Exploring animation as a medium for running political commentary; An analysis of “Rule of thumb”
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
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Authors
Date
2023
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Master's Programme in Re:Anima – European Joint Master in Animation
Language
en
Pages
24+5
Series
Abstract
Ghana as a country is run by a democratic system of governance. This system has seen the election of 5 presidents. Despite the adoption of this system of governance since 1992, the rate of Ghana’s growth does not entirely mirror developmental traits of a democratic state. As an artist and storyteller within such a society, the creator of the project – “Rule of Thumb” seeks to run political commentary with animation through a story that will cater to both Ghanaians and universal audiences. The phrase “Rule of Thumb” in this project does not function as the known expression that refers to important guidelines but as a phrase coined to describe the power that a thumb may wield in some societies. As a form of strategy, research is conducted into African modes of storytelling. This research identifies folklore as a medium through which stories were told in ancient Africa by griots. Folktales in this instance serve as a useful communication tool for the animated short film's intended viewership. ‘Rule of Thumb’ seeks to mimic a folktale in terms of its structure, and its ambiguous qualities when used in critiquing a society. Drawing inspiration from George Orwell’s fable (The Animal farm), “Rule of Thumb” intends to use a folktale to critique political leaders without a direct allusion to them. The project breaks down a folktale's essential elements and conveys them via an animated movie. The film, having been produced based on additional research into specific aspects of animation like visual aesthetics, story structure, and, technique is also projected to serve as a good resource material for other filmmakers to produce films with similar themes and related ideas.Description
Supervisor
Real, JoaoThesis advisor
Ribeiro, JoseKeywords
political commentary, animation, folktales, montage, griots, Ghana, social commentary
Other note
Media files notes:
"Rule of Thumb" animation video file
Description:
"Rule of Thumb" is an animated short thesis film produced in the Re:Anima European Joint Masters program.