= Republution =

Synopsis
This rapid-paced, flashy ad campaign comically exaggerates the American hegemony as a futuristic propaganda parody while manifesting corporations as man made giant robots animated in a 'glorious' socialist realism art-deco style (also known as Stalinist Gothic, fascist aesthetic, or agitprop). Here are some inspirational image references.

Sarcasm, I've heard of that. The title 'Republution' is purposely vague potentially implying a fusion of 'republican' with 'pollution' or 'republic' with 'revolution'.


Target Audiences
Just as Norman McLaren's 'Neighbours' did I hope to provoke and enlighten through educational entertainment. I aim to inspire people to be more interested and active in the environmental, political, and humanitarian fate of the world. I expect only adults, teenagers, and perhaps older children may understand the meaning but I intend to make this piece acceptably viewable by people of all ages to broaden its potentially receptive audience. Hopefully it won't be necessary but at worst I'd aim to comparably meet with the violence presented in Disney, Bluth and similar family animated features. While I don't think more violent content is necessary, I could be convinced to not to 'censor' imagery in hopes of inspiring an even broader audience if possible in order to rouse those people to be more active in the Earth's shared fate.


Agitprop Vs Tragedy
Is extreme agitprop enough to simply demonstrate how farcical propaganda can be? With strong comedic writing and tight production work it might be. In fact, with enough humour, satire, and irony an optimistic animated piece might accidentally be so entertaining as to be overlooked for any sharp political commentary. I hope to be equally entertaining as well as politically educate, agitate, and instigate people to be active and aware of the tyrannical system that holds negative futures that most people are oblivious to.

A darker tragic reality can be revealed by a variety of potential methods. Here are a few cliché duality device ideas:
    • After the agitprop version the on-screen image turns like a page to repeat the same audio track but with the darker reality.
    • Starting full screen agitprop, a slow cross wiping split screen through the length of the piece reveals the tragedy. Both universes, idyllic and despondent, should share identical composition and gestures as much as possible, maybe mirrored in composition.
    • Part way through the spot the broadcast signal obviously becomes 'hijacked' with visual static interruption then masked men with signage 'Resist the Republican Robot Revolution!' The corporate robot imagery continues but showing bleak imagery while the optimistic voice over propaganda continues in irony.
    • Each scene could have a clock hand wipe to the alternate universe. This could indicate how things may change or have changed over time, but like all of these ideas, that requires further pontificating and more concrete conceptualization.


Scenario Premises
All the futuristic giant robots prominently feature strong brand logos of the corporations they represent.

Giant idyllic robots might hold up or shield an American family while the counterpart tragic robot might starve or unleashing violence upon a third world family.

McDonald's or Calvin Klein robots could be involved in contrasting activities with fashionable healthy people versus obese couch potatoes.

Idyllic robots helping build refineries and factories contrast with tragic robots waging war in oil fields.

Idyllic robots in various activities assisting people contrast with the tragic robots repressing and imprisoning people that are armed only with sticks and stones. Tragic robot battling villagers with ropes may resemble Frankenstein and Gulliver's Travels. Perhaps a robot head may be opened to reveal fat rich businessmen at the robot controls.

Even idealistic robots create pollution, but it's cute fluffy puffs of smoke rather than its counterpart of a toxic smog smear fume.

Essentially, for every way a giant robot can be shown positively there is an alternative monster robot consuming, exploiting, or abusing.


Corporate (Mis)Representation
If blatant corporate identity usage is not allowed despite obvious critical parody, then I recommend hacks something like the following:

International Monetary Fund
    [International Monopoly Fraud]
    [International Military Force]
    [International Military Funders]
The World Bank [Robbers]
    [The World Buster]
The World Trade Organization
    [The World Tyranny Orchestrators]

McDonald's Douglas
Proctor & Gamble With Ecosystems
Smith & Johnson & Johnson & Wesson
Just For The Helliburton
NASDAQ Attack
Dow Jonesing For Power
The Gap(ing Mouths)
Banana Republic Of Greed
Wonderful World For Disney
FOX - Full Of Xxxx
CNN - Corporate Nonsense Network
War Kraft
DOWnward Environment
Monsanto Bandito
MacroTough MicroSoft
    - MonopolySoft
    - Windows swastika

While I understand the need to be safe from litigation, I also believe in the right to fight for freedom of speech. Though it still takes time to process renders both versions should be rendered (easily set up with a simple texture map swapping switch), one with corporate identities, and the other with clever parodies. If suppressed the deliberately vicious corporate identity version could be leaked throughout the internet while the other corporate parody version could be the 'official' version.

In addition before or after this piece I think it's important to state something along these lines:
This material will be censored unless rights are perpetually pursued for Earth's people!


Scripts (Voice Overs)
There are so many ways to say something. I am not a writer by trade but here is a page of ideas (open to improvements):
    • Republution - Voice Overs


Audio
I have several friends in the music industry that would most likely be eager to score and/or folly this project.
    • Justin Winokur, San Francisco
        - recording artist, JustinWinokur.com
        - audio technician for Apple Computers
    • Wolfgang Webb, Toronto
        - commercial sound, Soundcore
        - rock band, Superhalo
    • Sean Abreu, San Francisco
        - musician scored Drama In The Desert
    • Bassnectar, San Francisco
        - DJ and musician Bassnectar

Inspiration & Funding
The mass media has their 'popular' perspectives. This piece aims to have different agendas, perhaps not on mainstream media but definitely on the world population's minds. I would be happy to write essays or elaborate if necessary, but I believe Noam Chomsky, Arundhati Roy, Howard Zinn, Helen Caldicott, and others like them speak far better and more knowledgably than an animation activist.

I have started to compile lists of links to related sites for funding, support, assistance, or inspiration and there are doubtless ample others.
    • Resources
    • Wage Peace

In addition to traditional distribution opportunities (film festivals, etc.), potential marketing enhancing prospects may arise to showcase this production within other media, commentary, journalist, or activist programs and documentaries.

These are obvious comparison references that I know of to be inspired by, avoid too much similarity to, emulate their successes, and learn from their weaknesses:
    • The Corporation
          documentary by
          Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, Joel Bakan
    • Outfoxed
          documentary
    • What Barry Says
          by Knife Party, UK
    • Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow
          feature film
    • Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
          graphic novel by Geof Darrow
    • The Iron Giant
          feature animation
    • Giant Killer Robots
          San Francisco animation studio
    • many Japanese Anime and Manga giant robots


Visual Style
This animated short is ideal material for majestic high-resolution theatrical film or HDTV. This project will be animated in 3D with 2D compositing. Design references and inspiration will be linked here eventually.

Here are some inspirational image references in art-deco, socialist realism, Stalinist Gothic, fascist aesthetic, and agitprop styles.

I intend to define a consistent visual language that includes the movements and lenses of the camera when the storyboard is developed.


Animation & Design - Limitations & Liberties
Anticipating reasonable compromises will be necessary for this project to be realized within a planned budget and schedule. Experience has shown me that there is no such thing as too much preparation. Hand drawn storyboards will be of paramount importance long before 2D and 3D elements are even considered. I also believe in strong stylization, design, and recycling to help with storytelling.

Strong heroic drifting poses with minimal, limited or quick animation will be appropriate for the rigid idealist world. Super saturated bright colours and heroic lighting rigs could be re-used as often as possible for a variety of designed compositions and poses that tend to flatten the images in crisp focus. Sets would be as minimal as possible with background shapes preferably being design elements.

In contrast, drabber near-sepia colours, dark skies, would represent the dynamic tragic world and static non-animated extreme images or perhaps dead-time camera moves adding depth. These snapshots could even be askew akin to hasty war journalism and grittiness. Background element details would also be kept to a minimum by using blurring, shadows, textures and other depth defying tricks.

A single robot model can be reused with a simple change of textures and perhaps a few applicable custom parts to create an army of options to design with. Being non-organic this means there are no soft tissue envelopes, fur, or other problematic dynamics issues to contend with.

The idyllic family people will move only as much as necessary. They are calm and happy so they don't really need to move. Their hair colour, skin colour, clothing, and other articles will be interchangeably customizable and yet generic.

The tragic family people should probably need the most effort to make them as globally diverse as possible in ethnicity and wardrobe, somewhat more realistic and dimensional, and of course flexible enough for extreme poses, actions, and angles. The tragic characters may not be necessary if strong comedic writing can demonstrate the farce of American propaganda (as mentioned here under 'Agitprop Vs Tragedy').


Production Planning
Production is never done until delivery date and until then there are perpetual improvements to make it the best it can be. Despite inevitable unforeseen challenges, planning for progressive layered building of improvements achieves consistency of the entire project, rather stronger or weaker segments due to unbalanced focus. Essentially, the planned goal is to get to a state of completion where you simply continue to add layers of depth and detail. So, after much planning, complete it as quickly as possible, and then smooth out and layer it up thick. It doesn't always work that way, but one can try.

1. Secure Funding
    • distribution ideas
        - networks
        - theatrical
        - film festivals (theatrical and/or online)
        - video sales/rental
        - marketing
        - mass production (video and/or book)
    • funding ideas
        - grants
        - loans
        - fundraising

2. Solidify Concept
    • storyboard
    • record soundtrack
    • boardomatic
    • design

3. Hire CG Team
    • director / animator - Jason Carswell
    • modeller / background designer
    • technical director / rigger
    • renderer / compositor

4. Construction
    • model + rig characters
    • model sets + props
    • finesse soundtrack + sound design
    • animatic

5. Action
    • animation
    • finesse editing

6. Final Completion
    • light
    • render
    • composite


Animation For Peace!
If this short piece is made I hope it might be available online to share with the world as soon as possible through political, animation and film festival websites and institutions as well as many other forms of distribution. Who knows, if successful I might be inspired to develop an open forum internet community dedicated to making and promoting commercials for peace, equality and fundamental rights. The more media produced against war, corporate corruption, elitist exploitation, and environmental travesties the better off Earth's life will be. But for now I'll tackle one thing at a time.