Animation references: Deer

 Animation References: Reindeer                                                                                                                        11/01/23

Figure 1: Pictish deer carving: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhatchburnandcarve.wordpress.com%2Ftag%2Fpictish-stag%2F&psig=AOvVaw2P4_XXxQq9nqISdOEDwYml&ust=1673530034480000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA8QjRxqFwoTCOiP3avPv_wCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAT

One of the final animated characters to appear in my final project film, Seoras, will be a deer recreated in the Pictish art style.  The deer will be animated in the traditional walk cycle method as opposed to the rotoscoped method I have chosen for some of the other animated figures. I have chosen the deer because of their population in the areas near Angus and because of their cultural prominence in local wildlife.  The plan for the animation is to have a simple figure appear in trees in Camperdown park and then have the trees act as windows where the figures move from one side of the bark to another, similar to having lights pass through like a train in a tunnel.  Despite the fact that the animal is responsible for at least 100 human fatalities every year, they have an element of majesty to them that makes them a wide attraction for hikers and mountaineers. In terms of inspiration for the character, I have mainly been inspired by my many walks and cycles through the country roads around Kirriemuir.  However, if I can pick some references to base my character on, the main influences I can find in popular culture include Sven from Frozen (2013) and Bambi.

"The more I see of deer, the more I admire them as mountaineers. They make their way into the heart of the roughest solitudes with smooth reserve of strength, through dense belts of brush and forest encumbered with fallen trees and boulder piles, across canons, roaring streams, and snow-fields, ever showing forth beauty and courage." - John Muir

 

Figure 2: Sven from Frozen (2013): https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Sven_(Frozen)

Sven is one of several main protagonists in Frozen (2013), and is the animal companion of Kristoff, the secondary protagonist of the film.  He is voiced by Frank Welker in the short animated series "Olaf Presents".   Whilst his official species is a large tan caribou, this is a member of the deer family, and has a similar walk pattern to the traditional deer in Scotland, which is the main influence for my deer.  He is first seen in the opening song of the film, with Kristoff, alongside the ice cutters, who are carrying their assets back to the kingdom of Arendelle.  They are later discovered by a clan of rock trolls, and one of them decides to informally adopt the pair.  Sven is presented to be a very loyal and trustworthy character throughout the narrative, never leaving his human companion's side and assisting with the perils the characters encounter.  In terms of movement and body language, Sven is presented to be a light-hearted and comedic creation, like a unison pet to Kristoff, with exaggerated cartoon movements during the appropriate times such as after Kristoff gets kicked out of the Trading Post.  During the more intensive scenarios, such as the chase against the wolf pack and the rush back to Arendelle, Sven is presented to move in a more realistic fashion, with life-like runcycles.  Whilst my character will move much more gracefully and realistically than this, had the character been moving more quickly or intensely, I would have considered this a more prominent influence.

Figure 3: Sven best moments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqvHvwi32pk

Figure 4: Bambi: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Bambi_(character)

Figure 5: Adult Bambi: https://pachirapong.fandom.com/wiki/Adult_Bambi

Another prominent influence of deer in pop culture from the Walt Disney Company is the character of Bambi, from the film first released in 1942.  The film takes place in the environment of the North American forestry, where the main character meets a Skunk named Flower and a rabbit named Thumper and also learns about the dangers of the intruding humans, most notably the hunters who kill his mother. As the character matures, Bambi discovers the tragedy in the everyday world in addition to the beauty.   Whilst the character has a rather exaggerated head with enlarged eyes and a head shape not resembling reality, the actual body of the character is drawn to resemble a real-life deer fairly closely with realistic bone structure and a believable torso.   When the character moves, the movement and animation is more resembling of real deer, as well as when the character rests with the legs tucked in to conserve warmth.  The colour scheme of the character is also meant to resemble the fur quality of real deer.  My character in the film is meant to have a pattern resembling the Pictish interpretation of deer so this will be less life-like than Bambi, but I will aim to have a more abstract vision of the deer despite the relatively smooth animation cycle I have chosen.

Figure 6: Royalty free footage of deer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvifQrvdcuk

Figure 7: Bambi's mother's death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sCqMEkgLIw

Lee, J. and Vecho, D.P. (2013) Frozen [DVD]. United States: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Bambi [VHS] (1942). United States: Buena Vista.