The Lost Thing

I’m so glad that a good art-loving friend recently shared Shaun Tan’s 2011 Academy Award-winning short film The Lost Thing with me. Being mindful of these artistic elements can help us appreciate this wonderful artwork: sound design (soundtrack, sound effects), general palette, specific colors, character design, lighting, and symbols. It’s especially helpful to notice if/how the artist creates shifts in these elements as the story progresses. I share some of my own observations below the video. Enjoy!

Here are a few of my own observations:

1.      Soundtrack: I noticed the big transition from a somewhat cold soundtrack through the film to a lush, happy soundtrack once the world of lost things was discovered. That definitely signaled a big change in the film’s mood and revealed what the artist deems life-giving.

2.      Sound Effects: The clickity-clack (of the train, for example) and stark sounds of the story’s overall environment communicate a kind of cold, mechanical, and somewhat harsh character to the world. Those sounds describe a world that’s somewhat unfriendly to “lost things” and perhaps even to true humanity. The cold, electric buzz of the spotlight that suddenly showers the boy and The Lost Thing in the Department of Odds and Ends is particularly “inhumane.”

3.      General Palette: The palette used for the overall environment is very drab and colorless… perhaps even lifeless. When the boy and The Lost Thing go to the city to find the Department of Odds and Ends, the scene of city folk shuffling on the sidewalk is particularly drab! The shift upon entering the world of lost things is striking. Color abounds as a signal of vibrance and life. Combined with the shift in soundtrack, the contrast in these realities very noticeable.

4.      Specific Colors: Red - as used for the “house” where The Lost Thing lives - is typically associated with passion and redemption. Thus, perhaps the lost things in our lives revolve around our passions which are often at odds with the drab, red-less mechanics and “practicalities” of modern culture. Ultimately, The Lost Thing in its red house is “redeemed” and “set free” in a land that’s more welcoming.

5.      Character Design: I noticed that the shape of The Lost Thing and its “house” are very fluid and curvy – no sharp edges or stark angles. Thus, life-welcoming? This is very different from the overall design of the world as a (rect)angular, cold, and inhospitable place.

6.      Lighting: Light and shadow play a big part in the film. Of particular note is the utter darkness of the interior of the Federal Department for Odds and Ends. And within that building, the lights that come on as a runway suddenly go out as the boy and The Lost Thing advance to the receptionist’s desk. Perhaps the extinguishing of the lights signals that the way out of such a cold, lifeless environment can be very difficult. In other words, it can be easy (well-lit) to move toward apathy, hopelessness, and despair regarding our uniqueness while it can be very difficult (non-lit) to find our way back out into life, hope, and joy. Compare this to the bright light within The Lost Thing when it opens its top “hatch” and when the door to the world of the lost things opens. This hints at a life and radiance. What a contrast!

7.      Symbols: There are a lot of direction and rule-related signs in the world’s environment: traffic lights, arrows, and signs that say things like “MORE.” Perhaps this speaks to the inhospitable nature of the world toward more creative, mysterious, out-of-box parts of our human-ness. By comparison, the land of the lost things has few symbols, and the ones it has are rounded and fluid. I plan to re-watch the film just to observe the traffic lights in it and consider the colors that are lit and if/how they change throughout the story.

I was deeply moved as I observed these and other artistic elements, especially as an artist. There are often times when I have felt that I am a “lost thing” – misunderstood and misplaced in a world that values efficiency, structure, rules, and such. I can feel very “unseen” in that regard. So, I felt a great deal of empathy for The Lost Thing(s) in the film. I also related to the notion of mindfulness toward and appreciation of things that may not seem to fit the strong current of overall culture. That was encouraging to me. As an artist, I want to contribute light and color to the world and help people move from places of drabness to places of light and life.

What do you see in the film? How do you feel about it?