Life A Short Love Story - Media Journal #4

Life A Short Love Story is a Youtube video posted by the Youtuber, Angad Singh, yet directed and animated by Carlos Lascano, is mixed media video including animation and clay stop motion figures. The video begins with stop motion of a young girl day dreaming out a window, doodling on her artwork in class; glancing across the room, she makes eye contact with a boy, who presumably becomes the love interest of the video. The audience is then shown several montages pieced together of a love story blooming between the two; young love, marriage, having a baby and then old age. As noted in the in the title, the meaning of the video is to display the love story that occurs throughout a lifetime. However, the ending of the video shows the entire story line is a daydream of the young girl in class.

Using several types of art, to include different styles, the story is assembled on a foundation of blossoming young love, growing a family, and in turn, the child wanting the love story of his parents. Applying soft music in the background, the nonverbal narrative forces the audience to interpret it’s meaning and catch the symbolism thrown along the way. For example, towards the beginning of the video, the children are portrayed using stop motion and clay; a technique creatively used to emphasis the childish qualities and youth of the tale. Similarly, during the progression of the young love, the scenery is in spring; thus highlighting the flowering of their love. The various art forms and styles highlight the storyline and it’s progression.

While the video is amateur-made, the quality is both unique and impressive. The usage of the individual art arrangement that in turn, combines, was a divergent way of going about the creation. Rather than settling to one type of art, the creator decided to include several techniques that drastically contrast from one another; creating not only a wonderful juxtaposition within the story line, but a marvelous frame for the tale itself. For instance, the video was clearly not a common or popular movie; yet it holds over one million views on YouTube. Thus, while it was “amateur” created, it still holds itself up a good tier in the world of the Internet; the views alone highlight that the video is popular in it’s own right and the quality is rather superb.

Similar to the art forms being varied, the target audience is as well. While the primary audience is likely to be artists or those who enjoy visual art on YouTube, the video was created to share the tale of love and how it affects the human condition. The young couple that fell in love end up having a son who in turn, yearns to have his own young love. Beautifully, the video tells the tale of how love blooms within lifetimes and may follow down into next generations. The concept and idea of love is arguably the sole drive for humanity; thus, without love can one experience life? Likewise, the daydreaming and wishing of love is a common thought for most; does this hold any value to the idea that daydreaming about something holds us back from actually acting upon our feelings? I found the message of the video to be complex, with many layers of human nature and what we hold dearest to us.

Interpretatively, the audience is left to wonder if the creator intended for us to envision our own future love story or even our parents; or if they intended to tell their own envisionment or their own personal daydream. I found that the art, while specific and detailed, left much to the imagination and was deliberately meant for the audience to relate to with their own experiences. While most experience young love or at least a form of love throughout a lifetime, most can also agree that they wish to “grow old” with the one they love. The notion of finding one’s “soul mate” is frequent within our society; to a point where most stories hold a love story in some way, shape, or form. Therefore, I found the video “Life A short love story” to put into the hands of the audience what they will, with their ideas of love and hope for how they want their love story to potentially play out. Just as the beginning of the video introduces the audience with a photo the young girl is drawing; the ending reveals the entire tale to be a daydream within her mind. This lead to questions of my own rather we are prone to simply wishing upon something, rather than acting on it. The audience is never told whether or not the girl speaks to the boy or even if the boy in her daydream existed. The layered meanings and abstract thoughts throughout the short film are intricate yet simple; similar to the very concept of love itself.