Understanding Animation: Contemporary Context - Idle

As stated previously, animation as a communicative tool of ideologies and messages can be perceived in different contexts, one being the intended and the other a subjective perspective. In order for animations to be thoroughly understood, every aspect of their presentation must be taken into consideration: from the way the visual aesthetics insinuate a concept to the verbal communication between characters. However, animations differentiate in an intended context which has to do with the time in which they are published. As I looked at animation from a historical context in my previous post, now I shed some light on the contemporary. "Idle" is a short animation by Jonah Primiano, published in 2015 on Skwigly. The animation features two men: one of a more younger generation and one belonging to the late years of adulthood. The adult's high stature of employment is depicted by his appearance and dress code, while the young is dressed in a white t-shirt. Nevertheless, both of them have expressionless faces which insinuates their dehumanized essence by the corporate expectations of their lives, as well as the similarities which they share. As the plot unfolds, both characters enter brisk series of flashbacks which shed light on their lives, as they get lost during communication by stuttering before beginning to talk due to their absent-mindedness. Although the adult has a secure job and is a part of the community, he feels empty as he is engulfed by the clutches of monotony. This is evident through his flashbacks, constantly repeating the same routine of work, while he tries to disprove that notion by stating that everything is alright and that he's just been busy - busy with rumination. While the adult tackles this concept, the young is portraying flashbacks of how he denied fulfilling his dreams by exerting laziness and allowing it to diverge his interests. All in all, both characters feel desolate as their circumstances have drained the life out of them and portray existential doubts about their lives. Thus, the animation dwells on the 21st century's concept of corporate dehumanization and monotony, and along with the technique of the animation (which is a minimalist 2D traditional style with charcoal) the eerie and bleak tone is even more so expressed. At the end, from a contemporary context, they are both lost souls with no faces... people have lost their way.

"Idle" - http://www.skwigly.co.uk/showcase/idle/