16 June 2008

Kiwi

Animator Dony “Madyeti47” Permedi made a little video about a kiwi bird and published it on YouTube. It's good, and a zillion people have watched it.

Don't click that link just yet.

Because YouTuber BlueInfernoDisco came along and understood this cartoon better than Mr Permedi did, and thinks, “I've got an idea for a song that would go perfectly with this video.” It's not an entirely original idea, but it's a very good one. The result—Kiwi—is a poignant little gem. I strongly recommend that you watch that version first.

It makes me think about the nature of artistic creation. The second version of Kiwi is obviously really there, waiting inside the original. But I don't think Mr Permedi knew that; dig this interview with him in which he's awfully unreflective:

Kiwi is not based on any personal experiences that I know of yet ... at least I know I wasn't reaching into my soul or anything for this story. Who knows, maybe I may relate to this Kiwi someday. Really, I just wanted a story that would allow me to be expressive and play with different emotions like happiness or sadness. I decided on this story, because I wanted to create a character that people will like, and then do something to that character, and see if the audience reacts strongly to it.
I saw an earlier, cruder, stranger effort of Mr Permedi's, Pony. It's a very dark little fable. But again in the interview, he shows he's not terribly articulate about it.

He's obviously very talented, but I suspect that he would really benefit from finding a smart collaborator who knows how to help turn his instincts into fully realized work.

1 comment:

Veleda said...

So..Mad World is a favorite of mine..and this story is beautifully poignant.

Regarding the artist, that does seem very unreflective, however, this is still a product of Parmedi's mind and as such it didn't spring up out of nowhere..maybe it's something he isn't aware of consciously but its still there..that can be the case with some artists.