Nachtraaf - P.H.H.
2008
I learned a lot while making this:
1. After Effects + PowerMac G4 = HELL.
I think I nearly killed my computer during the render sessions. We ended up stripping the other computers in the house of all their RAM-memory to give my machine a boost.
2. Storyboards, or a general outline, are necessary when working on a tight deadline.
I started out with the biggest plans -particle systems, people with seagull-heads, enormous graveyards- and ended up with about a third of what I wanted to do.
3. Pencil is the sh*t.
4. Having to do all the sounds on the night before exposition gives unexpected results.
I recorded every sound myself in a single frantic recording session. I used my voice in any way I could, played some childish licks on a beatdown guitar, recorded with my cellphone from my clockradio, and even used a salad spinner at a certain point.
Considering all that, I was quite content when I finished it.
This was a school assignment in my third year in St. Lucas Antwerp.
(Note the shameful fact that I misquoted the poem.)
A short animation inspired by the poetry of Peter Holvoet-Hanssen. I decided to work around the theme of insomnia in the city, starting from the poem 'Nachtraaf'.
Click to show the poem
NACHTRAAF
Peter Holvoet-Hanssen
dood o was uw woord maar een lamp voor die
koude voetjes
schaduwen die vluchten uit de Scheldestad
terwijl de zwarte gaten oprukken en jonge
allochtonen zwerven door de stad als
uitzichtloze meeuwen hoor ze KAAS KAAS
Elsschot in een Zimmer Frei 1-2 op de maat
stad van zandbankwrakken samenloop van
puin en bloed bij je mond Muzaffarab
kasjmieren dodenstad geen trui maar blauw als
kinderen bevriezend in zak en as
zij aan zij als twee rivieren in de nacht der
nachten zingt en krast een dichter wie de
dichter schrijft een dichter
wiekend naar de Antwerpse dodenstad haar
Schoonselhof
deze stad
is niet
niet uw stad
kauwen komen met de avond
naar de dodenstad
je voelt het aan je knoken
Kwinten tekent een kermkof
voor zijn Nokkel Kaarel
akte van verwaarlozing
voor Jos die zonder zerk zit
en een wekker bij Johanne
Alphonsina’s graf vol schelpen
en Ninette die naar je lacht
het komt door de nacht
I learned a lot while making this:
1. After Effects + PowerMac G4 = HELL.
I think I nearly killed my computer during the render sessions. We ended up stripping the other computers in the house of all their RAM-memory to give my machine a boost.
2. Storyboards, or a general outline, are necessary when working on a tight deadline.
I started out with the biggest plans -particle systems, people with seagull-heads, enormous graveyards- and ended up with about a third of what I wanted to do.
3. Pencil is the sh*t.
4. Having to do all the sounds on the night before exposition gives unexpected results.
I recorded every sound myself in a single frantic recording session. I used my voice in any way I could, played some childish licks on a beatdown guitar, recorded with my cellphone from my clockradio, and even used a salad spinner at a certain point.
Considering all that, I was quite content when I finished it.
This was a school assignment in my third year in St. Lucas Antwerp.
(Note the shameful fact that I misquoted the poem.)