– update 1/24 pm –

Motion Poems is the brainchild of designer/animator Angella Kassube of HDMG and Minnesota poet Todd Boss. The project is designed to make poetry accessible to a media-savvy generation by bringing the magic of animation to poems by some of the best living poets in the world.

The following descriptions were sent to us by Motion504. Sorry we didn't include this stuff when the post originally went live. Read on, reader – 

Scott Wenner chose a black-and-white look for his interpretation of “French Movie” by David Lehman. First came extensive research on the type of camera used in the French New Wave era of the 1950s and ‘60s, which was created in 3D. Wenner then found interesting elements to highlight from the poem, deconstructing scenes into the smallest single element in a way that was still relevant and somewhat abstract. The result is a piece that uses a combination of 3D scene work and photographs.

“This poem was difficult to work with because it’s very descriptive and specific, and references the French way of doing movies,” remarks Wenner. “I wanted to do something more unexpected in terms of visuals and sounds to go along with the words. Using the more suspenseful elements from the scenes, such as a glass dropping, actually assisted the words rather than compete with them. We also pulled back on the voiceover and sound design so that it came across as more conversational, and not overdramatized. It was important that everything felt realistic and cohesive, especially when moving from photos to 3D.”

 
Amy Schmitt’s film, based on the poem “When at a Certain Party in NYC” by Erin Belieu, utilizes a flat illustrated style with plenty of movement to add life to a 2D world. Transitioning through different scenes of New York, the piece follows the journey of the female protagonist through colorful illustrations, punctuated by the dry sarcastic tone of the male voiceover, provided by motion504 Founder Andy Reynolds.

“I’ve always had my eye on this poem and was drawn to the idea of a beat poet,” explains Schmitt. “I wanted the pace to be fast and to flow into a stream of consciousness. Andy’s read really lends some hardness to this film, contrasting the female character with the cynical undertone of the poem itself.”

 
After selecting “Thoreau and the Lightning” by David Wagoner, Adam Tow spent time doing research, sketches, storyboards and 3D previsualization for the concept. His challenge was finding a balance between a literal translation of the poem and maintaining a sense of mystery.

“Given the environmental nature of the poem, a lot of thought was given to how much vegetation and plants to incorporate, and how they should look,” says Tow. “I wanted to show a desolate place juxtaposed with the liveliness and memories of the farmer, combining past and present into one flowing story.”

 
 
French Movie
Poem: David Lehman
Animation: Scott Wenner
Voiceover: Bill Slichter
Sound Design: Kelly Pieklo
Tools: Photoshop, After Effects & Cinema 4D

When at a Certain Party in NYC
Poem: Erin Belieu
Animation, Design and Illustration: Amy Schmitt
Voiceover: Andrew Reynolds
Sound Design: Kelly Pieklo
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects & Cinema 4D

Thoreau and the Lightning
Poem: David Wagoner
Animation: Adam Tow
Music and Voiceover: Scott Yoshimura
Audio Engineer: Logan Christian
Tools: After Effects & Cinema 4D