1k word evaluation of french group work

Our module started with all of us learning briefly about different regions and their animation history. Early on, me and other members of the class had discussed doing french animation, mainly due to the recent arcane series that we watched together. Thus when it came time for us to go into groups the five of us formed a group and chose french animation. It took a week or so for us to discover what exactly we were doing for the poster but in that time we all grouped together and researched a variety of french films and shorts, discussing the different techniques. When we discovered the specification of the poster, we divided the work between us. I recommended that we all do a paragraph or two, each focusing on a different film/shorts experimental use of animation and themes. Thankfully we all agreed and thus we knew what we were doing. We kept meeting up to brainstorm (find the right words for what we were thinking) and made progress as a group, adding onto each other’s ideas. We decided to focus on different types of animation, stop motion, 2d, 3d, blended, ect.

I focused my research on a short stop motion film called La petite casserole d’Anatole (2014) due to its cute visual design and imaginative use of the visual medium to demonstrate how disabilities can affect how the world perceives you, watching it i found similarities with my own experience dealing with autism, so i found the experimental way it showed how others can see that something is weird with you very creative and cool. I read how the short film won the Audience Award at 2014 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which is an animation festival that has been taking place since 1960 featuring any and all types of animation. (side note another french stop motion film called my life as a zucchini won in 2016)

Everyone in the group did great

Hurley- 31%

I’d say hurley did more legwork than the rest of us, with her organisation keeping us all on track and helping the rest of us where needed.

Lydia-23%

Lydia attended all the meetings and was fun to work with 🙂

Mia- 23%

Although i didn’t see her much she was active in the group chat and i thought her research was very good

Nikita -23%

Nikita attended all the meetings and was super fun to work with 🙂

My analysis:

I analysed the short film La petite casserole d’Anatole, otherwise known in English as Anatole’s Little Saucepan. It is a creative mixed media film- primarily done in stop motion but featuring 2d animated sequences. Produced by JPL films, directed by Eric Montchaud, and based on Isabelle Carrier’s book of the same name, it explores the isolation of a child with a non-specified disability which I interpret as autism. Throughout the short the main character, the titular Anatole, is constantly dragging a little red saucepan behind him which is bound to his wrist. We follow Anatole as his saucepan hinders him socially- the loud sounds it makes angering adults, and the bulky object interfering in his ability to play with the other children as it gets caught on things. The film takes time to show Anatole as a creative soul, using experimental techniques to show his drawings coming to life. His art is shown as one of the few activities he can do without the saucepan holding him back, which is something many neurodivergent people can relate to- a solo, safe activity where they can express themselves freely without societal pressures. As an autistic artist this story spoke to me, and resonated with my own childhood where I struggled to get along or keep up with both adults and kids my age and found solace in my art. One of my favourite aspects of the film is how it stays true to the original text with its storybook style- through the narration being animated, emphasising words and sounds by having them impact the world around him.