FLEX: Process
Since early 2020 I have begun collaborating with Elisa Bocanegra at HERO THEATRE, an amazing social-justice and community playhouse in Los Angeles, California. Through the very plays they put on, Hero raises funds and invests in communities, from right here in the US to across the globe. They were recently granted a Sundance Institute Arts Organization Grant in 2021 to help further their purpose.
This vision is one I share with HERO — finding ways to support local communities and advance social progress in America. I chose to collaborate with this group, as not only are funds limited in the arts but especially so around marginalized communities. The mission is creating a movement that uplifts and creates equity, inclusion and diversity by championing the voices who’s narratives need to be heard.
With HERO located in LA, and myself in Rochester, all of our communication happens remotely as we plan the work. This was set before COVID hit, so fortunately the means of communicating has remained the same. However, with all businesses closing, HERO suffered during the first year of the pandemic when its doors had to remain closed and it’s plays postponed.
Early planning storyboards for the FLEX animated flyer ©Vanessa Sweet 2021
When working on each project, I read each of the plays to get a feel for the narrative. Inspired by Candrice Jones life, her play FLEX is the story of a team of six young, Black female basketball players who dream of going pro. But first they must tackle a huge curveball life has for them when one of their teammates becomes pregnant.
I planned the visuals of the animation around the context of the play. I want to leave clues to the viewer about what the play is about— while not spoon feeding them the entire story. In basketball, when a ball is caught by a player who must go on the defensive, the ball is immediately brought into a safety hold so that they can retain control of the ball before passing or shooting. I decided to use this movement to echo the way someone expecting might cradle their baby bump.
Next I planned the styling of the animation, focusing on a key first and last moment to display any changes.
Visual styling drafts for the FLEX animated flyer ©Vanessa Sweet 2021
Once the visuals were discussed and agreed upon, I began animating the flyer. For this particular project I used my iPad and the Procreate drawing app to work from rough animation to clean up. I tend to using this combo for HERO’s projects as it is a more “mobile” model of working that I can pick up and take with me wherever I am.
The style I went for with this add is my natural drawing hand, keeping some of the roughness of the original line and allowing for imperfections in the frames. I enjoy drawing this way, as it allows me to keep much of the freneticism in my initial frames. By focusing on solid arcs, the animation can feel believable despite limited FPS and drawings.
Tonal adjustment for the FLEX animated flyer ©Vanessa Sweet 2021
An important discussion popped up regarding the skin-tone choices during the production. We wanted to show a multitude of skin tones for the hands to help highlight the diversity of Black experiences. When initially planning the storyboards I did not show a face, so it came as a surprise to the team at HERO when I included one. For an animator, the natural arc of the movement I had planned in the storyboard meant it was always in my minds-eye, but this was a lack of foresight on my part when I didn’t include it as a visual. Once the character’s Face entered the frame— it shifted the context of the design.
Elisa and I discussed the conflict of how often lighter-melanin Black actors or characters are often cast for Lead roles over their darker-melanin counter parts. This was a vital discussion to have— for even being aware of the situation, I still did the same ! Who gets to be seen and WHY is a huge failing of current trend in casting and designing in animation and live-action productions. We adjusted her skin-tone and added our audio to finish the flyer on time for promoting it to HERO’s social media accounts.
You can also see the completed animated flyer here and follow me and HERO THEATRE !
