This semester, I had the opportunity to take animation production from a true professional—Fred Burns (I would totally recommend taking this class while you still can!). Fred Burns learned from the Disney animators who brought us Snow White. You heard me correctly. He’s also worked on the Charlie Brown holiday movies. If that’s not a taste of stardust, I don’t know what is.
In the class, we’ve learned many animation techniques, but one of the most difficult ones was cutout and replacement animation, which is what is used in the popular South Park TV show.
We get to use this Oxberry animation camera to do our projects—which is what a good portion of the Looney Tunes and Disney movies were shot with—and apparently there are only 30 still in existence, and we are lucky enough to have one (Is there anything Duke doesn’t have?).
I will tell you I have never been so frustrated as I was while trying to do that cutout animation. I had to carefully place these little pieces of paper on the photographing surface, but every time I put the platinum glass down and lifted it, the paper would scatter, ruining my precise lines and itty-bitty shapes. I have true respect for the creators of South Park Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who did this method during the first seasons. But, I digress.
I never really hopped onto the South Park train until this year, when my boyfriend got me hooked. At first, the humor was a bit violent and graphic for me, but I’ve grown to appreciate what the show does, which is to poke fun at everyone.
One of the biggest world problems, that I can see anyway, is that we don’t poke enough fun at ourselves. I laugh at myself all the time. I have to. Laughing at the crazy situations I get myself into is a huge stress reliever, and it lets me off the hook. Who wants to be perfect anyway?
So I asked my boyfriend about his take on South Park, and he had the following to say:
K: Why do you love South Park?
T: The show is a satire that gives an indiscriminate commentary on life. Everything from religion, to social issues, to modern culture. By not choosing sides, it makes you take a step back and laugh at yourself, even when you agree or identify with something that is being made fun of.”
K: Do you have a favorite episode?
T: I don’t have a favorite episode. There are just so many to choose from.
So what’s the big deal about South Park anyway? The producers first started doing this amazing creation in a basement. No one is exempt from the line of fire, but I kind of like it better that way.
So whether you’re Republican or Democrat, in this politically heated time, at the end of the day, humor is the best medicine. You should come home at the end of the day and be able to laugh, but especially at yourself.