"For Kids" vs. "For Adults"
We've talked a lot in this class about the distinction between animation aimed at children and animation aimed at adults... somehow it's not been sitting right with me that we're ignoring that idea that a lot of things are both.
Watching Princess Mononoke and talking about Miyazaki in particular made me feel like I need to bring this up. I want to consider things that are made with several demographics in mind. I guess it divides out three ways:
Firstly, animation for kids that contains content for adults - Think about racy jokes slipped in past the censors of kids cartoons, or other little "wink, wink" moments for parents. Stuff to keep adults engaged while they inevitably have to watch otherwise boring children's programming with their kids.
Secondly, animation for older audiences that can be enjoyed by children - Some shows have content that you have to be a bit older to really understand, but that can be fast paced, colorful, or fun enough to keep a child entertained without really thinking about it. A think a lot of teen shows fall into this category - things like Teen Titans, or maybe Steven Universe, or something like Adventure Time. Shows that are silly and fun at times, and that a very small child might enjoy just for the sights and silly voices, but also contain some heavy material that older audiences can really contemplate.
Thirdly, animation that is truly for both. I think Miyazaki films tend to fall into this category. I get the impression that he wrote movies with the intention that all audiences would watch them. The messages are generally simple enough that a child can follow and relate to them (hatred is bad), but deep enough that an adult can pull a lot more nuance out of them (how do we end a cycle of violence that has spawned legitimate grudges on both sides?). The colors are bright and the lines are soft and appealing, but also visually interesting enough to hold the attention of an artist. Maybe something like Wall-E goes in this category, too.
I don't know if I have a specific point here, I just think it's important to recognize that pieces of art can operate on many levels. Anyone have any better examples? I'm kind of struggling to think of specifics to prove my point.
Watching Princess Mononoke and talking about Miyazaki in particular made me feel like I need to bring this up. I want to consider things that are made with several demographics in mind. I guess it divides out three ways:
Firstly, animation for kids that contains content for adults - Think about racy jokes slipped in past the censors of kids cartoons, or other little "wink, wink" moments for parents. Stuff to keep adults engaged while they inevitably have to watch otherwise boring children's programming with their kids.
Secondly, animation for older audiences that can be enjoyed by children - Some shows have content that you have to be a bit older to really understand, but that can be fast paced, colorful, or fun enough to keep a child entertained without really thinking about it. A think a lot of teen shows fall into this category - things like Teen Titans, or maybe Steven Universe, or something like Adventure Time. Shows that are silly and fun at times, and that a very small child might enjoy just for the sights and silly voices, but also contain some heavy material that older audiences can really contemplate.
Thirdly, animation that is truly for both. I think Miyazaki films tend to fall into this category. I get the impression that he wrote movies with the intention that all audiences would watch them. The messages are generally simple enough that a child can follow and relate to them (hatred is bad), but deep enough that an adult can pull a lot more nuance out of them (how do we end a cycle of violence that has spawned legitimate grudges on both sides?). The colors are bright and the lines are soft and appealing, but also visually interesting enough to hold the attention of an artist. Maybe something like Wall-E goes in this category, too.
I don't know if I have a specific point here, I just think it's important to recognize that pieces of art can operate on many levels. Anyone have any better examples? I'm kind of struggling to think of specifics to prove my point.
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