»A lost and found box of human sensation« – an animated short
Synopsis
»A lost and found box of human sensation« is an animated short film based on a poem by Martin Wallner.
A young man's father dies because of pancreatic cancer and the boy has to cope with the loss. The film begins with the funeral and shows how feelings change throughout the years. It ends with the question: Is there a due date for grief...?
Narrative structure
There are two narrators in the movie: A poem builds the framework for the storyline and is recited by an omniscient narrator. Additionally from time to time this structure is interrupted by thoughts and experiences of the boy himself in certain situations. He talks to himself basically and thereby gives the viewer an insight into a very personal point of view.
Visual concept
Whereas the language generally is very honest and straightforward the visual language of the film is rather metaphorical and picturesque. It represents the inner perception of the protagonist and his world of thoughts, a mixture between reality and imagination. The intention of this is not to dramatize but to emphasize certain emotions and sensations and to make them more comprehensible. The prevailing mood of the movie is not grief and melancholy but an odd unstableness, sad and quiet passages take turns with anger, but also humor and self irony.
Stylistic elements
The film is realized as a mixture of 2d- and 3d-animation. The light setting is high in contrast, emphasizing lights and shadows. Typographical elements are used for some scenes and as title screens for the different acts. The music is part of the events and narrowly connected to the story. Some sounds for example are used as rhythm for a piece which then spans over a couple of scenes and changes slightly meanwhile.
The 3d-scenes are rendered with a sketch/toon shader to stress contours and planeness. The color range is reduced to greyscale basically, using a couple of contrast colors for backgrounds and light shadows. Generally the characters are overdrawn and burlesque. Still, the main character has very realistic facial expressions and gesture, without overacting or exaggeration. His emotions, after all, are honest and real.
