The Life of Cut Paper

In which I ponder = coherently or not = the connections and nuances of my favorite art forms:

When I think about stop motion animation as a type of performance art, I am of course going to starting drawing some interesting comparisons: Various forms of Japanese theater influenced OniSan, including the puppet-based Bunraku.

Bunraku dates back to the late 1600s - in Osaka - and is a combination of musicians, chanters and puppeteers. That's not too far off of how we consume stop motion today - with a soundtrack, voice actor narration and animators.

Of course we see everyone on stage during a Bunraku performance, but to varying degrees we ignore their presence. For the Boxtrolls end titles we get to see Travis Knight animating in lightening speed as the characters wax philosophical about the nature of freewill - the reverse of the original intent to keep the puppeteers hidden.

Bunraku puppets utilize three actors that must be in perfect coordination for the performance. Some stop motion puppets can be acted by several different animators - but they all have to work together to make that character believable as one person.

The puppets themselves in Bunraku can be very simple and very elaborate. Some of my favorites are those beautiful ladies that have face mechanisms which reveal them to be scary demons. A particularly interesting trick they use on many female heads is a pin on the corner of their mouth - so they can bite their sleeve.

Stop motion puppets are getting more and more advanced, with tricks like Neil's belly-mover in ParaNorman or the watch-like facial mechanics in Corpse Bride. I was very impressed with the glow of the Boxtrolls' eyes - when you snap the faceplate off it breaks the circuit and the eyes dim, but when you snap the faceplate back on the circuit completes and Ta Da! Glowing eyes!!

What other connections do you see? How do your favorite mediums compare or contrast? 

Calling All Global Exchange Students and Families!!

 (Takachiho, Japan)

Now that the family visiting has finally subsided and I'm getting back into the groove of things...


I'm sure I've told many of you this story and you are certainly welcome to skip ahead, but for those who don't know, it started with a teacher's strike.

When I was in 7^th grade we basically got November off from school. At the time it was a welcome break since one of the several things Montana doesn't believe in is “Snow Days.” But we did have to make up the time out of class...which meant Saturday classes and substitutes. The sub for my Geography class was a pleasantly quirky woman who instead of going over the boring landmarks of the surrounding states for the umpteenth time decided to pitch us all an idea – why not learn geography from someone who lives there? Why not host an exchange student? From what I recall, most of my classmates were asleep (Seriously, Saturday morning classes? No thank you) and maybe one other guy was interested in what the Area Representative had to say.

 (Muriwai Beach, Auckland, New Zealand)

I was held in thrall for the whole presentation and as I willingly admit to being a bit stubborn in terms of pursuing things I want, my family started hosting students the very next school year. I guess you could say that was my “rebel phase,” to wear knee-high goth boots and collect foreign siblings/friends who would curse with me in anything but English. Due to my familial background, we started hosting students from Germany. I learned so much from them, that the itch to get out and be an exchange student myself just grew and grew.

But my application was rejected. Pretty crushing for a 16 year old considering the amount of work that goes into one of those YFU applications, but I wasn't going to let one form letter stop me. I applied again the next year and I got in. My initial reaction upon receiving that package with the T shirt that could fit 3 of me was: “MOM. MOM. MOM. I GOT IN! I'M GOING TO...Japan? Wait. What?” I had spent all this time preparing for an adventure to Germany – language lessons, cultural tips from hosting students, etc. I really had no clue how I was going to survive in Anime-Tomorrowland.

(Kumamoto Jo, Kumamoto, Japan)

Obviously, I not only survived – I thrived. So many things just clicked for me that it was the most trans-formative experience I've had yet. Of course that inspired hosting more students and a second trip for me in college to New Zealand for a semester and volunteering/mentoring exchange students here and someday I'll probably go back to hosting. It's a cycle. I'm cool with it.

So as an avid advocate for study abroad and as a way to share that initial experience with others, I've been working on the personal project entitled OniSan. I felt the perfect way to communicate discovering my love for the Japanese culture was to express it through an adaption of an existing, universal tale with similar themes – Beauty and the Beast. I've already received a lot of positive feedback on the development and I'm really touched by the people finding those posts not only inspiring, but helpful.

(Pt. Chev Beach, Auckland, New Zealand)

That said, I am aware that many people will be...surprised by my interpretation. My experience of Japan is unique to me, as are my personal preferences. (Big shock: I didn't respond strongly to the pop culture aspects – this is a big reason why I avoided a more direct retelling set in 2007 when I was there) So I imagine those who expect or want one thing may be quite confused to see something seemingly unrelated to their own ideas. I encourage them to be open minded. I am equally as sure that there will be others who see pieces of OniSan and feel it resonate with their own stories and experiences...and laugh at how silly it seems in retrospect. ;)

Now, to all my exchange friends and family, I want to hear from you!!
What was your exchange experience like? Did you go somewhere or did you host/interact with foreign guests? What inspired you to participate in this global exchange? What was your biggest challenge? What was your biggest success? If you could tell your younger self one thing, what advice would that be? Would you recommend studying abroad or hosting to others? How does your experience affect your life now?

(Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan)

I'm really interested to know what you think! Please share in the comments or email/message me!! :)

Here are some awesome resources for those interested in joining in the international fun.
Remember to check for scholarships (That's how I was able to go to Japan):

Youth For Understanding

https://www.yfu.org//

Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media http://www.cumulusassociation.org/

(Check with your University or College for details on their own programs)

Volunteering/Interning Abroad

http://www.goabroad.com/

Teaching English Abroad with TEFL

http://www.onlinetefl.com/

US Peace Corps

http://www.peacecorps.gov/

 (Weta Workshop, Wellington, New Zealand)