The Borrowers - Play

This week I saw an amateur dramatic production of The Borrowers, it was an excellent rendition of story I love, with all the themes I love too! The use of scale was excellently incorporated into the stage and surroundings, with larger than life props (although all a bit irregular and inconsistent, which can be forgiven). On several occasions a trap door was used to represent the floor board under which the family lived, while at the back of the stage represented the tiny house under the floor. A huge screwdriver came down from the ceiling when a corresponding smaller version was put through the trap door! And dolls house furniture turned life size when placed under the floorboards too.


The story of The Borrowers, miniature people who live alongside 'human beans' as they call them, always hiding but venturing out to collect household objects to fit their needs. In terms or my game this play reminded me of the many uses of a theatre stage, and of scale yet again! Two things I am directly involved with in my game, especially in the intro animation which I am now able to spend time on.

It made me want to watch the 1997 movie, and then I remembered that Studio Ghibli are doing a rendition of it focused on Arrietty. It isn't as stylistically inspirational to my game, but I am looking forward to it nonetheless.

Sylvain Chomet Revisted

Now that I am working on my storyboard for the intro animation I thought it would be good to look at Sylvain Chomet again, having last looked at him so long ago it doesn't even appear on this blog! This time I have been looking at some of his earlier work and remembering The Illusionist which I saw in Autumn.

This is a screenshot from
'La Vieille Dame et Les Pigeons'
(1998)

This early work is much less refined, but are expressive in some ways. Taking most interest in the street scenes, this one is beautiful -  appearing washed out but containing so many colours.



The Illusionist was set in Scotland (where Chomet's current studio is) but in the past, and in London - both rainy and foggy and bleak. There were wonderful street scenes here too, so much to take in.