More than just Squares and Cubes

BEAT from or bar-el on Vimeo.

I feel that the theme of this animation is about not letting a creative mind go to waste.  It reminds us that within us we all have the potential to do something different, think creatively, and come up with something new even in today's highly structured society.  Sometimes the drive to do something different may sit a little uneasy, not only for the owner of the creative mind, but especially for an outsider looking in.  However, when the creative mind is allowed to roam and wander as it pleases, it often results in satisfaction and a feeling of freedom.  This is an active theme, as we know just as much as the main character and the information we receive is released slowly through his actions, as opposed to blatant reoccurring broad thematic ideas, actions, or statements.

In this animated video, Or Bar-El sets the scene by portraying the high level of affinity between all of the cube beings working in this giant yuppie cube enterprise.  To establish the level of conformity in this place, all of the angles are squared up with the many establishing lines in the picture, such as the parallel lines running down the walls, along the desk, around the pen, and even throughout the character.  All of the shots toward the beginning are very standard shots and are easy on the eyes.  As the main character has his revelation and begins to alter the routine and add in different musical rhythms, the angles of the shot are more cockeyed, portraying feelings of insanity and opposition to everything that makes up reality in the world.  This makes the plot interesting by adding contrast between this one character and the other seemingly infinite number of block people.  The rhythm of the editing adds to the establishment of the theme as well.  After the block dude starts his revelation, the shots and the editing become more sporadic to mimic what is happening in the story and to release the tension that has been built up by the simple, standard, on-beat shots complimenting the audio and the character’s actions.  When block dude starts to freak himself out a bit and draw all over the walls, the shots change much quicker than they have been up until this point.  By the end, the shots are mostly at bizarre, cockeyed angles and jump from establishing shots to close-ups and many are shaking erratically.  The decisions that are made in building the shots really do a lot in subconsciously portraying the plot and theme to the viewer in a highly stylistic, artistic way.