Animation - work-in-progress

In 1998 I wrote this story I made into 3D animation using the primitive tools I had using the Dos version of 3D Studio. While at Siggraph 1999 I was glad to pass on copies of it to some of my associates there. Since then production of this story has slowly taken shape as a book illustration and animation. It is going at a snail pace because I am interested in having it done on my own free time. Because if it was to be released sooner I would have had to make a serious investment into it by putting aside my mainstream #creative jobs. So here I am presenting my first official release of the animation work-in-progress. I had released about 75% of this line test way back in 2010 the sketches on paper I had made on campus at New York University, NYC  in 2007 but did not really discuss the message of the story. Keep following these WIPs to piece together my story and aesthetic progress while I produce the completed version soon.

Title of this clip: Breaking Free

Type of Animation: Line test

Release date: 20 Sept 18

Author: Remy Francis

Artists could survive a blackout. Read on...

One spring morning my whole office went off all electronic gadgets. And that was indeed a blessing in disguise for me. When I had the opportunity I bought a one day break from all my business associations and decided to make good this once in a life-tine opportunity. Yes! power-cuts such as this is rare in Dubai where I live and work but back in India where I grew up if there is no power cut in a day maybe considered a once in a life-time opportunity to enjoy uninterrupted work.

Here is a painting I made on one of my visits to India when a power-cut at dusk made me take the brush and paint to wash off my impatience of grappling in the dark.

But this day graciously compelled me to go back to our roots where our artist fore-fathers picked up a charcoal or a pencil to sketch.

And so with the natural light of the day and a candle light for the night, I made a small sequence of cel animation with my peg-bars and papers lit underneath the glass-top table with a tea candle.

When I made this small project and ran the line teat, it lightened up my spirits giving me a confidence that we artists have a chance, way past our retirement. That even if a gadget fails on us we do have some job to make ends meet.

All my life, having my traditional art as my alternate career makes me heave a sigh of relief that I could count on a skill like many of we artists who possess a traditional grounding to give back to the world intelligently even with minimum resources... All we need is a passion and conviction eh?

Thanks for coming by.
See you again.