Animation Fundamentals: SIAMÉS “The Wolf”

Aside from being a great song, SIAMÉS’ “The Wolf” has a great music video with terrific, mesmerizing animation. The video follows three individuals on the run from monstrous, shadowy wolves. The animation is highly stylized, with extensive use of smears and transformation, and uses the principles of animation to great effect.

Staging

The music video’s strong use of staging immediately sets the scene and tone. It’s clear and dynamic, and pulls the viewer’s attention along despite the fast-paced action. The very first shots we get of a character on screen, first trailing their motorcycle from behind, then from the front, are both low to the ground, looking up. Not only is the character clearly framed as the focal point, but the angle emphasizes a sense of speed — or rather, urgency.

Low-angle shots like these reoccur throughout the video. But they don’t just emphasize the speed in sequences — they also present a feeling of smallness, isolation, and enclosure.

Squash and Stretch

To further the sense of urgency set up by the staging, the animation makes use of squash and stretch. In the shot above, the man squashes up as he hits the wall and begins to push away, then stretches out as he fully pushes off into a run. The squash and stretch gives more weight and impact to the man ramming into the wall, and together with smearing, makes the motion clearer and easier to follow.

Overlapping Action

Working together with the squash and stretch is the animation’s use of overlapping action. Above, when the girl leans down and forward to push off the ground, the ponytail and bag drag behind her, with the end of the ponytail still trailing down as her head lifts back up. Here, the overlapping action also helps to show helps the sense of weight, as the bag, heavier than the ponytail, catches up to the main body faster.

The video also makes frequent use of drag, specifically, as it works well with the smearing effect. In the below example, the girl’s arms and hands lags behind the motion of her quickly standing up and stepping back.

Though the dynamic animation is already effective on its own, it’s how it combines with the music that creates a palpable tension that compels viewers onward and haunts them after.

I highly recommend also checking out SIAMÉS’ more recent music video “Mr. FEAR”. It’s animated by the same company, RUDO Co., and another great example of their compelling visual storytelling.