B3

The animated short film, Madama Butterfly, created by Pjotr Sapegin and inspired by Puccini's famous opera, Madame Butterfly, was very powerful. I found it to be powerful in a plethora of different ways. Most foremost, the method in which the video was created. Pjotr Sapegin filmed this "animation" through stop-motion, a cinematographic technique in which the camera is repeatedly stopped and started, giving the animated figures the impression of movement. Stop-motion is an extremely difficult and tedious method of filming; however, if done patiently and correctly, the time and effort is worth it as it adds a tremendous effect with the visually appealing and stimulating visuals.
The method of filming was supplemental to the great effect of this video; however, there was still much more. The music playing throughout the video was the original opera by Puccini. The opera itself tells a story, without the video's aide. The lyrics of the opera obviously have meaning, many aspects of an opera can also help tell a story. From the lyrics, to the actions, to the emotion/tone of the performer, one can presume what an opera's about without listening closely to the lyrics. In this video, the tone/emotion of the singer perfectly matched the actions of the characters and the plot of the stop-motion story.
The audience could clearly feel what the woman was feeling, due to the music and her actions. The music was very effective, because it would add a much stronger and distinct effect/feeling of emotions among the audience. For example, as I watched the woman wait so long and then go mad in the end, the music made it so much more powerful and made me feel much more, because it successfully adds so much more drama and intensity to the characters and story.