What is 'Monty Python'?
Monty Python is a British comedy group well known for its sketch comedy show "Monty Python's Flying Circus". Monty Python consists of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Micheal Palin. This self contained tram was responsible for both writing and performing their work, and this creative control allowed them to experiment with the norms of soceity through their scripts and performance. Their influence on British comedy will live on for years to come.
The Technique
Monty Python's Flying Circus was heavily inspired by the 'Beware of the Elephants' created by Gilliam. Jones then believed this concept would be good to the series as it allowed sketches to blend into one another. Some aspects of the show are very simialr to cut-out aniamtion, most notably the 'Cupid's Foot' used throughout the series - it was a fan favourite way to ending the sketch as a random 16-ton weight prop would randomly fall on a character just for the sheer humour of the idea.
The Python style was worked around the use of Gilliam's surreal, collage stop motion animation. Some of the images used in the show were directly lighted from famous works of art - the famous 'Cupid Foot' was in fact ripped from the Renaissance masterpiece 'Venus, Cupid, Golly and Time' by Bronzino. This foot was then able to become the overall trademark of the show.
Gilliam noted that the best way to use cut-out animation is to know it's limitations - graceful, elegant movement is near impossible, while swift movemys are a lot more accomplishable while being much simpler.
Monty Python is a British comedy group well known for its sketch comedy show "Monty Python's Flying Circus". Monty Python consists of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Micheal Palin. This self contained tram was responsible for both writing and performing their work, and this creative control allowed them to experiment with the norms of soceity through their scripts and performance. Their influence on British comedy will live on for years to come.
The Technique
Monty Python's Flying Circus was heavily inspired by the 'Beware of the Elephants' created by Gilliam. Jones then believed this concept would be good to the series as it allowed sketches to blend into one another. Some aspects of the show are very simialr to cut-out aniamtion, most notably the 'Cupid's Foot' used throughout the series - it was a fan favourite way to ending the sketch as a random 16-ton weight prop would randomly fall on a character just for the sheer humour of the idea.
The Python style was worked around the use of Gilliam's surreal, collage stop motion animation. Some of the images used in the show were directly lighted from famous works of art - the famous 'Cupid Foot' was in fact ripped from the Renaissance masterpiece 'Venus, Cupid, Golly and Time' by Bronzino. This foot was then able to become the overall trademark of the show.
Gilliam noted that the best way to use cut-out animation is to know it's limitations - graceful, elegant movement is near impossible, while swift movemys are a lot more accomplishable while being much simpler.
The whole point of animation to me is to tell a story, make a joke, express an idea. The technique itself doesn’t really matter. Whatever works is the thing to use. That’s why I use cut-out. It’s the easiest form of animation I know. - Gilliam