Loops

This has always been my favorite gif- Mac and Charlie make awkward eye contact across the restaurant. Through the use of cutting, this moment is extended indefinitely. It reads entirely differently from within the context of the show. The loop now portrays this eternal moment of shock. 

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fcia5weqq60hc1.gif%3Fformat%3Dmp4%26s%3D1b53fa595c3d4311687a8cb36f5b88e1838bb2f0

This is an interesting example unique to animation- there are no cuts, so the manipulation of time is accomplished through the protraction of a single shot. Homer is continually thwarted in his Sisyphean attempts to eat a chip, but there are only really two animations that are repeating, even though it appears infinite. 

https://youtube.com/shorts/wL948xguzfo?si=VQYk6X9ISJO8jV3C

This example utilizes cutting and dialogue in tandem to create the illusion of a loop. Peter’s dialogue doesn’t register as reactive until the first time it loops, but then you realize that Brian and Peter’s statements ping-pong off each other to create an infinite conversation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *