Linking Past to Present: Gunpowder

The invention of gunpowder led to technological advances that have made a huge impact upon life today, and will continue to into the future. Creating a bridge between the Dark Ages and the present can help to generate context within our animation, helping to create a deeper meaning by providing themes and sub contexts to weave into the narrative.

As a weapon, gunpowder proved to be a massive technological advantage in war, despite the fact that its creation was an accidental bi-product of a quest to find the elixir of life or immortality. In China, the period of 800-900 AD falls within the Tang Dynasty, a time when China was constantly under threat from opposing powers, fighting for rule over the land and its resources. The rudimentary gunpowder proved to be a powerful weapon, keeping invaders at bay. The ideals of war during this time were very simple, power; land and resource, a constant battle for domination as the empire with the most assets stand the best chance of survival.

Over the years, gunpowder had developed as a weapon into the incredible devices used in the military today, but have the ideals of war developed as well. Take for instance the war currently happening in Iraq, full of controversy and sceptical reasoning. The war is officially branded a “fight against terrorism” and to certain extent that is true, however can it be said that this is not also a war for land, resources or power. The ideals of this war can easily be connected to those of the Dark Ages where the greater power is the one that is more technologically advanced. Basic weapons such as bows and arrows would be inferior to the explosive power of gunpowder, just like a disorganised military would be inferior to an organised, well equipped and financed military.

By focusing on the issues that are present today as a direct influence of the invention of gunpowder, we can begin to create depth to the narrative of our animation. Using the innocence that suffers today and representing that through the elixir of life, or taking the underlying reason of war and denoting that through the creation of gunpowder.

I will continue to try to generate ways in which we can link the Dark Ages with modern times in order to hook the audience of our animation on a deeper and more emotional level, in all creating an animation which is contextually rich.