It’s been eight weeks since the lockdown.
I’ve filled most of it through teaching online, cooking, gardening, reading, watching (Netflix and animation shorts, anyone?) and learning online (currently, I’m taking Patricio Betteo’s course on Digital Painting in Photoshop on Domestika), and not to mention copious sessions of video chats, texts and audio calls with loved ones. Hearing the soothing voice of the familiar is reassuring, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I yearn so much to be able to be near them again.
I watched animation director and game designer’s Florian Grolig’s In the Distance very early on when the lockdown began, and found many parallels between his depiction of war and of the current situation with the virus at large. With a static, zoomed out frame throughout, we see how a character (and his pet rooster) navigate the uncertainties that loom closer. With an ending that was open for interpretation, I found the short to be an apt metaphor for the times that we now find ourselves in.
Also, if you’re a fan of animated shorts, Pictoplasma has announced that they’re running the annual Pictoplasma conference entirely online this year from 18-19 September 2020, completely free (although donations are most welcome!) I’ve been to the conference twice, and it’s absolutely one of my favorite conferences ever; and I’m sure this year will be no different.
Thank you for the heads up about the Pictoplasma Conference online, I’ll definitely attend