharp edges and corners of people’s clothing and faces illustrate the characteristics of people’s adherence to conventions. Robyn's face is smooth, but the clothes she wears are square, which shows that she is depressed and passive in her heart.
5. Use lines to reinforce conflict
Due to the limitation of 2D animation, the film cannot use the handheld lens to highlight the sense of confusion, so the director chooses to use a lot of lines to point to the characters in the screen, or to add sharp objects to the screen to enhance the sense of conflict. I was so immersed in it when I watched it the first time, and only noticed it the second time. When I think about it carefully, it is indeed a brilliant technique.
6. Use frame to restore inner activities in real time
The front and back span of this group of pictures is about 30s. This segment uses the frame to change from large to small to restore Robyn's emotional trough, his inner struggle becomes more and more intense, and finally he breaks the shackles and stands up to resist. Robyn took off his headscarf, his hair jumped out of the frame, and the character's heart got rid of the suppression of the environment. The essence of the change of the frame is to visualize the relationship between the character's heart and the environment, and to restore the subtle emotional changes of the character.
7. Feel with your eyes
In order to let the audience experience the "privilege" of being a Timberwolf, from the first-person perspective of the wolf, the colors in the picture are simplified, and the sense of touch, hearing, and touch are visualized, so that the audience can feel it with their eyes. Create a unique sense of magic.
With the rich audiovisual language, the film creates a folklore-like texture. Personally, this film ignited my yearning for a life close to nature-like a Timberwolf galloping freely in the dense green forest, gathering together and howling under the moon.
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