Animated Inspiration: Fly

Since I was in England over the last two weeks (and drove past Bristol, home of Aardman Animations), here is a rather amusing film by Alan Short. According to animation historian Jerry Beck, this film is part of a series that Aardman Animations is funding to showcase the talent of its directors. This animation is a very good example of the 'gag' film--there is very little in the way of character background and no dialogue. Rather what you have is a protagonist, an antagonist, and a problem to be solved. Much like the Wile Coyote and Road Runner films from Warner Brothers, you don't have a very complex plot nor do you have the use of dialogue to expound upon your characters' motivations. However, what you do have is a series of misadventures that the director/animator uses to develop the characters' personalities--mainly through their actions, reactions, and expressions.