Ratatouille: Skinner Shot Analysis

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yYKfUltqxg

Dialog: “He wants me to see it everywhere. Ooohh. Oooh it's here. No it isn't, it's here. Am I seeing things? Am I crazy? Is there a phantom light or is there not? But oohh no I refuse to be sucked into his little game.” - Skinner, Ratatouille

Contents:

What is it about?

What do I like about it?

General observations

Subtext

Key Poses?

(Next Post add: What happened before and after the shot? Actions that are specific to the character?)

1. What is it about?

 - Skinner fears that his restaurant is being haunted and slowly being taken away by a rat. 

2. What do I like about it?

 - His poses. Skinner is pushed to the extreme, so his poses reflect that. 

 - The rhythm. It starts off broad, hands moving everywhere, always doing something, then reduces to definitive motion when his thinking becomes clear.

 - Skinner's just that kind of character who we love to see express his frustrations and desperations. 

3. Subtext?

 - "He wants me to see it everywhere": It's everywhere!!!!

 - "Ooohh. Oooh it's here. No it isn't, it's here.": Recreating what he's been seeing in his head

 - "Am I seeing things? Am I crazy? Is there a phantom light or is there not?": Reassuring himself 

 - "But oohh no I refuse to be sucked into his little game." - Either way, I won't let this affect me! (the punch...it already has) 

4. General Observations:

 - Quick staccato motions like tapping, snapping, fidgeting all indicate nervous behaviour

 - He keeps eye contact with the other guy to convey information - the shot starts off with an exterior conversation. Then, he turns around and separates himself, his eyes drift downward and stare into nothing - it ends with an internal conversation. The storyboards reflect this.

5. Key Poses (some not all)

(these are my own interpretations of the shot. Just trying to improve my approach in animation and I needed to write down/log my thoughts somewhere)