Talking Points: Negative Space by Tiny Inventions

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Can we create a whole world on a small scale?

Tiny Inventions use small cardboard maquettes to build the set of their animation Negative Space. They carefully choose materials to make everyday objects and think about where to place their characters and what we will see in each scene. Alongside sound and movement, these choices help them create a small world where their story can take place. 

Watch the making-of video, followed by the animation itself, then use the questions below to explore how Tiny Inventions made Negative Space. 

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ages 14-16

Tiny Inventions

Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata are award-winning animation directors. They often combining handcrafted art, CG animation, drawn animation, stop-motion and photographic effects. Since 2008, Max & Ru have been working together as “Tiny Inventions”. 

Watch this video to see how Max and Ru made the animation Negative Space.

(The animation below contains themes of death.)

See the main animation to find out how the set came to life. 

Questions to Ask Children

How does the set make you feel?

Do you like like the set?

What about the set draws your attention?

What materials do you think the directors may have used to make the set?

How long do you think it might have taken to build this sets for an animation?

How many different sets can you spot in the animation?

This Talking Points Is Used In...

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see