ODE TO WINTER: A Visual Medley
An interview with director Shish Aikat
by Nita Lieu
What does winter mean to you in the context of this movie?
WINTER is a short that my teacher, Mar Elepano, made in the early 1980's. I was a student of Mar at USC's Division of Animation and Digital Arts, Cinema-TV, and WINTER inspired me tremendously because it used music and images in a very harmonious way. So my short, ODE TO WINTER was a homage to Mar and the piece, WINTER, that inspired me to venture into experimental animation.
The approach you took toward imagery is very unique. Can you elaborate on why you made some of the artistic decisions you did?
Well, the approach that I used was an attempt at using the principles of experimental animation that Mar covered in class here at VC. Specifically, I was trying to explore the difference in mood created by altering the same set of images and the same chord progression within the same frame/staging area.
What’s the significance of the song you used in this film, “House of the Rising Sun”?
I was playing the "House of the Rising Sun" chord progression (Am, C, D, F, Am, E) on my guitar one day, and I realized that I could alter the pace of the rhythm to create consonance and dissonance with the images. I really liked the ominous sound of this chord progression, so I chose it right away.
How different was making a film at Visual Communications from your everyday job from Rhythm and Hues?
Making a film at VC is somewhat different for me. First of all, at VC, I focus on making shorts (1-3 min.). I have to be the idea creator, the storyboard artist, the director, the actor (sometimes), the animator, and the editor--you have to chart out the creative path as well as figure out how you are going to use the artistic tools. At Rhythm & Hues, there are experts in each of the above functions; you do the best you can at your function and then hand it off to the next artist who might have a different specialty. The creative path and the artistic tools are usually given to you by creative directors at every stage of the artistic process. Each has its challenges and rewards, and I love my current situation--I work at R&H during the week and during the weekends, I work with Mar and the kids in making movies.
