Blog Specimen Post

Here are the 2 blog postings I have chosen for my final project.

Blog #8: Animated Advertisements

Blog #11: Pocahontas

Blog Post #13: Coraline

Although I have never been a fan of movies that at times make me jump out of my seat in fear, yes, I have a very low fear tolerance if Coraline scared me, but I enjoyed watching Coraline. I think what is so great about this movie is that the story line could have been shot in any sort of way, but the use of stop motion animation added to the overall “scary” feel of the movie.

If the animators of Coraline had used just computer animation techniques the feel of the movie would not have been the same. The somewhat jerky movements just add to the the personality of the characters, automatically being able to tell that Coraline’s environment is one that she needs to be careful about. Although the movie is not shot in full stop motion, using other techniques to make some of the movements smoother, the animators made the movements of the “other parents” more in the feel of typical stop motion to have their evil sides become more apparent.

Another movie that uses stop motion to add to the overall feel of creepiness and scare of the movie is The Nightmare Before Christmas. This movie is more true stop motion than Coraline, but that same feel can seen and felt throughout the movie. The same jerky movements of the characters, with the jerkiness being even more prominent in The Nightmare Before Christmas, allow for the characters to take on this persona of being a “bad guy” and not the first person you would want to hang out with, apparent before the character even opens its mouth to form a personality.

I have commented on Chris DeMarco’s blog and Bonnie Hansen’s blog

Blog Post #12: Toy Story 2

Typically in animation, to have non-human characters to have personality and be able to do what the animators want them to do for the script of the movie, non-human characters are manipulated past what they would normally be able to do for the purposes of the movie. What makes Toy Story 2, and subsequently Toy Story and hopefully Toy Story 3 this summer, great is that the toys do not move in any way that a child playing with that toy would be able to move them. This ability is a speciality of Pixar’s and is seen throughout the entirety of Toy Story 2.

One of my favorite toys that exhibits this great feat of animation is the dinosaur. This animation of this toy, and the straight drawing of the character, shows the typical lines and points of movement for the toy: his head, his legs, his arms, and his tail, and these are the only parts that move during the movie. Not only are they the only parts of his body that moves, but they move, not in a human way, but in the jerky way that the toy is placed together. For instance, when he moves his head, he is only able to move it side to side and only to a certain point, just as if you were playing with the toy yourself.

It is this attention to detail that makes the animation of this movie so great. If the toys moved in any way other than how they are played with, the characters would not look like toys and would only look toy-like.

I commented on Rebecca Townsend’s blog and Brenda Weber’s blog

Blog Post #11: Pocahontas

In class this past week we watched the Disney animation classic, Pocahontas. Although we were having fun cracking jokes about how wrong most of the movie got the story of Pocahontas wrong, what I thought to be great about the movie was the animation and the animation styles that were used. The style of animation that was chosen to be used for the movie reflected the overall feeling and “spirit” of Pocahontas.

Although extremely cheesy, the shots of the wind and the leaves flowing though the air and the hair of Pocahontas were beautiful. The patterns that were made looked completely organic and reflected what is believed to be the spirit of Native Americans. This organic feel can also be found during the “Colors of the Wind” sequence when Pocahontas and John Smith are discovering the land around them together. When they are “running the hidden pine trails of the forest,” the animation is very colorful and the looks of the forest are a little off, giving the impression that they are more like spirits running though the forest than actual people.

Another cool scene that uses this free flowing technique is when they are watching the spirits of the future in the fire in their main tent in the village and they are being issued their warning. The shapes and images that appear of the animals and different scenes in the smoke as it curls around everybody who is standing by the fire are animated very much in the style that you could imagine a spirit to appear in a fire, and it is probably my favorite piece of animation in the movie because of this style.

I commented on Myca Taylor’s blog and Kristina Wade’s blog

Blog Post #10: All Shapes and Sizes

What makes animation so great is that the characters can look like anything the animator wants them to look like, that is probably why some of my favorite, and many popular, characters in animation look pretty wacky. And not only wacky in that animation allows for animals and inanimate objects to become characters, but animation allows for characters of people to come in all shapes and sizes and it is this difference in look that typically gives the character its personality.

An example of the freedom that animators have in drawing up people is with South Park. The big, round heads, no neck, and tiny bodies with no legs, just give the outward appearance that anything these characters do is going to be funny. The characters are meant to be little kids, and with the mature dialogue, their appearance gives them that personality.

Some more recent characters that fit this odd shape mold are the characters in the Disney cartoon Phineas and Ferb. For me personally, the funniest thing about these two characters is that the shape of their head reflects the first letter in their names. For instance, Phineas’ head is shaped like a triangle with one of the points acting as his nose, add in his skinny body, and he gives the appearence of a “P.” For Ferb, his head is a long rectangle, and his head and extra large nose act as the prongs of the “F.” These odd shaped heads, in the spirit of Hey Arnold, add on to the dorkiness of the characters that comes with having an odd shaped head!

ETA: I commented on Joe Gayk’s blog and Brenda Weber’s blog

Blog Post #9: Why Kids Love Cartoons pt. 2

A couple of weeks ago, i wrote this blog about why kids love cartoons so much. Well, I was thinking a little bit more on the subject and came to the conclusion that not only are cartoons able to capture a child’s attention but they are able to take kids to worlds, and gain some education, that they wouldn’t be able to experience elsewhere.

For example, a great children’s cartoon is the Little Einsteins. In this cartoon, four friends travel in a rocket ship all over the world, teaching kids about different types of music, cultures, and even teaches kids some simple problem solving. It is very interactive, getting the viewers to watch and participate by clapping or doing other various activities to get them to really take part in what they are watching and learning.

Also, what I have noticed in many cartoons, and also in those just not for kids, that they are able to teach children how to act in certain life situations by using characters that they can relate to. Children really do copy what they see, so by watching a cartoon, some of those social skills are developed into a child and are able to help them in the future.

So, why do kids love cartoons? Well not only are they bright and colorful and capture their attention, but they are really able to learn and grow by watching them too. Some really get kinds to interact with what they are doing, and are able to educate them in ways that they are able to grasp and understand.

ETA: I commented on Jeannie HIlleary’s blog and Brittany Alberry’s blog

Blog Post #8: Animated Advertisements

After watching the TV advertisements in class on Thursday, I started to think about the use of animation for marketing. Some of the most famous and longest lasting “cartoon” characters are actually results of advertising. It is because people are able to associate brands and products with a character that is able to change depending on the changes in culture, that animation characters are so popular with advertisers.

One of these animation characters, that was one of my favorites as a child, was Tony the Tiger who sold Frosted Flakes cereal. Boxes of Frosted Flakes featuring Tony began in 1951, but it was not until the 1970s that Tony became animated and developed a personality that captured the attention of kids. Tony’s look evolved over the years as the looks of animation and the different cultural styles changed.

Another example of this animation marketing that has grown over the years is the Keebler Elves. The Elves were first used in 1968 and have developed a story line over time. The “head elves” of the Hollow Tree Factory, where the elves work, has changed a couple of times and more elves continue to be added. For every commercial using these elves, depending on which product they are selling, the different personalities of the elves come out. The elves were so popular on the advertisements that they transitioned into being a part of the Keebler logo.

Some more examples of these advertisement characters are Jolly the Green Giant, the Brawny Man, and Snap, Crackle, and Pop.

ETA: I commented on Myca Taylor’s blog and Christopher DeMarco’s blog

Midterm Post

The two blogs I am spotlighting for my specimen post are…

Blog Post #1: Carl and Ellie

and

Blog Post #4: Why Do Kids Love Cartoons?

Blog Post #7: An Adult Film in Child’s Clothing

Lately, it has seemed that movies that are marketed towards the younger generation end up teaching the parents, or appealing to the parents, as much as it does the younger generation. The past two movies that Pixar has released under Disney, Wall-E and Up, are movies that I believe are more meant for the parents than they are the children.

In Wall-E, although kids are drawn to the fun characters and funny situations, the undertones of environmentalism. The movie is a commentary of what Earth could possibly turn into if we do not take care of it from the perspective of the script writers and director of Wall-E. The scenes of Earth completely destroyed and just run on technology are things that would just go right over the heads of kids, but are the things that the parents easily pick up on. And although kids probably think it would be cool to live in a space ship and just ride around in hover chairs all the time, parents can see the laziness and complacency that is shown to be a negative thing in the end.

The story line in Up is also more adult themed than most animated movies released for youngsters. The story of Carl and Ellie, and Carl being able to come out of his depression over Ellie and really be the father/grandfather he never was able to be, is certainly a story that does not relate to children. The characters of Russel and Doug are the ones that kids attach themselves to, but are not the main characters in the movie, although they play a big role.

ETA: I commented on Michael Griffith’s blog and Brittany Alberry’s blog

Special Blog Post: Wall-E

What Pixar does best is giving objects that typically have no human characteristics complete personalities and distinct human characteristics, and that is why Wall-E is such a great character. In the movie, the main purpose of Wall-E is to just collect trash, compact it, and spit it back out, however the main Wall-E of the movie has created for himself a personality that allows him to break out of the mold, and later on in the movie gives others to break out of their molds as well.

His personality and is feelings are always apparent, which is a hard feat when working with a robot that would seem to not have much movement. Although his eyes never really change, the animators are able to change up the different angles that Wall-E’s eyes sit on the top of his head that allows for his feelings to come through. There are also eyebrows that pop out of the top of is eyes that give personality. Also, the animators rock Wall-E back and forth on his wheels to give more clues as well as to the exact feelings of Wall-E at that moment.

There are simple things that the animators throw into Wall-E’s character that give him more of those human characteristics. For instance, the first time we see Wall-E come back to his “house,” Wall-E hangs up the tracks on his wheels, kind of like taking off his shoes, so that he doesn’t get his living quarters dirty. He also goes to sleep every night, even though all he really has to do is hit the off button.

The moment in the movie that solidifies how much Wall-E’s character matters is at the end when he gets crushed. Although his parts are replaced, he has lost his personality, and just goes back to what he was made to do.

Although Wall-E is the main character, every robot that is introduced in the movie has its own personality based around what their job is meant to do. The movie is a great example of the ability of animation to take objects that would not have the capability in real life to have personality, and giving them the lead role in a movie.