Mountain Mountain

Abstract

“Mountain Mountain” is a short animated film that explores personal feelings of being lost and restless through the collective Singaporean desire to see mountains. In this way, Mountain Mountain’s intention is twofold, firstly, to explore the use of non-linear storytelling techniques – Kishokentetsu – as a novel approach to storytelling within the local animation scene, and secondly, to investigate the benefits and detriments of adopting an analogue-digital approach to animation rooted in a methodology of playful experimentation. Through the production of the film, we discover the aesthetic and production value of adopting an analogue-digital approach – retaining the inherent charm of traditional art making practises, while supplementing it with a greater degree of control. Additionally, we reflect upon the benefits and limitations of a playful and experimental methodological approach towards animated storytelling, with a specific focus on the ability to work intuitively to develop a mature, sincere and novel storytelling method and visual style. To conclude, Mountain Mountain’s adoption of novel methodologies and animation practises to explore distinctly Singaporean themes of restlessness and escapism, allows it to function as a useful study of the different ways in which independent animation can be carried out in Singapore to enrich the young local identity of Singaporean animation.