Pantomime in Digital Storytelling
Explore how the ancient art of pantomime breathes new life into today’s vibrant animated films
According to the National Storytelling Network, storytelling is an ancient art form vital to human expression. Storytelling matters because it allows receivers to bond with the message. The message stimulates their creativity, hopes, dreams, memories, and creativity. Those who feel that they bond with the message also bond with each other because they have shared feelings. If a group of people feels connected to a story, they will think that this is something they have in common and feel it's worth bonding over if the story is told in a way that stimulates the listeners' emotions well.
According to the Reporter, drawings in caves were one of the earliest forms of storytelling. The Chauvet cave in France has drawings dating back to approximately 30,000 years. According to Nature Index, these drawings were forms of visual presentation about what cavemen encountered daily, such as hunting animals, sticks, tools, animals, and fire. The Reporter also states that In ancient Egypt, about 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians told their stories using the hieroglyphic language. This language was composed of "pictographic characters as symbols and sounds.”
Pantomime in Animated Films
According to the English Oxford Dictionary, the Pantomime style is a form of theater performance originating from the Roman Empire. In this style, mythical or dramatic stories were performed without verbal communication. Instead, the story was communicated through gestures or mimes in synchrony with the right instrumental music. Inner Working is an animated short film created by Disney. It is about a man named Paul whose monotonous life mostly centers around working and dismissing anything that pleases him. The pantomime-style film communicates the story through exaggerated or over-dramatic gestures and physical actions paired with music and sound effects that match the expressed emotions.
The main aspect that drew my attention to this example is its combination of centuries-old storytelling style with today's digital storytelling. This is such an Eclectic move! This digital story is created with many technological tools such as designing software, cameras, music, sound effects, etc. This nostalgic short film makes a solid emotional connection with the viewers. This connection can enhance our creativity and how we engage from a mental and emotional perspective. The lack of vocal communication makes it so easy for the story to be understood universally. The story can reach people worldwide through different media. Delivering such a modern form of digital storytelling through the pantomime method is a fun, creative, and entertaining way.
Paul's organs- his brain, heart, lungs, stomach, bladder, and muscles- are rounded characters with personalities that express their reactions to situations. This allows us to see how conflicted Paul thinks or feels about many events in the story. For example, Paul's brain thinks about how he has to eat at his desk so he can immediately return to work without any distractions. However, his stomach wants to have breakfast for lunch at a nearby restaurant, his heart wants to flirt with the cute girl selling sunglasses, his muscles wish to run to the beach, his bladder is in dire need of releasing fluid, and his lungs want to breathe fresh sea salt smell.
As the film progresses, Paul's organs, particularly the heart and brain, for their strong personalities, take on a front-seat role in dictating where the story goes and how they appeal to our logos and pathos to reflect on the importance of balancing life. You constantly see his organs conflicted over what he should and wants to do. The brain takes the lead with caution and reasoning, while the heart wishes to love and be loved.
We all have seen Pantomime in popular films like The Elephant Man or well-known pantomime actors like Charlie Chaplin. However, only some people are thinking about how significant companies and talented creators have transformed this form of storytelling into digital storytelling in the form of animated films. The ancient art of pantomime breathes new life into digital storytelling, blending emotional depth and universal connection through expressive gestures and vibrant animation.
Works Cited
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "hieroglyph". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/hieroglyph
“Latest Blog Entries.” Charlie Chaplin: Official Site, www.charliechaplin.com/
Mendoza, Melissa. “The Evolution of Storytelling.” Reporter, 1 May 2015, https://www.reporter.rit.edu/tech/evolution-storytelling.
Storytelling Net. “What Is Storytelling? - National Storytelling Network.” National Storytelling Network - National Storytelling Network, 5 Sept. 2023, storynet.org/what-is-storytelling.
“The Elephant Man.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 10 Oct. 1980, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080678/?ref_=sr_t_1
Valladas, H., Clottes, J., Geneste, JM. et al. Evolution of prehistoric cave art. Nature 413, 479 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35097160
