For my documentary film, my theme will be cats and mental health. I would like to focus on people who suffer from depression and anxiety and the stories they have about their life-changing experiences when acquiring a cat as a pet, which helps them to cope when they have a mental health episode.
This is an unusual subject that people may or may not know, but owning a cat has proven to have beneficial therapeutic qualities, and I would love to show how cats can reach out to us and provide a fantastic source of comfort. I feel this is a substantial subject matter that will inspire its target audiences and show them the other side of these fluffy creatures that they never knew before.
“In 2011, the mental health foundation carried out a study in partnership with cats protection and interviewed 600 people, both cat owners and non-cat owners. half of them described themselves as having a mental health problem.”
“87%mof cat owners said it had a positive impact on their wellbeing and 76% said they coped better with daily life thanks to the companionship of their cat.”
To explore this subject matter I want to interview cat owners and non-cat owners, similar to the case study undertaken by the heath foundation, but I would also like to interview cat charity teams and speak to customers and staff in cat cafes, in order for them to share their stories and opinions to the world.
Influences:
Still Life with Animated Dog by Paul and Sandra Fierlinger.
This animated short was of particular interest, even though it focuses on a different topic to mine. I still felt it had the same wavelength. It was vital for me to research animated documentary that centres around wild animals or pets and this was a perfect example.
These four dogs helped shape Fierlingers evolution as an artist and as a man, by using vivid 2D animation that illustrates the adventures of the endearing dogs who shared their owner’s journey.
This film comes across as a personal narrative, but it is presented in a documentary structure. It has also inspired me to explore and design concept art for backgrounds that will be for my future portfolio.
Cat’s Cradle by Jonathan Napolitano
Even though there is minimal animation and the film is mainly in live-action, it is still a documentary that I can take ideas from. With this film, I wanted to focus on the emotional aspect of a couple who transformed their 1920s farmhouse into a hospice for senior cats.
This gave me an idea for making my documentary in live-action but where some scenes are animated, for example:
“when characters are talking on a screen about there personal issues, some artist and filmmakers take that narration and create animated sequences over it and show the audience how creatively the filmmaker can manipulate the subject that’s presented on screen.”
This takes to my final influence:
ABDUCTEES By Paul Vester
With this idea, it would be great to show different styles of animation while the narration is presented in the background. I would like to explore different movements of art. In Vester’s film there is a piece of narration that is unpleasant, showing a 2D sequence of aliens sticking an instrument up a woman’s nose. By incorporating an imaginative sequence that demonstrates what the woman is discussing, this highlights how you can really play with the narrative and for example create something that intercuts the narrative structure and does or does not relate to the topic.
The Interview process, written up some simple question to ask my friend Gagandeep Kalirai who is not a cat owner, tells us her thoughts and opinions on the subject. And how she feels it would have excellent benefits for peoples who suffer mental health.
The Animation Blog 