During the Winter semester 2009/2010 I led a class of 23 fourth semester motion design students at the Berliner Technische Kunsthochschule in an Analog Motion Graphics assignment to collaboratively re-create a vintage drive-in movie theater intermission film. The original intermission film was obtained from the Internet Archive. I transcribed the audio track into an eleven page screenplay which, together with the audio, was used as the basis of the assignment. Students were not shown the original film until the end of the semester at the final presentation.

Using the audio and text as a guide, each group of students pitched concepts for their favorite of the 25 different clips in the film and created approximately 60 seconds of material using Analog Motion techniques. Students often spoofed the informational/commercial messages in the film, offering a critical and at times farcical update to the dated language and cultural assumptions from the 1960s-era film.

This gory and slightly naughty piece uses a very nice combination of flip-book style page turning and stop motion to keep us fascinated with the motion. Yet like many animated shorts the sound design creates an added emotional depth which makes the piece. Thanks to Annika Bauer for the link.

A simple use of the light-bending properties of a glass of beer from Magico Nakamura is only a slightly foamy taste of the genius she’s been involved with in the recent past:

This brilliant fan-made hypercubist work is a phenomenal example of the way in which choreography and graphic concepts can collide using analog methods.

Two versions of a video for the song This Lamb Sells Condos and then a making-of video/music video set to the Arctic Circle showcase a nice combination of live action with overhead transparency and shadow puppets. Admirably choreographed single takes encompass all the various elements aided by focal adjustments. Thanks for the tip from Zeesy Powers, the female performer in the videos.

The new Google Chrome ads are a real treat in how they use analog techniques to depict a wholly digital technology. Graceful camera movements and a live harp player give the spots an added freshness. The future is looking bright for analog motion when even Google is spending campaign dollars knitting and spilling ink into water

A nice combination of slides and digital postproduction give this a vaguely 60s feel, reminiscent of The Thomas Crown Affair’s split-screen collages, while also functioning as a rebus for the lyrics.

A quirky lo-fi mix of highschool portrait-style photos intermingled with analog typographic signs bearing lyrics and “navigation” lend this video a funny moment of 90s nostalgia. Thanks to Natalie for the tip. And yes, there’s a bit of stop motion thrown in there as well.

An entirely digital system of simulated paint being dashed against the wall controlled with expressive gestural analog motion. A beautiful work from Memo Akten of the Mega Super Awesome Visuals Company in London, England.

Although you might be inclined to think this technique was achieved with lighting and keying in postproduction, the Berlin-based Pretty Monkey Studio clarify:

We shaved three monkeys and tricked them into believing they are human, dressed them in spandex catsuits and gave them hats. Put them in a room with a bicycle, super-glue, a selection of musical instruments and some other thingamajigs and asked them to make a video for Jamie Cullum’s new track “wheels”. Despite the rumours, we most definitely DO NOT get our monkeys high on hallucinogenic drugs.

All jokes aside, the work is beautiful in its minmal approach. Check especially the laying down of pieces of fabric to simulate the “shadow” of the “window”. And as is often the case with some of the best analog technique, the creators can’t resist a peek behind the scenes in the final seconds of the video.

A great example of a technique which would be pretty much impossible to do convincingly with digital post-production, yet simultaneously a film look which is totally dependent on skateboarders and their friends being able to get their hands on reasonably-priced digital production gear (shot with 3 Panasonic HVX200s with 35mm adaptors and Nikon primes).