Inspired by a visit to Terry Gilliam’s Benvenuto Cellini at the London Coliseum, students from Central Saint Martins’ MA course in Character Animation created short fiction animation films in response to productions in ENO’s Spring 2015 season.
The students took their inspiration from characters, plot/subplots, the specific direction and design concepts of the productions we are staging, and the socio-political context in which the operas were written.
All 40 students submitted proposals and 10 pitches were selected to be made in groups. The aim of the project was to engage young creatives with an artform they had had little exposure to, and to make visible career opportunities for using their animation skills within video design for performance.
The students took their inspiration from characters, plot/subplots, the specific direction and design concepts of the productions we are staging, and the socio-political context in which the operas were written.
All 40 students submitted proposals and 10 pitches were selected to be made in groups. The aim of the project was to engage young creatives with an artform they had had little exposure to, and to make visible career opportunities for using their animation skills within video design for performance.
L'ultima Danza directed by Emily Knight
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"Inspired by the themes of La Traviata, the character of Violetta puts on one last show for her public, trying at first to resist and then ultimately allowing herself to succumb to her fate."
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La traviata directed by Daby Faidhi
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"My idea is based on the first act of La traviata, where the lead male character, Alfredo, declares his feelings to Violetta. Alfredo is desperately trying to convince Violetta not to be afraid of falling in love with him."
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Borrado directed by Yaniv Garber
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"What inspired me the most about the Indian Queen were the elements of colonisation, and how they bring upon feeling of isolation and powerlessness in the protagonist. I wanted to take that power dynamic present between oppressed and oppressor in the context of colonisation, and push it into quite a visceral, literal place."
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Cihuapilli directed by Diana Garcia
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"My idea was to tell the story of the invasion of the Americas through the eyes of an Aztec Woman, based on reality. My main focus in the film was colonisation and the imposition of Christian Religion in South America. The main character ‘Cihuapilli’ takes us to a journey about her culture and the pain of losing it."
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Enemy of my Enemy directed by Charlie Tetlow
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"Enemy of my Enemy is a film about the alliance between the Mesoamerican civilisation of Tlaxcala and the Conquistadors to defeat the Aztecs. Set to music taken from ENO's production of the Indian Queen, the visual style is taken from contemporary Mesoamerican pictoral histories - the Mixtec Codices. The intention is to tell a small part of the story of the conquest from the point of view of the conquered people."
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Fade directed by Becca Crane
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"Fade is the short tale of a young girl who witnesses the arrival of mysterious and threatening creatures to her city. Frightened but curious, the girl watches as these enigmatic beings take what belongs to her, leaving nothing but despair in their wake."
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Leonor directed by Joanna Boyle
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"Leonor tells the story of the young daughter of Don Pedro and the Indian Queen. As a small child, Leonor is unaware of the terrible crimes committed by her father on her mother and her mother's people; she innocently enjoys a lifestyle built upon them. This short film explores the moment when Leonor realises the truth."
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The Indian Queen directed by Mick Lawrence
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"This is a music-driven animation that highlights the Spanish Invasion of a Mayan Civilisation where both cultures use traditional music (Mayan and opera) as a weapon for intimidation."
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Now They Are Here, Now They Are Not directed by Yue (Abigail) Wang
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"Now They Are Here, Now They Are Not is an oil paint animation concerning the rejection and acceptance of peace in humanity. Different cultures seem to be at ease and caution simultaneously. We love each other, but tomorrow we may not. Our uncertainty is a dance."
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The Wheel of Life directed by Tatiana Alisova
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"This film was inspired by Mayan mythology, in which zoomorphs - half-humans, half-animals - always played important roles. According to Codexes, they were the first generation of creatures made by gods; they lived their normal lives in the Underworld before humankind came to the Earth."
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