LESSON 8 SAND ANIMATION COURSE CODE: EANI0323
Objectives: 1. Master pouring and manipulation techniques in sand animation. 2. Create engaging visual narratives through sand storytelling. 3. Develop artistic expression using various movements and gestures in sand animations. Pre-Assessment 1. What aspect of sand animation allows it to transcend linguistic barriers? a) Sand scattering technique b) Music accompaniment c) Visual language creation d) Finger carving technique 2. What is the most compelling feature of sand animation? a) Its permanence and stability b) Its durability and longevity c) Its fragility and ephemeral nature d) Its repetitive and predictable patterns 3. What is the effect of sand animation on the audience? a) Uncontrollable laughter b) Immersion in a seemingly real world c) A sense of detachment and confusion d) Heightened awareness of soundscapes 4. What is the primary goal of sand animation performances? a) Instruction and education b) Replication of existing artwork c) Commercial entertainment value d) Intellectual property protection 5. What is the relationship between sand animation and projection art? a) Sand animation is a subcategory of projection art. b) Sand animation is unrelated to projection art. c) Sand animation can add an artistic element to projection events. d) Projection art is an outdated form of sand animation. History of Sand Animation
"In every grain of sand there is a story." Charlene Lanzel's sand animation, sometimes known as sand art, sand drawing or sand painting, is beautiful to look at but lasts only in the moment. It is sand storytelling that makes life and time flow by, right before your eyes. Perhaps what makes this art form so appealing, aside from its beauty, is its fragility and ephemeral nature. Sand animation is the most compelling new art form to come around in decades. A popular new trend in performance art, sand art is a form of live sand painting which evolved from earlier sand animation films. Live sand art performances are very dynamic and require the artist's presence to happen. It has quickly become very popular all over the World. Sand animation was invented in 1968, by Caroline Leaf, for her project at Harvard University. Her first stop motion animated film was "Sand, or Peter and the Wolf", which she created by moving sand with her hands on an illuminated glass surface. By the late 1990’s, sand animators began demonstrating their works of live animated art to large audiences, adding a projector and screen. Charlene Lanzel’s projected, live, storytelling performances explore the relationship between real and virtual spaces, and create emotionally immersive environments which provide both entertainment and instruction. Her live sand animations are projected large scale onto a mega screen, using the latest in digital technologies, and synched to a live or recorded soundscape. Are you fully utilizing the projection screens at your venue? You can add a futuristic, artistic and informative element to your event with a living sand animation, the latest trend in projection art. How Does Sand Art Work? Sand Artist | Charlene Lanzel's art is created live onstage, where people can watch the artist doing her performance in a darkened room. A video camera is positioned over the illuminated glass tabletop, upon which the artist creates sand magic. Sand scattered on a light box is formed and reformed into ever changing shapes and images that tell visually powerful stories. Charlene creates these fluid illustrations from memory, for large audiences, with an overhead camera instantaneously projecting onto a large screen for the audience to see. Charlene Lanzel's sand performances are choreographed, rehearsed and synched to a dramatic soundscape, which Charlene creates to enhance the mood. Music accompanies the entire process as the sand artist’s hands follow the rhythm.
Her hands move slowly or quickly, as the elegant artwork is created, which challenges and motivates in a captivating way. The audience amazes at the decisiveness in her hands, since the sand artist's hands can always be seen creating in the projection. The results of the sand animator's process are unique. It is never possible for the animation to exactly repeat. Each effort the artist makes results in a slightly different design. It is a practice which uses the visual and aesthetic properties of sand to create a live animated image. Sand is a fluid material and its grains settle by chance, creating living images made of a single texture. Sand art storytelling makes life and time flow by, magically, in front of your eyes. Watching sand animation come to life, in real time, has an extraordinary effect on the audience. Audience members are uncontrollably drawn into Charlene’s seemingly real world made up of sand characters, trees, mountains and seas. Live sand art is a magical art form that charms. Creating images conjured seemingly effortless, like an oracle or a magician, Charlene's hands skate on glass like a kind of dance. The moving sand creates continuously fluid and poetic figures with original storytelling. A visual language is created that transcends linguistic barriers. Old and young watch and listen together, and all is in harmony, because they all share the same emotions. Drawings are in perpetual transformation which excite imagination, surprise and allow abrupt changes of tone and unexpected images. All eyes will be glued to the fluid artwork, shown live on the big screen. A sensory sand experience is created, that goes above and beyond your expectations. Sand Artist | Charlene Lanzel keeps audiences spell-bound by the twists and surprises that follow every sweep of her hands. There are two types of Common Sand Animation Techniques: • Pouring Techniques • Manipulation Techniques Pouring Techniques: Pouring is an additive technique that varies depending on how much of the canvas is affected. Canvas pouring is used to set the texture and initial context for painting or (Fig. 2 left), to change context while storytelling. Skinny pouring is used to draw tiny details, lines, and shape (Fig. 2 right). Fig 2: Canvas pouring (left) creates background textures, while skinny pouring (right) is for drawing lines.
Manipulation Techniques: Sand manipulation techniques move sand rather than adding it. Fingertip drawing traces out lines with the tip of one or more fingers. While, finger carving uses the whole finger - index finger, small finger or thumb, for drawing and fine tuning shapes. Fig. 3: Fingertip drawing (left) and finger carving (right) to create and manipulate shapes. • Palm rubbing: Palms are often used to create circular or spiral like patterns. • Hand sweeping: Whole hands are often used to make big sweeps to clear the canvas and set up a new stage for the animation. Fig. 4: A palm rub (left) draws patterns, and a Hand sweep (right) clears part of canvas. Sand animators also use both hands simultaneously to quickly draw or pour symmetrical patterns in sand. Fig. 5: Symmetrical hand sweep (left) Process
Everything starts with an inception of idea, a thought or theme. After initial ideation the artist can hunt around for ideas or information that will help to build the body of the story to be presented. The artist needs to think about how many visuals can be covered in the estimated time. The more detailed the visuals are the more time it consumes, so an effective plot is one which is simplistic yet beautiful and has powerful visuals. A proper beginning and an end is decided so that the story can be effectively told. Since it’s a visual art so storyboard visuals are framed in such a way that the story can be understood mostly be seeing the visual one after other rather than depending much on sound. Being a continuous act its ephemeral in nature, so the artist need to plan the visual in such a way that within few strokes on hand one visual get change to another and soon maintaining the beauty ,thereby Progressing in the story.
Sand Animation Tips and Techniques Have your set up your light box? Now, let's learn to create sand animation! Here are some tips! 1) Move sand in different directions. Moving sand in one direction, as opposed to another will change the image. 2) Use your fingertips, hand and tools. The sky's the limit when it comes to creating pictures in the sand. Different tools result in different effects! 3) Play around with different amounts of sand. Use less sand for areas that are meant to be lightly coloured, and more sand for areas that are meant to be dark coloured. Learning Activity Title: Sand Animation Creation Objective: Apply sand animation techniques to create a visually engaging storytelling piece. Instructions: 1. Brainstorm and choose a theme or story for your sand animation. 2. Plan your visuals and create a simple storyboard to guide your animation. 3. Create your sand animation using the techniques learned. 4. Once the sand animations are complete, present your creations to the group, explaining the story behind your animation. Summary of the lesson This lesson introduces the art of sand animation, also known as sand art or sand painting. Sand animation is a visually captivating and ephemeral art form that combines storytelling with the manipulation of sand on an illuminated surface. The lesson covers the history of sand animation, its evolution from films to live performances, and highlights the work of renowned sand animator Charlene Lanzel. The process of sand animation involves creating fluid illustrations by moving and reshaping sand grains on a light box. The artist's hands are captured by an overhead camera and projected onto a large screen for the audience to witness in real-time. The performances are choreographed and synchronized with a dramatic soundscape to enhance the emotional impact. The lesson also explores different techniques used in sand animation, including pouring and manipulation. Pouring techniques involve adding sand to create textures and change contexts, while manipulation techniques focus on moving and shaping the sand with fingertips, carving, palm rubbing, hand sweeping, and symmetrical hand movements.
Post-Assessment 1. Who is credited with inventing sand animation? a) Charlene Lanzel b) Caroline Leaf c) Peter and the Wolf d) Harvard University 2. What is another term for sand animation? a) Sand drawing b) Sand scattering c) Sand pouring d) Sand manipulation 3. Which of the following is a characteristic of sand animation? a) Permanence b) Durability c) Fragility d) Stability 4. When did sand animation emerge as a popular trend in performance art? a) 1950s b) 1980s c) 1990s d) 2000s 5. In sand animation, what surface is typically used for creating the artwork? a) Canvas b) Glass tabletop c) Wood panel d) Fabric 6. What role does a video camera play in sand animation performances? a) It captures the sand artist's hands for projection. b) It records the soundscape for synchronization. c) It illuminates the sand on the light box. d) It projects the sand animation onto a large screen. 7. How are Charlene Lanzel's sand performances synchronized?
a) With live music b) With recorded soundscape c) With spoken poetry d) With audience participation 8. What is the appeal of live sand art performances? a) Repetition of designs b) Linguistic barriers c) Ephemeral nature d) Slow hand movements 9. Which technique is used to create background textures in sand animation? a) Fingertip drawing b) Finger carving c) Canvas pouring d) Hand sweeping 10. What is the purpose of pouring techniques in sand animation? a) To draw tiny details and shapes b) To change context while storytelling c) To create circular or spiral patterns d) To clear the canvas and set up a new stage 11. What is the recommended approach for planning sand animation visuals? a) Detailed and intricate visuals for a captivating story b) Minimalistic visuals focusing on sound effects c) Sequential visuals that rely on sound rather than sight d) Simple yet beautiful visuals that progress the story 12. What is the ephemeral nature of sand animation? a) Permanence and longevity of the artwork b) Continuous transformation and surprise elements c) Stability and control over the sand grains d) Repetition and duplication of designs 13. Which of the following is not a manipulation technique in sand animation? a) Palm rubbing b) Hand sweeping
c) Symmetrical hand movement d) Pouring sand from a height 14. What is the purpose of using different amounts of sand in sand animation? a) To create lightly colored areas b) To enhance the stability of the sand c) To add texture to the artwork d) To produce dark-colored areas 15. How are Charlene Lanzel's sand animations projected for the audience? a) Using the latest digital technologies b) Through hand-drawn animations c) By scattering sand on a canvas d) By using holographic projection Performance Task Title: Sand Animation Showcase Objective: Present a captivating sand animation performance incorporating storytelling and techniques learned. Rubrics: 1. Creativity and Artistic Expression (30%) • Demonstrates originality and creativity in the choice of theme and visuals. • Effectively utilizes sand animation techniques to create visually appealing and engaging scenes. • Shows a clear understanding of storytelling principles and effectively conveys the intended narrative. 2. Technical Proficiency (20%) • Demonstrates proficiency in pouring and manipulation techniques, using them to create desired effects and transitions. • Utilizes different tools and movements to create varied textures and shapes in the sand animation. • Shows control and precision in handling the sand and tools, resulting in smooth and fluid animations.
3. Communication and Impact (10%) • Engages the audience through captivating storytelling, effectively conveying emotions and messages. • Maintains audience interest throughout the performance, with well-paced transitions and a cohesive narrative flow. • Utilizes accompanying soundscape or music to enhance the overall impact and atmosphere of the sand animation. 4. Overall Presentation (40%) • Presents the sand animation in a visually appealing and professional manner. • Demonstrates effective use of the light box and projection equipment (if applicable) to showcase the animation. • Shows confidence, stage presence, and effective communication skills during the presentation. Answer Key Pre-Assessment 1. c) Visual language creation 2. c) Its fragility and ephemeral nature 3. b) Immersion in a seemingly real world 4. a) Instruction and education 5. c) Sand animation can add an artistic element to projection events. Post-Assessment 1. b) Caroline Leaf 2. a) Sand drawing 3. c) Fragility 4. c) 1990s 5. b) Glass tabletop 6. a) It captures the sand artist's hands for projection. 7. b) With recorded soundscape
8. c) Ephemeral nature 9. c) Canvas pouring 10. b) To change context while storytelling 11. d) Simple yet beautiful visuals that progress the story 12. b) Continuous transformation and surprise elements 13. d) Pouring sand from a height 14. a) To create lightly colored areas 15. a) Using the latest digital technologies