While studying at UCLA, director Richard Chen created various student projects, among them “The Archer”, an animated feature which blends several techniques and designs. It is a retelling of the Chinese legend “Houyi Shoots Down the Suns”, narrated by a child through voice-over. Even though its experimental nature is quite obvious, the assignment already shows the technical and creative prowess of its director, along with the willingness to explore different forms of designs utilized to expand the scope of a story dealing with hybris and the passing of time.
The Archer is screening at Electric Shadows
There are a number of aspects which make “The Archer” quite an interesting and insightful entry into Chen's career. As the story of the mythical archer and hunter begins to unfold, there seems to be a growing contrast between the violent acts he performs, his mercilessness as well as the abstract nature of the narrative, and the child's voice-over. The latter, on the other hand, highlights the kind of playfulness evident in the aforementioned visual experimentation, blending oriental concepts with more modern ones. Apart from the animation, especially the music plays a vital role in the changing audiovisual landscape of the short feature, varying between the poetic and lyrical to the more dramatic and brutal aspects of the story.
In the end, “The Archer” is an interesting short feature, an exercise in audiovisual storytelling and experimentation. Richard Chen explores the possibilities in expanding an existing narrative through animation and other aspects, making “The Archer” an important step in his career.
