I've always wanted to be a cartoonist. In elementary school I had several characters that I drew on every scrap of paper I came in contact with. Then, after the Disney animated Lion King movie came out, I was half-determined to be a voice over artist. (I was certain that I could have been a better Simba than JTT) A couple years ago, I made a video valentine for my boyfriend at the time using corn kernels to spell out my message to him. Since then, I've wanted to have the time and dedication to make a longer movie employing stop motion techniques. This class was the perfect instigator. My final project was the perfect excuse to finally do it.
So, anyway. This is the Animation I made of e.e. cumming's poem, "I Carry Your Heart With Me". Click here to be redirected to the video on youtube.
This project consists of 650 + still photographs compiled into a stop motion video. The animation reflects the whimsy and romantic writing style of the poets well as his particular regard for punctuation and line break.
I toyed with line breaks, breaking them across pictures rather than lines. This put emphasis on different words and ideas, a playful literary technique that Cummings used in his poetry. For example, in the 7th line, e.e. uses “incorrect” grammar to give a single world literal duality. “and it’s you” shares its object with the next clause “you are whatever a moon has always meant”. This is a difficult line to read out loud but in still shots this duality is easy to depict by using the same “y-o-u” letters for both clauses and meanings.
The animation also depicts this work in a very romantic, optimistic way. The “I” of the poem believes he – and his lover – have control over the world rather than the contrary. The paper man exists in a world of free will and flighty, magical romanticism where he spreads the stars across the sky and animals can collect their love like seeds in the wind.
I am so glad to see you so submerged in love and truth and beauty! Beautiful work.
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