My effort in this class had been minimal and it is entirely my fault. The amount of work required was little, and yet I found myself falling behind in blog posts and comments because I would instead focus on other projects. This is something I am not proud of and I would change if I could. Instead of pacing the work for this class on the back burner, I should have been applying myself the entire time. In the end I ended up having to do more work because I was busy catching up on posts and blogs.
Had I done the projects when they were originally due, I wouldn’t have had to spend so much time on make-up work. With that being said I thoroughly enjoyed the class. Although I was not keeping up with posts, I was still paying attention and participating in the readings. I learned a lot about animation and the processes animators go through when presenting things. I just wish I had placed for of an effort in the homework aspect of the course.
Week 1
http://jcampione.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/post-9-an-incredible-triumph-for-pixar-11-2/#comment-50
Week 2
http://jcampione.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/post-6-why-does-hercules-get-a-bad-rap/#comments
http://jcampione.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/the-accuracy-of-disney-movies/#comment-53
Week 3
http://capgmu2012.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/blog-9-depiction-of-latinos-in-cartoons/#comment-38
Week 4
http://capgmu2012.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/blog-12-breakfast-cereal-mascots-22/#comment-43
http://shanekropp.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/post-9-a-look-back-at-scooby-doo/
Week 5
http://kendraprasad.typepad.com/kendras-blog/2012/05/blog-post-12.html
http://lookleftthenwrite.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/going-to-see-pirates-tomorrow/#comment-60
Week 7
http://jcampione.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/post-11-donalds-crime/#comment-74
Transformers blasted its way onto telelvision screens in 1984, launching the toy franchise to new hieghts. Originalys a toy line, executives at Hasbro wanted to push their new product and decided to create an animated tv show to market their toys to young children. The plan quickly worked as the toy became an instant hit, launching a second season of the show and with it a whole new line of toys to sell. The animated series was used to not only sell itself, but the toys it was based on. This is kind of backwards for the time. Most of the time toys were based of of shows or movies that were already created, not the other way around. For the first time Hasbro had a concept they were able to wrap into a story and create a successful series from it.
Of course now the Transformers brand has evolved into even more shows and feature length films. The shows rely completely on animation, while the films utilize live-action with a combination of computer animation to bring the characters to life. In either case, animation is a completely necessary part of the narrative process. This is something unique about transformers, where as other franchises can get away with using other techniques to bring the toys to life on screen. The difference between the show’s animation and the film’s is the sense of reality. In the show, animators could animate the transformation how they wanted without having to worry how realistic it looked. But when the show jumped to the film world, the use of live action required animators to make their transformations in a realistic fashion. This is a unique challenge, but not an impossible one and required a whole new way of approaching animation.The result has payed off, making the films some of the top grossing films of all time and the franchise continues to sell toys and shows to this day.
Since the move industry has grown, the genre of animation has been adapted many time into feature length live action movies many times. Typically done with animated series for children, many shows have seen this change such as Inspector Gadget, Scooby Doo, Smurfs, Garfield, and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Obviously with the change from animation to live-action, there will be changes to the nature of the show. But with the advancement of computer technology, most shows are able to contain their own humorous nature after the translation.
In films such as Inspector Gadget or Smurfs, the live-action versions are able to maintina their continuity witht he show, and retain the same target audience. The result is usually a moderately successful film that generates revenues from the same people already watching the show at home. Because of this, studios producing these pictures rarely put effort into making the film good. This reflects in the critical reviews these films get 90% of the time. Part of the reason this happens is that the movie is aimed at children. The same kids watching the show at home. Therefore the plot and characters have to maintain the same level of complication as the show, which means nothing too drastic. To the eyes of a critic this results in bad film, to the eyes of a kid, it is everything in the world seeing their favorite characters on screen.
When I began working on my Animation project, I had a feeling of how painstaking the process of stop motion was, but I had no idea what I was in for. Of course any one would quickly realize that posing dolls and taking pictures frame by fram would be a pain. But until you try it, you will never know. The sheer amount of time put into the set up is mind boggling for itself, and our project was only a few seconds. I can’t imagine how full films like Nightmare Before Christmas achieved what they did. 24 frames per second for an hour and a half? Yeah right.
With films such as Nightmare Before Christmas there are so many aspects at play. The camera, character, and props all move in the film and you have to stop and realize that each piece was moved slowly by someone frame by frame. It is a laborious process that I have now experience and although, it is hard it is fun in a way. Eventually it does become frustrating and having only two people to work on it rather than a whole crew, it is easy to get burnt out quickly. One huge aspect to stop motion that we luckily did not have to adress is human emotion. Character’s need their eyes to blink, lips to move, etc. We were using transformers so none of this was necessary but it just one more thing that animators have to add to their list of things to change to exact positions. 24 times. For one second on-screen.
When I think of animated films or television shows, I tend to think about its appeal to a younger audience rather than an older one. In a previous blog written I did mention the production of adult-oriented animation, so clearly animations are made for everyone. However, we do notice a difference when it comes to displaying certain age-appropriate topics such as violence. The difference between a younger audience animation and an older audience animation regarding violence can be identified through the sound, setting, and lighting of the animation.
When looking at violence in animation, I focused on Looney Tunes (which is meant for a younger audience) and Batman (which is meant for an older audience). In Looney Tunes, violence is a source of comedy. Whether it be Wiley Coyote getting hurt from trying to catch Road Runner or Bugs Bunny’s attempt escape from Elmer Fudd. Every time a character gets hurt, it’s a source of comic relief and the audience is not scared or frightened. The lighting in each of the cartoons is very bright and often set during the day. They also use light and bright colors to portray the setting, whether it be in the forest or the desert. Finally, the happy and joyful sounds used to introduce the characters makes for a pleasurable show.
When we look at Batman, a different tone is used to express the violence. Batman is a hero who fights crime in Gotham city. He mainly uses his strength and gadgets to fight against his villains, but when he does you can tell the violence is not meant for comedic relief. For one, the lighting is very dark and mysterious. The sound is low and almost daunting because it builds up the suspense. Finally, the setting also promotes that violence in this show is meant for an older audience. The setting takes place in the city, in which everything is very dangerous and unstable. This prepares the audience for a different take on violence compared to Looney Tunes.
In the end, violence portrayed in animation is different between the older and younger audiences. For younger audiences, the violence is portrayed as a comedic relief and for older audiences it is portrayed as a source of suspense and of course, action.
Animated films and television shows are known for providing entertainment; but when it comes to providing historical accuracy, that is not the case. We have seen through films such as Pocahontas that historical accuracy is not the main concern of the animators. When it comes to displaying historical events in animated films/television shows, the historical accuracy is put on hold in place of making the film/show more exciting and entertaining.
Pocahontas is a great example of how historical accuracy is put on hold in place of making the film more exciting and entertaining. The story is focused on the real-life relationship between the Native Americans and the First Colonists to the New Land. Pocahontas was in fact real and she was the translator between her tribe and the Colonists. The film does portray that part as true, but the whole backside of a romance between her and John Smith is in fact false. She actually married John Rolfe, a tobacco planter. She was also forced to learn English because she was in fact captured as a young child and held for ransom by the Colonists, unlike the film that Disney portrays. She ended up converting to Christianity and remaining with the Colonists after she was allowed to return to her tribe.
Even though Pocahontas, the movie, was not historically accurate, the spirit of the story still remains and it gives the audience a small glimpse as to life when American was just beginning. We would like to think that the Native Americans and Colonists got along, but in fact that was quite the opposite. If Disney had told the true story of Pocahontas, this film would not be suitable for younger audiences and it is clear that this film was meant to be a source of entertainment for them and also to give them a small background into history.
While displaying historical accuracy in films comes second to entertainment; that does not mean the movie will come out horrible. Pocahontas has become a classic film to many and is well cherished. However, there are those upset with the image that Disney created, but in the entertainment business you cannot please everyone.
Sexuality has traditionally been a taboo subject in animation since it first began. The most famous icons in animation being completely void of sexuality ( i.e. Mickey Mouse). But there are a few characters throughout history that have used sexuality to define the character and capitalize on the subject. Two of these famous icons are Betty Boop and Jessica Rabbit. Betty Boop was an animated character that emerged int he 1930s. He design was extremely different than other female characters at the time in that her body actually had the features of the human female. She had breasts, wide hips and presented herself in a sexually progressive manner. Her popularity lasts even to this day, and she remains an icon.
Jessica Rabbit emerged as a character in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Her design is extremely sexual and her personality is presented as a sexually open woman. Even the manner that she speaks in the film is mean to be seductive. These characters break the traditional role of female characters in animation and show that animation can lend itself to anything that the animator wishes to show. The character was ev en exploited in the controversy that arose that drew attention to the animators of the film. Apparently they had drawn in a few frames that shows Jessica Rabbit in full nudity into the film on its release. Something that is too quick to notice to the normal eye, but was eventually discovered. This however was not done purposeful by the creators of the character and does not reflect their interpretation of “Jessica Rabbit.”
One of the most successful comedy shows current on air is the program Family Guy. The show follows a similar model to the Simpsons. It centers around a family, and the stupid father. While this show is animated, the target audience is actually adults, making the use of animation contrast with humor at play. The content presented in the show is many times extremely inappropriate for children to watch. This is interesting because it is one of the few situations in which animation is used for adult content. Animation is typically used solely for material targeted at younger audiences. The color, and design of animation appeals to children and draws int heir attention. However Family Guy, is obviously not for children. The animation in the show lends itself to the style of humor that is presented. Many of the jokes feature unrealistic situations that are much easier to produce in animation rather than reality. Plus it is always fun to see a grown man fight a giant chicken.
The result of the entire show is a sense of humor that identifies the show as something that is unreal. The animation places the in the world of make believe, allowing for much of the humor to be processed easier by adult audience. Many of the jokes int he show are graphic or obscene. But because the jokes are presented in the animated format, it becomes desensitized.
As technology has advanced and improved, the techniques associated with animation have changed. Originally starting as a hand-drawn affair, animation has become massly produced by computers. While this change allows for animation to be produced easier, it also results in a different aesthetic then original hand-drawn animation provides. Now I am not stating that one is more effective then the other. Or that computer animation is “lifeless,” I am simply stating that each of the techniques have its own pros and cons.
When animation first started, each and every frame had to be drawn by hand. Lead artists would drawn in key frames and other would fill in the frames in between. This process was extremely tedious, time consuming, and labor intensive. However this was the only option for animators until technology began to improve. This technique is what gave birth to classic cartoons such as Mickey Mouse and the older animated films such as Snow White.
But with the development of computers, animation began to change. the need to hand draw each and every frame was gone, and the entire process took a different approach to the creation of animated films. In films such as Toy Story, the animation takes place all inside a computer, rather then on a piece of paper and pen. The result is a different feel and style of animation that does not connect in the same way as old animation does. The original hand-drawn cartoon’s have a human element to their design and appearance that resonates with the viewer. While computer generated animation is just that, generated by a computer. The characters and scenery are still designed by humans and the initial designs are actually drawn out. But the actual final construction of the animation is what makes these animations different.
Computer generated will never provide the same element of humanistic warmth that hand drawn animation does because of the visual style hat is portrays on screen. The 3D space of the characters is arguably more realistic, but it loses the aesthetic of hand drawn animation
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