Introduction:
When a bunch of sand-art frames crafted with firm detailing ,captured together to create visual sequence, what comes out is called Sand Animation. It is an experimental animation that requires sand as the medium and stop-motion as the technique. To create a sand animation video, one needs an extra-ordinary skill, a good command over the sand-board, a bond with the tiny sand-grains, and hunger for perfection.
The process of sand animation:
The sand animation process is similar to a stop motion animation which involves careful handling of the colors, textures ,impressions on sand as per the purpose of the story. It can be done in layers and can be mixed with other medium such as clay, paper craft as well. Sand animation introduces a dynamic layer to the traditional static art form. Once the detailed illustration with sand is done on the sand board, the animator captures each frame which means taking individual photographs of the sand art at different stages of transformation, creating a sequence that, when played in rapid succession, gives the illusion of fluid motion.
Everything that a sand-artist every works with, becomes of utmost importance when it comes to sand animation. Right from the thickness of the grains, to the intensity of the light, to the quality of the glass-piece used, to the texture and color of the sand, every tiny thing plays a major role helping the artist to craft the frames with the utmost perfection required for an animation video.
Impact of Sand Animation:
Pair the video with just the right music and sound effects, and a sand animation could just create an emotional impact you may never have witnessed before. The realms of beauty and the captive story telling creates an extra-ordinary multi-sensory experience for the viewers keeping them hooked till the story unravels itself till the end.
Manisha and Sand Animation:
Manisha Swarnkar is perhaps the only sand animation artist in the country who does stop-motion animation in sand-art. She has been the lead of the biggest sand animation project ever made in India – The Ujjwala Gas Yojana Video by the Govt of India with team of Paper Dragon Studio based in Delhi. The project took a time span of over 6 months to complete, at the conclusion of which Manisha was able to bring out the first sand animated song , sung by Neeti Mohan that received nation wide acclaim and appreciation.
Manisha Swarnkar received her first acclaim and recognition for her first sand animation short-film done for a project at IIT Mumbai – Kite Diary. Watch the film yourself to believe the art and its impact.
Keeping her hunt for perfection on, Manisha made a sand animation music video ” Whitebone” for “ The majolly project “ that took her two whole months to finish at the well known “The Headless Hippies” studio at Bangalore. The music video bagged the following awards and earned Manisha applauds and laurels for her extra-ordinary work. – Global Music Award, Akademia Hollywood Award
