Vision of a non-violent cooperative animation film

I didn’t realize what a can of worms I was stirring up when I wrote an open letter to hundreds of 2D stick figure animators a few days ago.

Fittingly, I then registered in their community and posted my suggestion there as well. I meant them no harm at all, I just had this in their eyes probably completely weird idea to just let out the violence and create art that has the capability to heal inside.

Uh, I have to confess that I had no idea at all what stick figure culture meant. Primarily, it’s even supposed to be about massive violence, surely that would be the first thing that would come to mind when we have two stick figure actors clashing in 2D animation software. Reducing one’s own aggression and all that. Some war in the world is nothing compared to what the stick figures in this community have already bled.

Hmmm, alright. I had to understand that first. For the active animators on the forum, it was really about culture. I must have really seemed like a Babylonian deep nose croppling to these people or something. Haven’t animated anything in my life yet (update: finished my very first animation scene with a new smooth shading character yesterday), and want to tell them something about non-violent stick figure movies… ? ?

One of them sent me a friend request. We understand and accept each other, even though we have completely different opinions. That’s a good thing.

Well then: Challenge accepted.

Then, we’ll make a collaborative production with other 2D animators to show the world (and Gaia) that we can also create loving stick figure films.

The most beautiful thing about stick figures is their simplicity. Anyone can animate them by downloading any animation software, trying it out for a few weeks until the basic functions are understood, and it can be used to tell a real story. With camera zooms and pans and everything that goes with it.

What was so tedious for me when I started learning: First of all, I had to get my own clean-looking character! No matter in which software, this is really complicated, if it should look halfway acceptable. A stick figure character, on the other hand, is either already available as an example in the software or can be created with joints and everything from a graphic template in no time at all. It doesn’t even need a face. You can do that.

All right, I’ll take the creative challenge and come up with an animation collaboration project with non-violent and inspirational themes and announce it here on my blog and in numerous 2D animation film communities.

Then, if five animators come forward, we’ll do something short together. If 50 come forward, we might do something longer. We’ll just see how it develops.

The idea will mature.