Conclusion
Because this book contained much of what I felt I had already been given an overview of both in the core readings of the module and within class itself, I decided to skip the bulk and move straight to the conclusion. Crafton describes the development of the animated form as being 'haphazard and serpentine,' yet says while confusing to make sense of, one can distinguish an overall pattern of a small number codes being defined throughout its first 30 years of growth. He emphasises the importance of auteurship and the self figuration of the artist through his productions. he suggests, giving example to studies of African tribes, that anthropomorphic animals became prominent in character depiction because it functioned as 'self-translation into an alien universe.' Animals are used as vehicles with which one can easily and relateably project one's self.
Animation had huge surrealist potential, realised by European intellectuals and forward-thinkers. It had a transportative function that was easily attainable for the audience, which is an idea which paved the way for the creation of personable animal character stars in later years, like Mickey Mouse.
Monday, 30 September 2013
Understanding Animation, Paul Wells
Chapter 1: Thinking About Animated Films
To 'animate' means to 'give life to.' This is the first factoid we are presented with in Wells' introduction to the world of animation. An animated film is one that attempts to visually give the illusion of movement. The definitions given by various animators from different schools of thought are offered to give the reader the most whole and encompassing description of the art form.
As with other readings from this week, the author delves into the depths of the history of animation, listing the evolution of animation techniques and giving well-known examples along the way. I will not go in to detail about it here, as I already have about the previous reading and in class discussions.
A case study in this chapter that grabbed my attention was that of 'Disney and the Realist Principle.' In the early half of the 20th century, while European animation artists were looking to the art form as a means of expression, Disney Productions was established in the United States to develop it as an industry. Walt Disney, the founder, wanted to fight for commercial stability and so sought to grow the animation production technologies to achieve this. He prioritised the idea of mechanism, both in form and content of his productions. Disney introduced synchronised sound, multi-plane images, feature lengths and Technicolor to cartoons.
Disney developed believable motion in his characters, and gave them plausible motivation for their actions. He had a great realist ideal he wished all his films would achieve. Some may see his profit-driven desire innovate as undermining the essence and purpose of animation itself. They fear that 'Disney' has become synonymous with 'animation,' leading some consumers to receive and understand it in a limited way.
Personally, I have no issue against Walt Disney Productions or the way in which they chose to develop their company. I prefer realistic portrayals of any subject in art as opposed to abstract or surreal ones: I have always felt more in admiration of the skill of the old masters of painting who tried to create photo realistic artworks, than those of the impressionists and post-impressionists who embrace featuring the media in which they worked as as important as the subject matter itself. The author makes a case for the 'problem' of realism, which I think is slightly a redundant argument as I believe he is concentrating too heavily on the terminology of the word 'realism.' He argues that animation can never be truly be realistic, as anything created is a construct of the author and will always contain some type of authorship or subjectivity. He dismisses too quickly the fact that we are coded to read a particular familiar 'reality' in a certain way. Even though this might not be 'reality' in the truest sense of the word, it is still conventionally what society knows and wants to perceive as such. I would make a case that this acceptance of one conventional form of reality transcends the attacks from his argument of rhetoric.
To 'animate' means to 'give life to.' This is the first factoid we are presented with in Wells' introduction to the world of animation. An animated film is one that attempts to visually give the illusion of movement. The definitions given by various animators from different schools of thought are offered to give the reader the most whole and encompassing description of the art form.
As with other readings from this week, the author delves into the depths of the history of animation, listing the evolution of animation techniques and giving well-known examples along the way. I will not go in to detail about it here, as I already have about the previous reading and in class discussions.
A case study in this chapter that grabbed my attention was that of 'Disney and the Realist Principle.' In the early half of the 20th century, while European animation artists were looking to the art form as a means of expression, Disney Productions was established in the United States to develop it as an industry. Walt Disney, the founder, wanted to fight for commercial stability and so sought to grow the animation production technologies to achieve this. He prioritised the idea of mechanism, both in form and content of his productions. Disney introduced synchronised sound, multi-plane images, feature lengths and Technicolor to cartoons.
Disney developed believable motion in his characters, and gave them plausible motivation for their actions. He had a great realist ideal he wished all his films would achieve. Some may see his profit-driven desire innovate as undermining the essence and purpose of animation itself. They fear that 'Disney' has become synonymous with 'animation,' leading some consumers to receive and understand it in a limited way.
Personally, I have no issue against Walt Disney Productions or the way in which they chose to develop their company. I prefer realistic portrayals of any subject in art as opposed to abstract or surreal ones: I have always felt more in admiration of the skill of the old masters of painting who tried to create photo realistic artworks, than those of the impressionists and post-impressionists who embrace featuring the media in which they worked as as important as the subject matter itself. The author makes a case for the 'problem' of realism, which I think is slightly a redundant argument as I believe he is concentrating too heavily on the terminology of the word 'realism.' He argues that animation can never be truly be realistic, as anything created is a construct of the author and will always contain some type of authorship or subjectivity. He dismisses too quickly the fact that we are coded to read a particular familiar 'reality' in a certain way. Even though this might not be 'reality' in the truest sense of the word, it is still conventionally what society knows and wants to perceive as such. I would make a case that this acceptance of one conventional form of reality transcends the attacks from his argument of rhetoric.
Persepolis
The first this the viewer is treated to in Persepolis is the fantastic title sequence. It adds an elegant point of visual interest to the list of cast and crew members. Done completely in black and white, it looks almost like a chalkboard drawing. In fact, the texturing throughout a lot of the film looks chalky, and the emphasis on monochrome is a constant theme throughout the movie. Few colours are used at all. Negative space is employed effectively, drawing attention to characters in the foreground rather than scenery. The animation is highly stylized and the images stick starkly in the viewers mind.
The storyline and presentation of the characters' struggles is unsentimental and brutally honest in every way. It can be seen as a coming of age film, of a young girl growing up in a damaged and war torn region. The animation both compliments the childish viewpoint, and contrasts against the harrowing subject matter. It work well in balancing the personal and historical issues faced throughout the plot. Although unsentimental, the film still manages to be touching and poignant. An uncomfortable subject is handled with grace and manages to be beautiful to watch.
It is an adult film, similarly to 'Fritz The Cat' and 'Perfect Blue' that deals with very mature themes, proving once again that animation is as viable an art form for adult as it is for child audiences.
The storyline and presentation of the characters' struggles is unsentimental and brutally honest in every way. It can be seen as a coming of age film, of a young girl growing up in a damaged and war torn region. The animation both compliments the childish viewpoint, and contrasts against the harrowing subject matter. It work well in balancing the personal and historical issues faced throughout the plot. Although unsentimental, the film still manages to be touching and poignant. An uncomfortable subject is handled with grace and manages to be beautiful to watch.
It is an adult film, similarly to 'Fritz The Cat' and 'Perfect Blue' that deals with very mature themes, proving once again that animation is as viable an art form for adult as it is for child audiences.
Sunday, 29 September 2013
Perfect Blue
'Perfect Blue' is another animated feature film with very adult themes. One point of interest about this movie is that it could be conceivably filmed as a live action, as it does not utilize animation to realise any impossible effects such as the previous movies on my list. In fact, it was first planned as a live action, yet resorted to animation because of budgeting reasons.
It is traditionally animated in the hand-drawn animé style typical of Japan. It is a psychological thriller - a genre not much explored in animation so far. The pacing of the story is electric, the empty space between the score and dialogue leave haunting pauses which the viewer clings to. A creepy atmosphere is present throughout the majority of the film.
The film tackles issues such as the price of fame, self-identity, mental illness. One could imagine a film like this logically leading on to award winning western feature films like 'Fight Club' and 'Black Swan.'
It is traditionally animated in the hand-drawn animé style typical of Japan. It is a psychological thriller - a genre not much explored in animation so far. The pacing of the story is electric, the empty space between the score and dialogue leave haunting pauses which the viewer clings to. A creepy atmosphere is present throughout the majority of the film.
The film tackles issues such as the price of fame, self-identity, mental illness. One could imagine a film like this logically leading on to award winning western feature films like 'Fight Club' and 'Black Swan.'
Information Is Beautiful
Information Is Beautiful is a website created by David McCandless, a London-based author, writer and designer turned data journalist. He says that a passion of his is visualizing information – facts, data, ideas, subjects, issues, statistics, questions – all with the minimum of words. With his team on his website, he creates visualisations, diagrams and infographics to distill the worlds data into beautiful designs that are visually pleasing. He avoids using pie-charts in any form.
The website is a great source of information for anyone interested in creating infographics.
Motion Graphic Design, Jon Krasner
Chapter 1: A Brief History of Motion Graphics - Early Practices & Pioneers
The reading from this week was the first chapter of the book 'Motion Graphic Design' by Jon Krasner. It talks first about attempts in the past to convey motion in art, such as depicting animals or people with multiple legs in cave and pottery paintings of ancient times.
It was not until nineteenth century European inventions that actual moving pictures gained popularity. Many visual illusions were employed to give the impression of animation, in such devices as the kinetoscope.
"Animation cannot be achieved without understanding a fundamental
principle of the human eye: persistence of vision. This phenomenon
involves our eye’s ability to retain an image for a fraction of a second
after it disappears. Our brain is tricked into perceiving a rapid
succession of different still images as a continuous picture. The brief
period during which each image persists upon the retina allows it to
blend smoothly with the subsequent image."
Comic strips began to feature in newspapers, and were the precursor to traditional animation that we are familiar with. Development of projection allowed cartoon characters to come to life through animation.
In 1910 cel animation was first developed which opened up a new realm of possibilities to animation artists. The rise in stop motion is also discussed as a parallel to this. Experimentations began in combining live action and animated sequences in the same scene.
Animation was viewed as an expressive artistic medium. Many experimental filmmakers and artists took an interest in it for the possibilities it allowed, outside of the constraints of live action and painting/sculpting/photography. Many examples in the reading are given of these experiments in animated cinema and the forerunners of the genre.
Krasner then goes on to describe the advent of computer generated animation, fuelled by advances in technology in the latter half of the 20th century. New inventions like stereoscopic 3D animation software and virtual drawing tools broadened the scope for the sector even further.
Motion graphic design use in film titles is also discussed. Saul Bass is lauded as a pioneer in this field. Animated title design became a recognised art form in itself.
The reading from this week was the first chapter of the book 'Motion Graphic Design' by Jon Krasner. It talks first about attempts in the past to convey motion in art, such as depicting animals or people with multiple legs in cave and pottery paintings of ancient times.
It was not until nineteenth century European inventions that actual moving pictures gained popularity. Many visual illusions were employed to give the impression of animation, in such devices as the kinetoscope.
"Animation cannot be achieved without understanding a fundamental
principle of the human eye: persistence of vision. This phenomenon
involves our eye’s ability to retain an image for a fraction of a second
after it disappears. Our brain is tricked into perceiving a rapid
succession of different still images as a continuous picture. The brief
period during which each image persists upon the retina allows it to
blend smoothly with the subsequent image."
Comic strips began to feature in newspapers, and were the precursor to traditional animation that we are familiar with. Development of projection allowed cartoon characters to come to life through animation.
In 1910 cel animation was first developed which opened up a new realm of possibilities to animation artists. The rise in stop motion is also discussed as a parallel to this. Experimentations began in combining live action and animated sequences in the same scene.
Animation was viewed as an expressive artistic medium. Many experimental filmmakers and artists took an interest in it for the possibilities it allowed, outside of the constraints of live action and painting/sculpting/photography. Many examples in the reading are given of these experiments in animated cinema and the forerunners of the genre.
Krasner then goes on to describe the advent of computer generated animation, fuelled by advances in technology in the latter half of the 20th century. New inventions like stereoscopic 3D animation software and virtual drawing tools broadened the scope for the sector even further.
Motion graphic design use in film titles is also discussed. Saul Bass is lauded as a pioneer in this field. Animated title design became a recognised art form in itself.
Most of the reading I found a bit repetitive from what I had already learned with my tutor in animation class, though it was good to return to a few of the key points and have something to reference from in the future.
Fritz The Cat
Directed by Ralph Bakshi, 'Fritz The Cat' is an animated comedy film released in America in 1972. It is originally based on a comic strip of the same name by Bakshi. Of course the natural progression for an illustrated comic when being adapted into a feature film is to turn it into an animation.
The film contains scenes of an overtly sexual nature, as well as drug use, swearing, racist stereotyping, and violent actions by its characters. It was the first animated film ever to receive an X rating by the MPAA in the United States, yet still went on to become a success in the box-office. The film creates a conflict for the viewer: on one hand we are coded to read animations (especially hand drawn traditional animations) as being for an audience of children, and so we anticipate that they will be inoffensive in nature. Whereas 'Fritz' makes us question our preconceptions of what animations are supposed to be by presenting us with an adult theme and very child-inappropriate content.
The characters are all anthropomorphic animals. Fritz, the protagonist, is a silver tabby cat. Most characters' animal personas are reflective of their personality. Police are represented as pigs, as an in-joke aside to the audience. The film presents POC characters as black crows, something before seen in traditional Disney animations. Although typically viewed as a racist stereotype, 'Fritz' purposefully uses the depiction in a self-conscious way, aiming to explore the issue of representation. In one bar scene in particular, Fritz and a black crow discuss the differences between their two social groups through the context of species.
The characters' exaggerated movement and facial expressions are made possible through the medium of animation - something which would be too difficult to accomplish in a live action equivalent. However the actual detail of their figures is very lacking in comparison to other animations of the time, with minimal facial features or texturing of their bodies. Shadowing on the characters is restricted to line shading, and very sparingly at that.
The backgrounds are a stretch away from those seen previously in 'Akira' and 'The King and the Bird.' They are simplistically hand-drawn. The aim is to look very unpolished and rushed, as if only completed as an afterthought to the main action. The colouring is all blocked painting, often straying outside the squiggled outlines of the scenery. It is clear the purpose of the background artists was to give only an impression of the locations, and for it not to be a primary feature of the film.
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The film contains scenes of an overtly sexual nature, as well as drug use, swearing, racist stereotyping, and violent actions by its characters. It was the first animated film ever to receive an X rating by the MPAA in the United States, yet still went on to become a success in the box-office. The film creates a conflict for the viewer: on one hand we are coded to read animations (especially hand drawn traditional animations) as being for an audience of children, and so we anticipate that they will be inoffensive in nature. Whereas 'Fritz' makes us question our preconceptions of what animations are supposed to be by presenting us with an adult theme and very child-inappropriate content.
The characters are all anthropomorphic animals. Fritz, the protagonist, is a silver tabby cat. Most characters' animal personas are reflective of their personality. Police are represented as pigs, as an in-joke aside to the audience. The film presents POC characters as black crows, something before seen in traditional Disney animations. Although typically viewed as a racist stereotype, 'Fritz' purposefully uses the depiction in a self-conscious way, aiming to explore the issue of representation. In one bar scene in particular, Fritz and a black crow discuss the differences between their two social groups through the context of species.
The characters' exaggerated movement and facial expressions are made possible through the medium of animation - something which would be too difficult to accomplish in a live action equivalent. However the actual detail of their figures is very lacking in comparison to other animations of the time, with minimal facial features or texturing of their bodies. Shadowing on the characters is restricted to line shading, and very sparingly at that.
The backgrounds are a stretch away from those seen previously in 'Akira' and 'The King and the Bird.' They are simplistically hand-drawn. The aim is to look very unpolished and rushed, as if only completed as an afterthought to the main action. The colouring is all blocked painting, often straying outside the squiggled outlines of the scenery. It is clear the purpose of the background artists was to give only an impression of the locations, and for it not to be a primary feature of the film.
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Le Roi et L'oiseau
'The King and the Bird' is a 1980 traditionally animated feature film directed by Paul Grimault. It is considered a masterpiece in French animation and is cited as an influence for famous animation artists such as Miyazaki and Takahata.
The animation allows for very exaggerated figures and actions which would not otherwise have been possible with a live action film. Characters are portrayed almost caricature-ishly. Dialogue is kept to a minimum and the story is mainly narrated through the actions of the characters. It is through their motion that the viewer connects and sympathises with them, as well as gains an understanding of their personality traits.
The landscapes are magnificently hand painted, in a similar vein to that of 'Akira.' Yet in contrast to the dark and deep backgrounds of the latter, 'The King and the Bird' uses light, visually pleasing colours in an attempt to look objectively 'pretty'. Although the architecture is detailed, the overall feel of the scenes is a lot more bare and airier than in 'Akira.' The Kingdom of Takicardia, designed like an exaggerated fairy-tale castle, is characterized by long vertical lines and deep perspective, giving it the illusion of infinite space.
Although beautiful, I feel that the film's strength essentially lies in its allegorical nature and the moral message its storyline attempts to convey. I found the action itself to be a little slow-paced for my liking, and the lack of dialogue made it difficult to keep attention peaked throughout the entirety of the running time. Even the animation was not visually interesting enough to capture me, the viewer. Perhaps this is a result of my viewing of it as a child of the 'MTV generation': accustomed to a constant barrage of action and information given to me in anything I watch. Reviews I have read from people of an older generation have been overwhelmingly glowing, so i cannot help but feel there is some layer that I am missing with only one viewing.
The animation allows for very exaggerated figures and actions which would not otherwise have been possible with a live action film. Characters are portrayed almost caricature-ishly. Dialogue is kept to a minimum and the story is mainly narrated through the actions of the characters. It is through their motion that the viewer connects and sympathises with them, as well as gains an understanding of their personality traits.
The landscapes are magnificently hand painted, in a similar vein to that of 'Akira.' Yet in contrast to the dark and deep backgrounds of the latter, 'The King and the Bird' uses light, visually pleasing colours in an attempt to look objectively 'pretty'. Although the architecture is detailed, the overall feel of the scenes is a lot more bare and airier than in 'Akira.' The Kingdom of Takicardia, designed like an exaggerated fairy-tale castle, is characterized by long vertical lines and deep perspective, giving it the illusion of infinite space.
Although beautiful, I feel that the film's strength essentially lies in its allegorical nature and the moral message its storyline attempts to convey. I found the action itself to be a little slow-paced for my liking, and the lack of dialogue made it difficult to keep attention peaked throughout the entirety of the running time. Even the animation was not visually interesting enough to capture me, the viewer. Perhaps this is a result of my viewing of it as a child of the 'MTV generation': accustomed to a constant barrage of action and information given to me in anything I watch. Reviews I have read from people of an older generation have been overwhelmingly glowing, so i cannot help but feel there is some layer that I am missing with only one viewing.
Akira
Akira is a Japanese 'cyberpunk' anime film, released in 1988 and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (based on his own writing). It is considered a landmark in animation and has achieved cult status.
Because of its epic scale, it cost ¥1,100,000,000 to produce -- a huge amount at the time.
The film was cel animated to give it the greatest detail possible with auteurship. Most anime is notorious for cutting production corners, such as having only the characters' mouths move while their faces remained static. However Akira broke from this trend with detailed scenes, pre-scored dialogue (wherein the dialogue is recorded before the film starts production and the movements of the characters' lips are animated to match it) – a first for an anime production – and superfluid motion as realized in the film's more than 160,000 animation cels.
In typical Japanese narrative, there are many character arcs and smaller sub-plots involved. This can be confusing at times, and the utmost attention needs to be paid to keep following the past pace of the action. Personally I find the storyline quite cold and off-putting, with only a few sympathetic characters, and many of them being more creepy than endearing.
However, it is not in its storyline that Akira's strength lies in my opinion, but instead in its visuals. The first thing about the film the viewer notices is the magnificently painted backgrounds, with brilliant attention to detail. A rich world of a dystopian Japan is created. Visually, it contains a density and complexity not seen in western movies.
The lighting in the film is another remarkable feature. Glaring headlights and taillights from the motorbikes leave neon imprints in the air as they move away. The glow from any direct source of light illuminates objects and characters in interesting ways - sometimes a character's skin and hair tone will change, subject to the environment they are placed in.
The motion of the characters is astonishingly fluid, especially in fast paced scenes. Dialogue matches up seamlessly to lip movements. The animation allows focus to be put on effects that would otherwise be lost in a live action picture, such as gusts of wind from chopper blades, bursts of fiery explosions engulfing their surroundings, and smoke billowing and twisting away from flames and exhausts.
The graphic imagery compliments the twisted, violent sci-fi story perfectly in a landmark film that introduced Japanese animation to western audiences and set the boundaries for what hand drawn animation is capable of accomplishing.
Because of its epic scale, it cost ¥1,100,000,000 to produce -- a huge amount at the time.
The film was cel animated to give it the greatest detail possible with auteurship. Most anime is notorious for cutting production corners, such as having only the characters' mouths move while their faces remained static. However Akira broke from this trend with detailed scenes, pre-scored dialogue (wherein the dialogue is recorded before the film starts production and the movements of the characters' lips are animated to match it) – a first for an anime production – and superfluid motion as realized in the film's more than 160,000 animation cels.
In typical Japanese narrative, there are many character arcs and smaller sub-plots involved. This can be confusing at times, and the utmost attention needs to be paid to keep following the past pace of the action. Personally I find the storyline quite cold and off-putting, with only a few sympathetic characters, and many of them being more creepy than endearing.
However, it is not in its storyline that Akira's strength lies in my opinion, but instead in its visuals. The first thing about the film the viewer notices is the magnificently painted backgrounds, with brilliant attention to detail. A rich world of a dystopian Japan is created. Visually, it contains a density and complexity not seen in western movies.
The lighting in the film is another remarkable feature. Glaring headlights and taillights from the motorbikes leave neon imprints in the air as they move away. The glow from any direct source of light illuminates objects and characters in interesting ways - sometimes a character's skin and hair tone will change, subject to the environment they are placed in.
The motion of the characters is astonishingly fluid, especially in fast paced scenes. Dialogue matches up seamlessly to lip movements. The animation allows focus to be put on effects that would otherwise be lost in a live action picture, such as gusts of wind from chopper blades, bursts of fiery explosions engulfing their surroundings, and smoke billowing and twisting away from flames and exhausts.
The graphic imagery compliments the twisted, violent sci-fi story perfectly in a landmark film that introduced Japanese animation to western audiences and set the boundaries for what hand drawn animation is capable of accomplishing.
Saturday, 28 September 2013
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