Animation & Motion Design
Eamonn O’Connor
Skitantics
What connects four bankers playing a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos, a man walking his dog, a field of flatulent cows and an astronaut floating in space?
My final year project consists of these stories and more as it seeks to create a snapshot of the world we live in. Local issues, such as people using plastic bags to scoop their dog’s poop up are combined with broader topics, like how that dog’s poop entombed in plastic will last far beyond that of the dog that made it or the person that discarded it.
Through my work I take a look at society and reflect on what I see is happening. I focus on various themes that include environmental issues, consumption, pollution and extinction.
I explore these themes through the use of satire. I believe that we become blinkered to wider issues due in part to the problems and immediate concerns in our lives. Satire is an effective medium to revisit wider issues in a non-judgmental way, or at least give the viewer some enjoyment while presenting these issues.
This is important to me because I believe that animation can be used to frame topics that would otherwise discourage people and that comedy can take the sting out of the seriousness of some issues affecting the world today. It is my goal to entertain the viewer while I highlight these more sombre topics.