Topic: Animation of St Simeon Stylites

[Leao]

I've just made a short animation based upon St Simeon Stylites - a 4th century ascetic saint who lived upon a pillar for thirty-odd years in the Syrian desert. What fascinates me most about Simeon is that his rejection of the world reminds me of the Biblical theme that 'everything is meaningless' (Ecclesiastes 1). Simeon in this animation is based in the modern day and lives on top of a tower block.

Click here to view the anime!
It is a work in progress at the mo. Tell me what you think of it on this message board please

Leao

[Pravoslavbob]

Good idea!O0

[Vasya Davidovich]

Pro
1.  I like the idea of dragging St. Symeon into the modern age.
2.  The graphics are nice and simple.
3.  The bit with the butterfly was nice.  It showed the Saint to love the Creation of his Lord.  Asceticism is not a rejection of beauty nor of the works of God per se.

Con
1.  The animation drags out too long.
2.  The conversations are not particularly riveting.
3.  I don't feel that you have captured the spirit of the Saint, nor of his theology.
4.  There is no sound or colour, which would be nice.
5.  What about the fact that St. Symeon's towers kept getting bigger?  That would be interesting to see.

[Leao]

Thanks for taking the time out to give me feedback.

1. The animation drags out too long.
3. I don't feel that you have captured the spirit of the Saint, nor of his theology.

When you say that the animation goes on for too long, are you saying there's too many animes or that each single anime is too long?
What do you think St Simeon's theology is? I'm currently exploring the idea proposed by George Lamb http://www.cin.org/saints/stylites.html that Simeon's vocation challenges the spiritually bankrupt incessantly active inclination of the West.

If we could say no more about him than that he faced boredom, wrestled with it, did not succumb to it—did not descend from his pillar—but conquered it and remained up there, doing nothing, then I think that would be sufficient to make him a worthwhile study and counterblast to the present day.

cheers Leao

[Leao]

I've redone the St Simeon anime quite a bit... please take a look at http://www.leoearle.com/simeon/.
many thanks

Leo