Sand is direct animation under camera, all the scenes are progressively animated during the shooting. After a shoot, the drawing is transformed or erased to leave room to the following, it “doesn’t exist” any more. It is different than traditional cartoon movies (on papers) or computer animations (where there all intermediate drawings remain and can be used again and again).
Sand animation is undoubtedly even more transitory than animation in volume (puppets, clay…) because the drawing itself is transformed and cannot be found any more (because of this fluid matter characteristics), while a character in volume always exists (except if one destroys it or transforms it) and can be re-used.
– Discover my sand animation films
I love sand drawing. It is fantastic to be able to make a film with such a "simple" material, in contact with the moving grains which create original graphics. With sand, one can obtain various and particular pictures. It’s great that signs left by hand animation take part of the drawing and give a kind texture and history, to the film.
Often, a drawing calls another, and random features seem to involve and indicate the following drawing. The material itself seems alive. The remainders of the last pictures give life and mystery to the following ones.
Sometimes, it seems that you draw beautiful images by accident, simply by putting your hands on sand!
Of course, one cannot make sort of Tex Avery animation with sand!, but if you don’t want to expect that, no problems.