In class, on Thursday, we briefly talked about the differences between the films we view and Disney/Pixar films. In terms of style, there is a huge difference, but the difference I am more interested in is popularity. Why are Disney and Pixar so much bigger than these types of animation? Why aren’t families running to go see a hand-drawn film? Loving Vincent was a very interesting film and how it was made is incredible and very difficult; however, they still shot live action for scenes in the film. I believe it’s this “lifelike” quality that makes these so popular. For example, the water in Moana is very lifelike, possibly even sharper and clearer. Similarly, the faces in Loving Vincent are very crisp and defined. Unfortunately, these films don’t require the same depth of thought as the films we watched in class. Which makes me wonder, do we want to think? Or do we simply want to stare at a screen and watch another story with a straightforward message?

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 23, 2018 at 5:06 PM

    I believe the main draw to Disney/Pixar films is the familiarity and nostalgia. Because we grew up with them, we go into a Disney/Pixar film knowing what to expect in the way of style, narrative, and message. We know the films won't be necessarily challenging, but they will be connect with us and make us feel like we did when we watched their movies when we were younger. More independent or uniquely stylistic animated films challenge what we associate with an animated film, they aren't necessarily as clear cut as those from Disney/Pixar which can be jarring if that's all you have known animation to be.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bratz: Rock Angelz is the movie I didn't know I needed

Image
This weekend, I watched the hit 2005 animated movie Bratz: Rock Angelz. This movie was one of the first Bratz films in CGI, and let me tell you- the plot is ALL OVER THE PLACE. The girls start a fashion magazine and use stolen passes to get into hot London punk clubs, but when they lose their passes they decide that the only way to get into the gig is to become a rock band? This movie can be considered capitalist propaganda- the Bratz shop in order to destress about their problems, and it's an implemental part of their lives. They don't have jobs either- Jade has an internship, but only for three hours until she is fired. Chloe meets a TRASH British prince and ignores her best friend Yasmin who finds celebrity judge Byron Powell's (I don't make this stuff up) dog, Ozzy. Jade and Sasha try to do a photo shoot for the magazine, but Sasha micromanages the whole thing and makes her friend feel bad! And this whole time, there's these two evil blond twins (Kaley Cuoco PLA
Read more

Does Animation Have to Make You Laugh?

Something that I have taken note of lately is how you barely ever find any mainstream animation that doesn't have some semblance of comedy integrated into it. For example, when was the last time you saw a Disney movie that didn't make you laugh (or at least try to)? And when was the last time you saw an adult cartoon that wasn't making a joke every 10 seconds. My point is, mainstream animation has seemed to simplify itself into a single tone: Comedic. Even in the films that are primarily covering serious topics there is typically a comic relief character to add some lighthearted fun to the film. But do all films need this? Is it necessary for all animation to try and entertain us in the exact same way? My answer is no and I wish that more animation studios and their production companies would realize this. One thing I don't think many people realize is that animation can be lighthearted without being funny. When I say you don't have to be funny all the time, that
Read more

She-ra is my new favorite gay icon

She-ra is a Netflix original spinoff of the he-man franchise. I was never a fan of the original show, but I thought I'd check she-ra out and I'm glad I did. It's a fun show, and I wish we had more like it when we were kids. It's one of the few kids shows where women outnumber men in the lead cast, and there's so much gay but it's not like "woah look at all this gay!" It's a lot more subtle, and I think that's great. Of course, there are more seasons to come, but I'm glad that the first one showed as much restraint as it did. I feel like if we treat LGBT people as special, it'll only perpetuate the idea that they're something "other" than straight people. It's important that our pop culture reflects the idea that gay people are just, you know, people. Take all that with a grain of salt though, I'm a straight cis white guy. I just wanted to start a conversation.
Read more