The Cockroach - Final Project for Russian Film 1

For my final project I have chosen to adapt a screenplay for the poem, The Cockroach, by Cornei Chukovsky. This screenplay will be created for an animation, which draws from the traditions established by the Soyuzmultfilm, namely Fyodor Khitruk, Winnie-the-Pooh; Yuri Norstein, Hedgehog in the Mist; and Cheburashka.
Soyuzmultfilm is an animation studio that created a wonderfully rich, and diverse variety of cartoons in the Soviet Union. The early years of the studio were, like most of the arts at that time, tightly controlled by the authorities. The brief, initial experimentation with animation by the studio were put to an end, and a Disney style cell based animation became the standard. The animated adaptations of Cornei's stories that I have been able to find on Youtube were created in this style.

As an example, The No-Water Boy, is about a boy who is so dirty that nothing wants to come in contact with him. His bed clothes, dishes and furniture all take flight. The fantastic imagery and personification of everyday objects make animation a perfect medium to reinterpret the story. The rolling rhyming flow of the original, (or at least my English translation), has been well preserved.

The No-Water Boy

The quilt
Ran away!
Away flew the sheet!

And the pillow,
Like a frog,
Leaped down the street!

I reached for the light -
The light, too,
Took flight!

And my book
'Bout Duck Ned
Shuddered,
And sped
Way under my bed!



I would like to bring a similar approach in preserving the character of the writing to my adaptation of The Cockroach. The anapaest metre which is used by Chukovsky to create that bumping rolling rhythm has been translated quite literally to animation in No-Water Boy by opening with bumping rolling balls, leaping toys, flying dishes, all in combination with a changeable high, tempo melody. The opening of The Cockroach presents a similar opportunity in it's description of the various animals, driving, riding, and rolling towards the gathering at the lake.

The Cockroach (1922)

Part 1

Here comes a pike
Riding a bike.

Followed by a cat- all black-
On a scooter front-to-back.

Next, five mosquitoes come into sight,
Flying along on a yellow kite.

Then arrives Mousie Mollie
On a limping, smiling collie.

And a stork astride a mare,
And a bear in a wheel-chair.

Little rabbits, soft and huggy,
Come riding in baby buggy.

A frog does a funny trick,
Diving down from a broomstick.

Camels, horses, and donkeys
Come carrying monkeys.

A white unicorn
Trots, blowing a horn.

Slowly along the road
Hasten a turtle and a toad.

"Be careful! Don't crush the ants,"
A hippo warns the elephants.

To the picnic they all come,
Munching candy and cake,

In a very merry mood,
For a day at the lake.

Then suddenly they grow numb and still!
Who's that coming down the hill?!

A fierce and dreadful Roach!
A mean cock-cock-Cockroach!
"Don't you dare to approach!"
He roars, he rages:

"I'll lock you in cages!
And swallow you ALL
Like one tiny meatball!"

"Or with a twitch of my mustache,
I'll turn you all to succotash!"

The birds- they shudder!
The beasts - they flutter!

The poor crocodile
Forgets how to smile!

The hungry wolves, in their alarm,
Though meaning no evil or harm,
Right then and there they sup,
Gobbling one another up!

And a terrified lady dog,
Falls into a faint
On a prickly hedgehog!

Alas! Not one dares to fight,
Every bird and beast take flight!

The Lobster, backing up a mile,
Murmurs with a bitter smile:

"I, too, have a long mustache,
I, too, can make succotash. ..."

The Cockroach continues to roar,
The Lobster backs up some more.

Now the Lion climbs a hill;
From there he speaks his royal will:

"We must regain our happy land!
Against the brute we'll take a stand!"

"And to the warrior who fears not this foe,
Who this monster will overthrow,
To him I'll give a juicy bone
And the finest pine cone!"

The creatures in one eager crowd,
Surge forth and cry out loud:

"We do not fear this nasty foe,
With tooth and claw
We'll lay him low!"

And they all rush to do battle-
Birds, fish, fowl, and cattle.

But the Roach moves his mustache
And bellows: "SUCCOTASH!"

One and all they beat a retreat.
The enemy they don't defeat!

Into the fields and woods they dash-
Terrorized by the Roach's mustache!

The Lion shouts: "What a disgrace!
Come back! Come out and show your face!
Pin the enemy with your horns-
Bulls, rhinoceros, unicorns!"

But each in his hiding place stays,
And wails: "Horns aren't cheap these days..."
And our skin is precious too-
What you ask we cannot do!"

Caught in nettles the crocodiles twitch,
And the elephants get caught in a ditch.

Lo! All that's heard now
Is the flow of tears;
All that's seen now
Is the trembling of their ears!

And the shark, scared and pale,
With the flick of his tail,
Slithers into the lake-
Not like a shark, like a snake!

While the cunning little skunk
Already packs his trunk.

Part 2

To the Cockroach they all yield-
He's now lord o'er wood and field.
He struts about among them,
Rubbling his tummy,
Looks at their young ones
And thinks: "How very yummy!"

Gazes at the little ones with greed,
Orders super to be brought to him with speed!

"I want no beans or corn,
But flesh of baby unicorn;
Other youngsters as well-
Those with a savory smell."

The poor, poor parents
Are in distress.
Their dear babes
They hug and caress:

For what mother could give up her child,
Her baby tame or her baby wild?!
So that the monster could devour
Her precious crumb, her little flower!

So mommies and daddies moan and cry
As they bid their infants good-bye!

And the monster is secretly cursed:
"May the glutton blow up!
May he burst"

But now we see another picture:
The Kangaroo, that nimble creature-
Leaps, leaps- she's at the Roaches hill,
And for a moment all are mute
As she points to the mustached brute:

"A monster?! Where?!
A Giant?! There?!

"It's a roach, a roach, a wee-bit roach,
A wee-little beetle you fear to approach.
Look! It's a midge a mite,
A bug that can't even bite!

For our trouble we're to blame!
What a shame!
What a shame!"

The Hippo then comes forth
With slow pace and a worried face,
Muttering in an anxious way:

"Please go away, go away!
Your words will make him very mad,
He may think of something very bad!
Go, Kangaroo, Kangaroo,
Go, go back to your zoo!"

Then the Hippo falls still,
Surprised by a sudden trill...
"Cheek-chee-reek, cheeky-reeky,
Cheek-chee-reek."
And from behind a bush
They see it peek.

Hop-hop-hop- comes the reckless fellow,
A gay and carefree little Sparrow.
And right there, on the Roach's hill,
With his cheeky-reeky trill,
Peck, peck, peck-
NO MORE ROACH!
Not a smidgen, not a speck!

He's swallowed in a flash,
All of him and his mustache!

Part 3

What joy! What glee!
All the creatures again are free!

The Sparrow is praised and
On loving paws it's raised-
There's a parade,
A celebration,
A masquerade!

The mules bray a song,
Hippo strikes a gong.

To honour the Sparrow, a path is cleared:
The goat sweeps it with his beard.

The sheepish sheep
Don't sing but hum,
The bold baboon
Beats a drum.

And from the roof the joyous bats,
Wave their hankies and their hats.

But when the elephants start to prance,
To clap and stomp a happy dance,
The orange moon shakes loose-
And falls right on a big Moose!

Like a pinwheel it falls from the sky,
Now all is dark- save the firefly!

WHAT TO DO?!

The Monkeys who are no fools,
With hammers, nails, and other tools,

In a row make a trek,
Up the Giraffe's long, long neck.

To the sky the moon is nailed,
The Monkeys bow as they're hailed.

Again the moon sheds its light,
Again the world is friendly, bright.


Tarakanishe / Тараканище
Uploaded by nilov

Here is an animated version produced in 1963. It like The No-Water Boy was created using cel animation. Both animations also refer back to their story versions in the dialogue; however, in Tarakanishche a role has been created for Chukovsky himself as a sort of narrator. Chukovsky and his stories enjoy a level of recognition that can be compared to Dr. Seuss in North America. In Russia it would be almost impossible not to be aware of the original stories while watching the animations. While this creates some richness in itself, viewers would already have some memories and impressions associated with the stories, certain other basic devices of story telling are lost, such as surprise, or the ability to develop the plot as the story teller thinks fit for his audience and medium. In that respect it is fortunate for me that my audience, largely unfamiliar with Chukovsky, would not have the same expectations.

I mentioned earlier several animations that I find inspiring for various reasons. The first I will look at is Vinni-Pukh, or Winni-the-Pooh. It like the first two animations uses a cell technique, and is an adaptation of a well known story. It follow the original story quite closely. What I find most interesting is the style of drawing used for the animation, especially the background. It is much more abstracted than we expect a children's animation to be. While at the same time it recreates what we can imagine ourselves, or children to be able to draw. The drawing is completely flat, and looks as though it was created using pencil crayons and markers. The contrast between the characters and their surroundings gives the impression that we are watching our own drawings or musings coming to life.



The last two animations I would like to look at have been created with two different techniques. I find myself torn between these to techniques in imagining how my screenplay would be realised. Cheburashka was made using a "claymation" technique, that is three dimensional objects placed within a set, and characters that have been made from malleable substances, such as plasticine, which can be slowly moved and photographed. The use of a set also allows for the use of film techniques such as lighting and camera angle. I also like the idea of being able to use ready-mades, like toys, as props.



Hedgehog in the Mist was created using a cutout animation technique. This very beautiful animation uses layers of glass, lighting, and flat, paper doll-like characters to achieve it's effect. I would not borrow stylistic elements from this animation, but rather, I think the technique on a simplified scale would be appropriate.

Stegasaurus Visits Little Hedgehog for Tea

Stegasaurus got a letter from his dear friend, Little Hedgehog Cutie, inviting him over for some tea.

Music is by Sébastien Schuller, Le dernier jour, from the album, Happiness.

L-O-V-E

Love, yes love. That's all.

Well, maybe not. When I was walking to work today everything seemed so beautiful. It has been rainy and foggy, joys of coastal life, but this morning it was sunny and warm. Sunshine in each drop hanging from each leaf. The grasses were flowering and when I brushed against them bursts of yellow pollen fell into the gentle wind. There, now that
is all I wanted to say.

Ты Мне Веришь Или Нет?

You probably don't believe me...

Every now and then I become obsessed with a certain song. I need to listen to it over and over. I am willing to struggle through millions of popups just to find the lyrics so I can sing along. This is one of those songs. It is about love and it makes me feel that melancholic joyful feeling... ahh. Here is a link to where you can find the song: http://www.moskva.fm/artist/мила_берлинская_и_игорь_капитанников/song_1128849. Just click on the play button next to the title. To save you the trouble I have pasted the lyrics here followed by my amateur translation, enjoy.

Я заметила однажды,
Что зимой кусты сирени
Расцвели, как будто в мае -
Ты мне веришь или нет?
Веришь мне или нет?

Я тебе, конечно, верю,
Разве могут быть сомненья?
Я и сам все это видел -
Это наш с тобой секрет,
Наш с тобою секрет!

А недавно я видала,
Как луна в сосновых ветках
Заблудилась и заснула -
Ты мне веришь или нет?
Веришь мне или нет?

Я тебе, конечно, верю.
Я и сам все это видел
Из окошка в прошлый вечер.
Это наш с тобой секрет,
Наш с тобою секрет!

А во время звездопада
Я видала, как по небу
Две звезды летели рядом -
Ты мне веришь или нет?
Веришь мне или нет?

Я тебе конечно верю -
Разве могут быть сомненья.
Я и сам все это видел.
Это наш с тобой секрет,
Наш с тобой секрет!

I noticed one day,
That lilac bushes bloom in winter
Just like they do in May -
You probably don't believe me...
Do you believe me?

Of course I believe you!
Really, how could I doubt you?
I myself have seen this -
But no one else will believe us...
It is our secret!

Recently I have also seen
How the moon, in the branches of the pine,
Gets lost and falls asleep.
You probably don't believe me...
Do you believe me?

Of course I believe you!
I saw that too,
From my little window last night.
But no one else will believe us...
It is our secret!

And one time during a meteor shower
I saw how, through the sky,
two stars flew together hand in hand -
You probably can't believe me...
Do you believe me?

Of course I believe you!
Really, how could I not?
I myself have seen that.
But no one else will believe us...
It is our secret!

Another thought: I have been reading a lot of poetry lately. Not Poetry, but poetry. Things that are actually fun and nice to read. Not things you read because they seem healthy. I feel like a lot of literature is presented as being good for you like yoga, or organic locally produced spinach. These are not bad things in the proper hands, but it is usually more fun to eat chocolates imported from the other side of the planet in the backs of big polluting trucks, or how about lounging on the beach getting fat while soaking up some skin cancer? Maybe it is just me...

Actually, I have been reading mostly the poems of Wisława Szymborska. Her poems are like the most delicious truffles.

Trees

Trees
Beneath whose leafy canopy
The ground lies moist and cool.
Trees
That take the soft wind's sighing breath
And turn it into music.
In winter, curved and graceful, sleeping
Naked in the snow.
Virginal in springtime, tender,
Soft with fruitful promise.
In summer full and lusty, exulting
In union of sun and earth
Changing in beauty with every season,
But, loveliest in dying.

J.S Morin

Wearable Art Show

I am getting ready for my art college's annual "fashion" show, the Wearable Art Show. It is a pretty fun time. Last year I got to perform twice, once as a bunny, and once as a dinner table turned monster. This time I am an amply buxom and copiously assed jester with ballet dancing aspirations.

Here is a video of last year's event from youtube. There is a pretty good shot of my package at one point, and boobs in almost every cut!



The show has a pretty amateurish feel, but it is a good time. The audience generally enjoys it. My next big role after this is "dog" in my Russian classes performance of The Giant Turnip.

Inherited Works

My grandmother died in the late 80's, or early 90's. I was pretty young so I don't really remember. She left behind boxes of mostly unpublished writing. Because she died long before the Internet became widely accessible, she was forced to try to share here work through newspapers, anthologies, publishers etc... Which meant that most of what she wrote stayed filed in those boxes. If she were alive today I am sure she would be thrilled by the chance to distribute her work herself. I have decided to occasionally post some little gems of hers that I have come across.

Page 2

Un seeing I stumble out into the sunshine.
And walk beside the swift flowing river.
A misplaced star flow er.
Blinks Smiles up at me from the grass
Birds fly in the sky.
I lean my face up against a tree's cool bark.
I I am the bird, the flower and the tree
And they are me.

Cleansing Stream.

Everything that is born on ea rth
Clutches death to its breast
As it shudders from the womb
Pain opens the door to what lies beyond.

Cleansing Stream.

Let pain be the key
That quickly opens the door.
To what lies beyond.

Jean S. Morin

Я heart Медведева

This is from an assignment I had for my Russian class. Basically what we had to do was choose a well known Russian person and write about them.

I have chosen Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s newly elected president, as my subject not because I am particularly interested in politics, but because I see him every day on Russian television. I decided that he would be an ironic subject for me to research. I have the good fortune of being exposed daily to Russian television via the Internet. I am unable to understand most of what is said, but I am able to interpret the images I see. This is where I am putting my two years of art school to work.

Medvedev is one of the busiest people in Russia. He appears at least three times in every news cast, every day. He rarely stays in one place. Each news segment shows him in a different region. He sometimes even appears in different parts of the world. I have the impression that he is constantly flying around from place to place spreading good news, handshakes, and big smiles. Medvedev, I feel, has become a close friend of mine. I cheer every time he makes a new appearance.

I have found some objective facts about him from the Internet. He was born in 1965, in Leningrad. His Chinese Zodiac sign is a snake and his element is wood. Wood Snakes are characterized by their physical beauty, strong intuition, kindness, introspective natures, and stable emotions. Medvedev both studied and taught at the Leningrad State University during the late 1980’s and throughout 1990’s. The Snake BTW is the enemy of my sign, the pig. Any romantic involvement between Medvedev and I would be a disaster!

Medvedev is also the chair of the board of directors for a company that makes the lives of all Russians better, Gazprom. Their commercials show how their services and generous donations allow grandmothers to bake tasty things, and children to play soccer.



Putin and Medvedev can be seen often together, they are very close friends. I suspect that Putin will take Medvedev’s current position of prime minister, and together the will continue to build a strong economy and a strong Russia.



Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Medvedev

Chinese Horoscope: http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/Snake.htm

Sister Blog

Apparently my sister also has a blog. Who knew? http://lainiepiercy.com/blog/. She promises interesting design things, but so far it is wait and see. I will keep an eye out for interesting developments...

Oh yes, Saint Patrick's Day. Have you ever wondered what people in Moscow would do on Saint Patrick's Day? Well, now you can find out: http://www.lenta.ru/photo/2008/03/16/patrik08/.

And, just to continue this little list of links I seem to be compiling, my partner, yes that kind, participated in a "web video programme". He got to answer all kinds of questions about what it is like to be a foreign nurse in Nova Scotia. The awkwardly designed site that his video was taped for has taken forever to be launched. It's purpose is to recruit new nurses to the Atlantic region. Here's the link to his video: http://www.atlanticcanadahealthcare.com/default.asp?id=190&pagesize=1&sfield=content.id&search=2541&mn=414.1078.1209.1292.1294.1296।

As of April the 16th, 2008, my friend Erin has set forth into the blog writing jungle. You can read her thoughts here: http://muse-me--erin.blogspot.com/.

Wow! Blog! Fun!? - A mission statement of sorts

Yey!! A blog for me to write. I hope this will be fun! Well, if not, I guess I will just quit doing it. Hmmm, how to start... Well I guess some sort of declaration about why I want to write a blog is probably a good idea.

As I have become increasingly anti-social I have begun researching random things I become interested in, Tecktonik dance moves, little people penis sizes, the new Russian president's Chinese horoscope, Greek literature - that kinda stuff. I figured it would be a good idea to share what I have found. That way at least it will feel like less of a waste of time. Being a university student writing is also a pretty handy skill so I had might as well get some practice.