Q:What do you think about the use of animation in documentaries? Have you ever use it as an element?
Great question! I think animation can really work in documentaries, but like any film - documentary or not - I want to understand why it’s being used. My preferences lean toward the more organic relationship where an artist is profiled and the animation is used to bring their story to light. For example, in the doc The Devil and Daniel Johnson, animation worked really well as his drawings came to life to reflect his dreams, disorder and reality. Another example is In the Realms of the Unreal. Animation shouldn’t be used to justify a point because you don’t have the footage to support it within a documentary piece. Why interfere/manipulate that reality is the question really. If it’s a piece about altered reality, graphics, animation (Can’t wait for Waking Sleeping Beauty), or anything that makes sense and works visually than yeah, I think animation works.
We’re using some animation in a documentary I’m working on, but it’s more of an archival piece than anything. I’m certainly open to consider original animation for future projects if the visual and narrative pieces align.
That’s just my opinion, but I’d love to hear what you think!
