A je to: minutiae #1

In this series of posts, I will discuss minutiae from the ... a je to! series. One definition of the word minutiae reads as precise details; small or trifling matters and that is what this is all about. Small or not so small details you probably never even noticed or you didn't think about them. The TDK masters made me rewatch the entire series a couple of times, this time in a new light, and these are some interesting bits and pieces a person who has watched these episodes so many times thought it would be nice to share. The screenshots are all raw, as they are on the DVDs, without any editing.

Tapety

No, the title card for Tapety is not green, but grey! The titles on the TDK masters look unusual for the 1979, almost as if they were sourced from different materials than the rest of the films, especially on the next episode.

a bit of a scratch, as if somebody sprayed the frame with gulaš

Mat has so much junk in his kitchen. I wish some other episodes also showed their homes full of items which don't belong there. It doesn't sit well with me when their living spaces are tidy. Previously, I didn't notice how the iconic gulaš can (that is, two cans, but you'll have to wait for another edition of minutiae to see an explanation) has a dark blue, not black outline around the words.

I already mentioned how Mat's living room looks very drab at the beginning, as if the crew did not yet have a sense of how to light up the set and started with too much white light. They gradually dialed it back a bit and introduced warmer colors, even in the same episode.

on the contrary, this shot needs some more light!

gulaš and bread, classic. or is it a croissant?

some of the tapestry is even numbered!

 a bit of Mat doing a šmouha - how the Trnka animators called a smear take:

again a shot that lacks some warmth

 As Pat's moves become faster and faster, so does the frame rate. The changes in frame rates seem to have left certain artifacts, which will become especially apparent when Jan Klos joins. Some frames here were filmed with much more vibrant light.

Something blocking the camera in the lower left corner. Little mistakes like these only increase my appreciation of the masters who worked on these films. There could have been many more of them.

Sometimes it was difficult to get the camera properly focused on close-ups.

Pat standing in the same position in two shots, but the lighting is noticeably different.

I've mentioned quite a few lighting goofs. Here's some masterful work. When P+M glue the tapestry to the windows, the room becomes much darker. Great foreshadowing.

Tapety was definitely the series' first episode. You can notice how, as they were painted by hand of the same person at the same time, the first two credits look pretty identical, unlike those in subsequent episodes.

A word about the animators on this episode: this was the only episode which Czech animation legend Vlasta Pospíšilová animated. It was her second and last work for Luboš Beneš, the first being his first puppet film, Račte prominout (co-animated by Karel Chocholín). Pospíšilová seems to have animated the majority of this episode, one of the telltale signs, as it often is, being the walk/run cycle of the characters. 

It seems to me she animated every scene where P+M put up tapestry on the walls. Xenie Vavrečková might have animated only the scenes in the kitchen, I don't see almost anything in the living room as being her work. Maybe these scenes?

They are interesting because, it seems, they are the first with the second Mat used in this episode, one sporting a taller beanie. Or is it the same Mat with a straightened beanie? Again, tough to tell, but this variation appears until the end. Compare:

Dielňa

The titles for this episode look really messy on the TDK DVD, extremely yellow. Remember, the title card should be grey! Makes me wonder if they were sourced from some other print, as the episode itself looks gorgeous.

One of the things which makes this episode special is the array of book props which appear throughout. It seems each and every one of them is different, even if they are in the same design.

this one is so close, yet so far away to decipher

but this one is not - it's L.N. Tolstoj!

The egg gets to Mat, then disappears for a frame for better effect before appearing as the yolk:

The book Mat ordered also has instructions on an atom bomb? Well, why not for ep. #131...

So many props used in future episodes, but also some never seen after, like the thermometer.

What's so great about the books is that many covers are made-up, like the yellow book on top, Tajný spolek (Secret Society) by Tom Shark. More on that "author" later.

some gibberish, then V JZO (so more gibberish) 

this one definitely has real letters: "Martin Kolossžka(?)". title incomprehensible

I was convinced the yellow book near the middle would be real. Oh well, Someriliemessa doesn't sound like an existing title.

A funny moment: one of the books hits Pat in the head!

Some more book magic, this time with some artifacts in the lower part of the image.

This time, I'm more confident with my assessment. I would say that Karel Chocholín animated the majority of the episode, with Xenie Vavrečková only animating the scenes in the kitchen. Chocholín's one-speed runs and rigid takes are all over the scenes in the living room, while Mat is a bit tamer in the kitchen. Crucially, he doesn't run the same way when approaching the kitchen and being inside. 

Chocholín was especially susceptible to leaving unintended objects on the set. The animators at the studio do have a big excuse, though. Once they pressed the camera, they couldn't redo the shot. If there was a mistake, it was to be left in. Here, an object appears in the lower left corner for a couple of frames:

Here's some sort of wiring (or is it the vacuum cleaner) for a frame or two:

... and here's the typical screwdriver:

... and here's... a white bucket?

The closing titles are also yellowish:

Koberec

Here, the titles are balanced with the rest of the film:

an ashtray and a cup that will appear on a fence later...

One of the rare editing mistakes in Helena Lebdušková's career and it's a miniature one. A couple of frames of black screen are inserted between two scenes. It seems Lebdušková is still alive, aged 94.

I'm not completely sure where they switch (most likely the latter also did the scenes on the balcony), but here Vavrečková animates all the scenes in the flat, while Chocholín animates the outside scenes.

this scene is typical Chocholín

I love it when the characters have dirty hands, like in this shot, which is also a bit dirty (out of focus).

more weird books!

could anyone guess the second word? the first one is POZOR (WARNING)

 Where have I seen this cloth? Ah, yes...

A couple of typical Vavrečková moves: 1) Pat's positioning

2) animation of hitting an object with a hand executed just with two basic moves, without a move in between. I noticed this in some of her 1989-90 work as well, while similar animation is that of Pat cleaning the apple at the beginning of this episode.

It is a Barum tyre! Barum is a well-known Czech manufacturer of tyres.

end credits...

I think that would be enough for a first post. Let me know if you like this format. I originally wanted to dish out screenshots for all of the 1979 episodes, but there are just too many of them. If you find some other tidbits similar to the ones here, be sure to leave a comment. To be continued...