Confusion Through Sand

The best animation is seldom a photorealistic reflection of real life. The power of the medium is its ability to express complex and nuanced ideas in an abstract, almost intuitive way. Great animation can immerse you in a world of form and feeling that leaves its subject matter ingrained on your psyche.

"Confusion Through Sand" is a perfect fusion of animation style and storytelling substance. This 9 1/2-minute short depicts a young soldier on a combat mission in a urban desert environment, presumably Iraq or Afghanistan. What begins with the tautness of a cat and mouse game of trying to identify innocent from insurgent soon explodes into the chaos and fury of a firefight against an unseen foe. Through fluid action, atmospheric texture effects and dynamic perspective moves, director and animator Danny Madden has managed to capture the fear and ferocity that entails having "boots on the ground" in modern warfare.

Madden's illustration style is flowing and gestural, a technique that serves the subject matter well. The free-form representation helps convey the ambiguity of the situation, both tactically and morally. The characters could be any young soldier or every civilian caught in a crossfire. The animation is drawn on a brownish recycled paper that gives the film a grainy, dusty backdrop that adds to the sense of place. During key sequences of the film, the frame billows with dust clouds of sand and RPG smoke, and the combination of Madden's marker and the material he draws on really brings this effect to life.

Another standout feature of "Confusion Through Sand" is the "camera" work. The film makes exceptional use of pans and sweeping changes in point of view and perspective that you seldom see in an animated short. Using handheld-video footage of live action for reference (the action was not rotoscoped however), Madden is able to create a real sense of the action taking place in flowing, three-dimensional space. It adds an element of cinematography that gives the film a lot of power.

Adding to high production quality is the outstanding sound design, which was developed at George Lucas' Skywalker Sound. Explosions, whistling bullets, heavy breathing, blowing wind, the grind of sand and stone under boot — the attention to audio detail is a masterful and crucial element to the film's success in drawing the viewer into the characters' world.

"Confusion Through Sand" made the rounds through the 2014 film festival circuit, premiering at SXSW and winning the Best American Spectrum Short Film award at the Indianapolis Film Festival. After debuting on PBS on January 20, "Confusion Through Sand" is now free to watch on Vimeo.

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http://vimeo.com/117249231

http://vimeo.com/116932414