OSAPAP 002 - Over 20 Political Animation Inspirations And References For The Open Source Anti Propaganda Animation Project (2017-06-02)
I'd been corresponding with James Corbett of The Corbett Report about doing some animation with/for him. Some others of the same mind and skill sets I've also asked, however, like James most are thinking about it - but at least they haven't said no. I collected some of my favourite inspirational animation references together and presented them to him and posted them here, regardless how divergent from them my animation may end up. These video examples demonstrate the endless potential and possibilities of capturing magic on screen.
I don't usually name drop or wish to exploit the Corbett Report brand (or other related folks I've similarly contacted - who are also thinking it over), however because I fundamentally agree with his content, philosophies, and understandings of the world and intend and hope my content may one day be remotely considered in the same league, I don't mind referencing and praising him and I doubt he would either. I'll never claim to be Corbett even if we do share initials.
I'm banned for a year from Wikipedia for being "another polite Truther", in part for writing the censored and deleted James Corbett article. I reposted it on RationalWiki where it was referenced by the Washington Post's "Prop Or Not" fake news scandal in the fall of 2016. Rational Wiki (which is not very rational) then "improved" that article, and the latest "James Corbett (journalist)" article (feel free to contribute) now resides on InfoGalactic.com (a silly name but its presently free from rigged political censorship). So that's my full disclosure over.
Festival Of Political Animation
For the project and my animations I intend not to copy these examples, but to get an idea of what's possible, in no particular order, for what should be a variety of self-evident reasons and subtler merits across the spectrum. Some you may wish to share with your kids, some not so much. I've tried to find the best quality versions online for you and usually prefer Vimeo but I included both when I'm unsure. My list(s) of animation concepts, ideas, styles, and goals belong in other posts, so please enjoy this particular list of diverse inspirational animation with cultural, social, and/or political allegory. I've tried to keep the music videos to a minimum as that could also be a whole other post. Remember, if you don't like one, try the next because they're all extremely different.
Before the other videos, I wish to ask for your help finding an absolutely brilliant animated short film that has evaded all my searches. Who are the artists and/or what is the name of the animated short film that concisely explained the Iran Sandinista Contras Affair? It was made in the late 1980s or the 1990s and I'd guess it was around 7 minutes long give or take a few. Among the mixed-medium collage they used maps, photos, newspapers, photocopies, ripped paper, objects, paints, and illustrations animated as a serious man narrates in accented English over sounds and music. It is a profoundly beautiful animation that is far from cartoony like the animated American Dad Oliver North caricature to the right. One of the repeated motifs features Catholic rosary beads with crucifix dangling, rotating, and cyclically morphing into and back from a dangling bullet bandoleer with AK-47. More specific details fail my memory. Video links woule be very appreciated.
"What Barry Says"
- by Knife Party / Simon Robson
This serious docu-animation explains the forces who started the Iraq War. (IMDb)
I showed it to my friend, Mark Achbar, co-director of The Corporation documentary (available free at archive.org), and they included it as an extra feature on the 2004 DVD.
"Ident"
- directed by Richard Starzak (as Richard Goleszowski)
- produced by Aardman Animations
This surreal Kafkaesque dream/nightmare is pure insane genius on many levels. (IMDb)
"The Big Snit"
- directed by Richard Condie for the NFB (National Film Board of Canada)
This hysterical absurdist animated short is about scrabble and nuclear annihilation.
The Big Snit is available at the NFB or on YouTube (below) or Vimeo (far below). (IMDb)
"The Big City" (Soul Kitchen)
- music by Kevin Wyatt & Don Wyatt
- lyrics & rap by Jason Van Sugars, aka MC Hamlet (of World's Famous Supreme Team)
MTV's Liquid Television collected diverse animated shorts in a wide range of styles from a variety of artists. In the the third and last season, this classically animated trippy 90s hiphop short was featured in the 22nd and very last airing episode, on 1995-01-01. (IMDb)
Among other musical genres, I love triphop, nujazz, chill, glitch, and brostep, especially when it transcends genre, often with universally appealing with samples, soundbytes, and riffs. For example, imagine revisiting this next short 2:46 track with all new graphics serving our counter-propaganda anti-establishment purposes. First listen to it before you watch Wax Tailor's "Que Sera" and the visuals influence your imagination.
"Que Sera"
- music by Wax Tailor
- video by manofonetitle on YouTube
Wax Tailor laid soundbytes from several famous movies into this track. This experimental video was edited together by a fan who found the soundbyte movie sources (To Be Or Not To Be (1942), Shadow Of A Doubt (1943), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Ben Hur (1959), Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)).
I LOVE their use of pop-culture samples. Should we want to use pop-culture sample ideas, for years I have collected a monster list of audio ideas for mixes, mashups, soundbytes, and samples on various themes and concepts, some of which may be useful. My video ideas are broader an far less organized, but I can find almost anything. I'm also familiar with a vast array of music and genres and willing to create mashups. But these ideas and lists are for other posts. Back to the animation...
"The Music Scene"
- music by Blockhead
- animated/directed by Anthony F. Schepperd
- label Ninja Tune
This psychedelic animated electronica music video with world-beat influences features profoundly striking original imagery and strong cautionary technocratic and environmentalist themes losing nothing by omitting subtlety for overt sharp cultural criticism.
"The Man Who Planted Trees"
written by French author Jean Giono, published in 1953
animated by Frédéric Back, for the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) in 1987
The Man Who Planted Trees was originally a book, and as much as I wish it were a true story, sadly it is not. This is a longer half-hour animation in pastels. (available free at archive.org) (IMDb)
"I Lived On The Moon"
"More"
"Rejected"
"Truth In Advertising"
- directed by Tim Hamilton
This exceptional live-action short film demands inclusion with it's rapier wit ripping at advertising, creatives, agencies, executives, filmmakers, production politics, and everything in between. There was a lot of controversy in Toronto when it debuted in 2000 or 2001 because some executives actually thought they were target-mocked. Maybe they were. (IMDb)
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
- They Might Be Giants
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) is a 1953 novelty song covered by They Might Be Giants, originally with a surrealist / abstractist puppeteered and animated music video (below) then an animated cartoon (far below).
"Persepolis"
Persepolis is a 2007 black and white animated feature film in based on the graphic novel. (IMDb) This is the official UK trailer:
“Ponta de Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma)”
- music by Jorge Ben
- produced by David Byrne
- animated by Susan Young
A festive animated music video featuring South American life and culture. (IMDb)
"Feet of Song"
- designed, animated, & directed by Erica Russell
- music by Charlie Hart
This 1988 Channel 4 animated short film to a world-beat track without vocals features dynamic dancing of extremely stylized primitive visuals that grow intensity with a psychedelic dreamlike effect. (IMDb) Watch on Vimeo (below) or YouTube (far below):
M&Ms “Yellow”
- by me, Jason Carswell
I animated this in early 2004 in New York at Charlex Animation Studio.
as well as in this video recorded in Times Square.
Teletoon "Sheep"
- by me, Jason Carswell
We animated a bunch of these Teletoon promos in 2003 in Toronto at Guru Animation Studio. This one just happens to be about sheeple being indoctrinated and exploited by the corporate establishment machine.
I hope you enjoyed these videos. The last two humble-brags are to show a sliver of my talent, experience, and potential. My last Steemit article was much dryer and technical while this one is more entertaining so you may see this project can vary greatly from post to post.
I could have divided this lengthy article with a couple dozen linked videos into smaller parts to make more money, but I hope that you'll be generous with your votes as I progress to more articles and proceed on my project. I think a rough project outline sounds good next. What do you want to read about next? Every comment and vote counts.
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Be sure to check out the next posts in this series: