2D or Stop motion?

I was chatting with an animation student to have a better idea of what I can do in terms of animation and the subject of stop motion came up.

I am still trying to decide on the merits of both and would love some input on the topic.

Sharks vs Small fishes!

Chatted with someone today who used to be a poacher in his earlier years.

It was interesting how for him it was just a way of getting some easy money when he was younger to go and chill with friends.

He actually does not view Abalone Poaching as a serious problem.  And I met some other people with the same views.

Often, people would be incensed by Rhino poaching but less vocal when it comes to abalone poaching.  It could be because the rhino is left to suffer when its horn is harnessed but in the case of the abalone, it's just a sea resource that can be used, and unfortunately abused.

What people cannot understand is that the marine ecosystem is extremely fragile and if the chain is broken, it does have harmful effects on us as well.

It's unfortunate that the reason abalone poaching is such an issue is mainly because it is economically disastrous for the country.

The worst is that small time poachers are apprehended but it takes much more to get to the organized crimes.  I usually like Sharks (Great Whites are sooo majestic!!!!) but in this case the organised crime syndicates are the big sharks eating the little fishes!!! O.o

Animation sure but what type?

One of the issues I am facing currently is trying to decide on the type of animation I want to use in my short film.

I was so sure that animation was animation but the more I research, the more I see that maybe it's not so simple after all.

The appeal of using stick figures is still here but I got a pertinent question from the audience I pitched my idea to.

"Is it going to be like Spongebob Squarepants?"

Hmmm... As much as I would like it to be, it might not really be so feasible and might be too anchored in animation for me to do it justice.

Stick figures makes more sense since it involves basic animation and can be done using After Effects and VideoScribe.

But struggling at the moment to reach a decision! :(

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The Appeal of Abalone

So why is Abalone so sought after by the foreign market, especially in South Eastern Asian countries?

Well I guess as usual it all boils down to the one thing that sells : SEX.

Abalone is considered an aphrodisiac in many countries including China and many would pay an outrageous price to get access to this delicacy.

Also, people believe that it brings luck to eat them.  But for a lot of people, they simply enjoy the flavour of the Abalone, which has been described to be more rich than scallops with a firm texture similar to calamari (Amy Reiley on Abalone )

In South Africa, the name abalone refers to Haliotis midae, which we call "perlemoen".  This name originates from the Dutch Term Paarlemoer, translated to "Mother of Pearl". Check out some interesting abalone facts on the Two Ocean Aquarium Website

http://www.aquarium.co.za/species_exhibits/browse_species/abalone/

Abalone Poaching in Western Cape is a serious issue since it has evolved from petty poaching to highly organised crimes.  It not only affects the marine ecosystem in the same way as over-fishing but it also affects the social fabric of the Cape.  More often than not, money is not directly involved in Abalone poaching.  Instead, chemicals for street drugs are provided in exchange for abalone units.  It not only affects the economy but also the social stability of the country.

Abalone Poaching in Cape Town Short Videos

While doing my research for my Creative , I came across these two very interesting videos.

The first one is Abalone - The Deadly Harvest, an exploration into abalone poaching in Cape Town.

The second one is on an independent group tackling the abalone issue in the Eastern Cape.

Thought I'd share them. They are worth a watch!

A Documentary - To be or not to be...?

Still working on the concept of Abalone Poaching for my Creative Project.

But got an idea this morning on waking up (Ever noticed how the best & worst ideas always seem to come either while half asleep or when in the shower?)...

Anyway back to my idea. What if,  I approached the subject not as a documentary as I initially was thinking but instead as a mini stick animation kind of thing?

One of the really cool video I came across at university was "The Story of Stuff".

Watch The Story of Stuff here

Check it out! It's awesome in its simplicity and brings across the message of how stuff is created and resources wasted quite effectively using animation and stick figures.

It would solve some of the issues with regards to approaching a highly dangerous and illegal activity and would also increase my target audience, deconstructing more aptly this complex subject of poaching.

Creative Project - HCDFP, SAE Institute, Cape Town

Creative Project @ SAE Cape Town

An open module that allows us to explore almost any field within the film industry that holds our fancy.

The topic I am toying with is Abalone Poaching in South Africa.

Abalone Poaching, like Rhino Poaching is a critical issue around here but is less mediatised given that it is very difficult to get access to exact figures on the subject.  

Underwater poaching has always been relegated to a less prominent role than its land counterpart, a tendency I like to think of as sweeping the dirt under the rug (Ignorance is bliss, so if we cannot see it, maybe, just maybe it's not there).  

Also getting first hand account from poachers would be an issue, which I would need to work around.