Aesthetic Applications of Rotoscoping in Waking Life

Abstract

This paper examines how Rotoshop, a rotoscoping software developed by Bob Sabiston, influenced animation making and perceptions of spectators in Waking Life. Generally, images are subordinate to the narrative, and film is no exception. When film is restructured in the spectator‘s mind, most of images are volatilized, and remains only a story. However, Richard Linklater wants spectator experiences feelings and moment rather than stories In Waking Life. Using narrative and visual strategy, he achieved this goal. The basic plot of Waking Life is assembling a story (dream) through quotations. There is no unified story?just quotations that interrupt the flow of the narrative and rotoscoped images that are not subordinate to the narrative. Rotoshop achieved a dreamlike effect for animation that is not merely a reproduction of live-action footage but creative interpretations of animators. The images show characters’ mental processes while reflecting subjective interpretations of the animators. Moreover, Waking Life pushes characters and environments into a fluid world where images are unstable and where background objects are in constant motion. The wavy effects make the spectator feel dizzy, reaching the body and not the brain. Thus, spectators experience the present moment, not just a story.