Julia Nishizaki – Looking Outwards 09

For this week, I chose to look at Margot Gersing’s post on Zeitguised Studios, and specifically their project in 2014 titled “Birds.” Using 3D computer graphics, the now Berlin based studio is known for creating compelling narratives, quirky characters, and fun, playful projects.

On their website, Zeitguised describes their project, “Birds,” as a “lighthearted essay on contextualized characters.” Throughout the video, this work portrays representations of birds made only out of objects we associate with birds, like eggs, worms, or bird houses.

I decided to write about this project, as I’m not very familiar with 3D animation or how it can be utilized, and I was drawn to the very creative nature of the work’s concept, the beautiful graphics, the bright colors, and the fun animations.

In her post, Margot reflects on the playful choice to represent a bird out of everything except for the bird. I thought this was an interesting point, and I’m curious as to what the deeper meanings in this piece are, as far as what a bird actually is and how our relationship to birds shifts that definition.