Gutsy, experimental directing

[Isuzu Inugami]

Recently I watched Seraphim Call, an anthology of stories, some rather good, some...not so much. But what really struck me about the show was the number of episodes which took really innovative and risky decisions in how they presented the story.

For example, the second story (told from the point of view of an inanimate object) uses completely static camera angles. Characters move in and out of the frame of view, but there are no pans, no close ups, no shifting of the camera apart from the characters moving it around themselves.

As if in deliberate contrast, the fourth story is utterly frenetic, breaking up even the passage of time into scattered shards that the viewer must piece together into a coherent whole themself.

The fifth and sixth stories are nearly identical, but told from two different points of view and complicated by a bit of virtual reality that mirrors the situation into a nearly PKD-esque breakdown of reality.

Now, these directorial approaches may or may not be successful (as reflected in Chris' review /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif), but I give them considerable credit for taking chances that I don't see taken very often, or at least with such bravado.

So does it take a "B" or "C" show for directors to be given enough slack to try something like this? What other shows go for unusual presentation? And does it work or does it fail?

[ohtori_akio]

Ikuhara does it for Utena but I guess you already knew that... I think it's very successful in its case too.

[Isuzu Inugami]

[ QUOTE ]
shounen kakumei akio said:
Ikuhara does it for Utena but I guess you already knew that... I think it's very successful in its case too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I was thinking about Utena and Melody of Oblivion a bit. But I think I'm talking about something more than just throwing in some surreal imagery. I mean, taking risks in the way the director actually presents the story. I don't see so much of that in MoO, much as I've enjoyed it so far... maybe there are some surprises in store for me. Utena I think does deliver, although not all the time. But I would point to episodes like the <span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>Utena in the hotel with Akio, thinking about everything except where she is right now</span> ep, or the Shadow Girls play ep, which shows two sides of the whole prince fable, and lets the viewer try to fit them together.

[O-chan]

I'm gonna say ANYTHING Mamoru Oshii touches. Just look at what he did to Urusei Yatsura, Patlabor, and Ghost in the Shell (movies) compared to the original authors intentions.

O-chan

[Chubaka]

The last episode of Gunbuster was wonderfully done to increase the impact at the end.
Letterboxed and in Black&amp;White.

At thee beginning I thought it was that way because of a flashback and soon forgot that it was in black&amp;white. Then the impact at the end took my breath away and couldn't help cheering aloud. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

- Kasey

[Ty]

Futakoi Alternative immediately comes to mind. It's really something how well the show holds together. You get the feeling that it's all a big toy or experiment of somebody's and yet it still holds water as a show with a plot and interesting characters. Most surprising was I found myself laughing with the show and not at it. I wish it'd come out in R1.

[ohtori_akio]

I think Gankutsuou could also fit in this category for its amazing imagery.

Another one could be Urusei Yatsura Movie 2 and maybe Saint Seiya Movie 5.

[rowen]

I thought the last 2 episodes of Evangelion and the subsequent End of Eva were some of the most insightful yet boldly directed pieces I've seen heheheh.

Sorry, it was only a matter of time before it was brought up.

[Sweeped]

Mind Game would fit the bill perfectly.

[citicslmatts]

There is an episode of Samurai 7 (Something like episode 6 or 7 - sorry it's been a while since I saw it...) where for no reason the animation style changes completely. It switches to really sketchy stylised artwork for something like 5 minutes. Now, I have no idea whether this was intentional or not - I seem to remember that some folks thought it was a momentary lapse of quality when it was considered in an earlier thread (which I now can't find)...

If random changes in animation style are done with a bit of finesse, then they can come across quite well - but if the switch is too experimental, it often can be a little disruptive for my liking...

[Doom Tone]

I think that Neo Tokyo and Memories, both collections of shorts, fit the bill quite nicely. Labyrnth Labrynthos on Neo Tokyo and Cannon Fodder on Memories have especially strange art/direction styles. And, both Neo Tokyo and Memories are quite enjoyable.

[Lego]

While it may not fit the bill, or the description of what is being talked about here, I'm going to have to go with a certain episode of Cromartie. The whole episode you have the gang humming a certain song. It isn't a famous song(well at least not to me, being in the US), or a song that is easibly reconizable like a lot are.

The whole episode is carried on them trying to hum the song, and find out what it's. To me, I consider that exprimental directing to carry a whole episode on a simple, but fun thread.

[BluWacky]

I just spent ages writing a post but accidentally shut down the window I was writing it in, so I'll just post a quick reply.

First up, it's quite often hard to tell how much is the series director, how much the animation director, and how much the script writer when it comes to these kinds of things - part of your example is undoubtedly down to the (episode?) director, but also probably owes a lot to the writers. I tend to notice gutsy animation more than overall direction, personally.

With that said, a few examples off the top of my head:

<ul type="square">
Koji Morimoto's stuff with Studio 4C, specifically Noiseman Sound Insect and Mind Game.
Satoru Utsunomiya's work on Paranoia Agent 8 and Aquarion 19 in particular.
Stuff that was gutsy and experimental at the time but now might seem a little old hat to many - Kunihiko Ikuhara's Utena, Koichi Mashimo's Noir, Akiyuki Shinbo's Soul Taker, Hideaki Anno's KareKano, Ryutaro Nakamura's Lain etc.
[/list]

Currently the show I'm watching the most "experimental" direction would be Noein (can't believe it finishes tonight /images/graemlins/cry00000.gif) - some very interesting directorial decisions (Haruka's house being animated out of CG so tracking/rotating shots can be used, a more relaxed animation correction style leaving many things looking rough but innovative) are part of what makes it such an excellent show, but there's nothing overtly experimental in the direction, more in the animation - getting GIF animators to do fight scenes, for instance. It's great stuff.

[aquapermanence]

[ QUOTE ]
ICM said:
There is an episode of Samurai 7 ... where for no reason the animation style changes completely.

[/ QUOTE ]

Saiyuki also does that throughout the series--it'll use a more standard visual direction for several episodes at a time, and then it'll take a whole episode out to do everything from extreme angles, solid-color lighting, and snowy video effects.

Also, episode 26 of Ashita no Nadja is put together very differently from the rest of the series. In terms of visual design and story structure, it was more like watching a scene out of the Utena movie. (Specifically, the running scene.)

[JackProton]

[ QUOTE ]
Shimauma said:
Recently I watched Seraphim Call, an anthology of stories, some rather good, some...not so much. But what really struck me about the show was the number of episodes which took really innovative and risky decisions in how they presented the story.


[/ QUOTE ]

I also found a number of stories in Seraphim Call quite clever but what really got my attention was the subversive way in which some of these stories not only slyly acknowledged the presence of the audience but actually gave viewers the explicit and, perhaps, somewhat embarrassing role of voyeur in the proceedings. What an amusing concept for a bishoujo show, a sub-subgenre which gives men the chance to spy on beautiful young girls.

[johnmora]

I'm surprised no one mentioned this yet: Boogiepop Phantom.

[Chloe]

I second Mamoru Oshii's works, he really does tend to push it. Even his live action stuff is like that. Jin Roh was dark enough, but there were times when the directing made it even more so. The tunnel scenes, and the tie-in with the Red Riding Hood story scenes come to mind.

Shows like Cat Soup, Angel's Egg, and Night on the Galactic Railroad were also probably quite tough to direct since the lack of constant dialogue focuses the viewer on what is being presented visually like a laser.

Satoshi Kon does some nice directing too; Millennium Actress was quite a bold directing job with that "jumping" timeline throughout.

[Isuzu Inugami]

[ QUOTE ]
JackProton said:
I also found a number of stories in Seraphim Call quite clever but what really got my attention was the subversive way in which some of these stories not only slyly acknowledged the presence of the audience but actually gave viewers the explicit and, perhaps, somewhat embarrassing role of voyeur in the proceedings. What an amusing concept for a bishoujo show, a sub-subgenre which gives men the chance to spy on beautiful young girls.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had to laugh how the stuffed animal episode kept teasing you by having her change clothes just off camera, a little closer each time. And then, there you are at the end, <span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>being arrested, prostesting to yourself no, no I'm not THAT guy...</span> Beautifully subversive.

[JackProton]

Yeah, I got a real kick out of that one! /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif Gotta love it!

Makes we want more subversive anime that deconstructs the genre.