June 2nd, 2022

On the Creation of Apis by Jasper Thomson

This short film, created for my spring semester ENG 1130-003 Novel, poetry, and film class,
incorporates many in-class concepts and personal experiences, and thoughts relating to childhood
nostalgia and trauma. With the original assignment focusing on the implementation of sound in a short
film, specifically diegetic vs. non-diegetic, audio was both the basis and inspiration for this animation,
particularly the sound of tv static. Research on the distinct types of sound in film was primarily
accomplished through our class textbook, Understanding Movies by author Louis D. Giannetti, as well as
various in-class videos and other documents provided during our class film unit. As a fine arts student and
aspiring illustrator and animator, I knew early on that my project would be animated. My first animation,
created using the free digital art program Krita, while still centered on sound elements, was also a new
endeavor into animation and editing for me, and upon reflection was a huge learning experience.
Processes such as exporting, rendering, and editing my film (done using free program Shotcut) were
things that I had little experience with. For technical research, I commonly referred to troubleshooting
videos and various help pages on Krita’s website. While I did not complete any direct research for the
plot of the animation itself, it was loosely based on personal reflection regarding divorce and the
turbulence that comes with experiencing such at an early age. The title of the film, Apis, being the Latin
name for bee, reflects the importance of the child's headband, their only sense of identity in a rapidly
changing environment. To me, the static motif represents this child's loss of identity concerning their
parents and the onset of childhood trauma pertaining to parental separation. Being an artist who believes
deeply in the importance of sharing my work as well as having open access to others, I am truly honored
to be sharing my work through the Langara Institutional Repository and contributing to the open access
movement.

Bibliography

Giannetti, Louis D. Understanding Movies. Pearson, 2018.
Krita, 4.4.3, https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/.
Shotcut, 22.04.25, https://shotcut.org/download/.