The Making of The Very Pulse of the Machine

.

 

You can tell that Love, Death + Robots has been a big hit for Netflix because the powers that be are spending money promoting it. 

One nifty thing they've done is to make a short video on the making of The Very Pulse of the Machine's animation. In it, director Emily Dean talks about the process of adapting my story and why she made the choices she did. I found it fascinating.

That's the video up above. Or you can go directly to it on YouTube by clicking here.

 They also did a short video for the animation of Justin Coates' story "Kill Team Kill" which you can see by clicking here.

And because I know that gonnabe writers are looking for tips...

A close reading of any well-made story will teach you a lot, and that goes for animated stories as well. After you've watched the video I want you to focus on two things:

First, note how Ms. Dean went out on the beach and dragged a weight to create a reference and how she dove onto her bed for similar reasons. Prose writers have to do very similar things when research a story or novel. If you don't know what something looks or feels or smells or whatevers like, find out. It's not always dignified, but it's part of your job.

Second, note how beautiful the dancing women scene was. As Emily Dean states, in the original the description was sparse: 

Weeping, she passed through the eerie stone forms. The speed made them shift and move in her vision. As if they were dancing.

And that's all. I didn't have to describe the dance because that happens in the reader's mind. Animation is a more literal form so it has to be shown. But prose fiction is a collaboration between the writer and the reader. You must learn to trust your collaborator.

That's all for today. Class dismissed. 

 

*