Research and inspiration-The Piano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZJDNSp1QJA


This is an animation that I have looked at, it has been used in schools to show the children expression within a short film. I like the whole concept and the way that the music tells the story; when something happens in the story the music changes. The animation begins with an old man playing on a piano and as he plays the tune (Comptine d'un autre été: l'après midi) his wifes ghost appears and plays it with him. The first reaction I got when I saw this was a feeling of sorrow and it appears that the audience also thought this as there are comments stating this "I cry everytime I see this !! xx Its amazing and so affective!!" "i got showed this 3 years ago in school , and i cant forget about it, i remeber it so well , ha" "1st time I cryed bud I still love this song!". At some point in our lives we all loose someone that we love and most of the time we take this for granted. Music brings back so many memories and that is what I love so much about this animation because it really does show that.

As the music changes the animation then changes and the shot of the old man begins to fade into himself as a younger man fighting in the war, we then see another close person that he has lost in his life as he dies in his arms, I too relate to this as I was there when my mother passed away. As the old man looks up we are then shown a positive side to his life showing him as a little boy opening a christmas present, this will bring back alot of memories for so many people; getting the present that they wanted. It may give them mixed emotions; a feeling of happiness that they can remember getting their much wanted gift and also a feeling of upset as it is in the past and so long ago, espically for the older audience who's parents have passed away.

As he runs around on his new toy we then see a transformation as he then becomes his young grandchild; again another positive point in his life. The thing that I liked about this scene was that even when it was the old man as a young boy running around on his toy, he was still in the room with the piano. The animation end as his grandchild sits down to finish the last key in the music. This animation will relate to and touch alot of people looking back on the lives of thier own grandfather.

From this animation I will take the concept of memories and I will look at the different emotions that we get from them. I will also use my music in a story telling way having it changing at certain points in the animation.