Suzie Kent Lecture + Workshop

Today we had the company of visiting lecturer Suzie Kent, an animator with an illustration background. It was great hearing an illustrator's perspective and experience into animation, giving an insight into her own individual creative journey, as well as key ideals involving submissive and harmonious environments within animation to suit the narrative.

I remembered seeing the Tale of How by the Black Heart Gang a while back at Short & Sweet, an animation full of wonderful visuals accompanied by what I found to be a captivating opera narrative. I felt it communicated the plot suitable enough, as a quirky tale of one that answers the call to save their kind from the beast in a trojan horse type fashion.

In the workshop, we were tasked in creating an environment that fit a specified theme given in the brief. After some quick thumbnails, I eventually settled on the theme of Manic.





I think I focused compositionally first, rather than on specific individual content. The erratic harshness of lines alluding to a stalagmite cave environment, reflect a manic atmosphere to the piece with dark creatures lurking within.