LO1: Understand the types and uses of animations.
P1: Explain the different techniques for animation.
Line-drawing
 |
| Source: Google |
Line drawing is a technique used in animation that is a hand drawn sketch which moves frame by frame so that the shape evolves and moves. It is most commonly used in contemporary advertising to sell products. They are generally created using Adobe illustrator, Adobe Flash and Lightbox, however, previously they were hand drawn. Scalable Vector Graphics are also used in line drawing, and are animated by code.
From the image above it is clear that this method of animation is very simple and does not often include faces. In order to gain movement new lines would have to be drawn over the previous lines with a distance between them to show an action. To successfully complete a line-drawing animation lots of detail is not required, however it can be very time consuming, especially if you are creating a lengthy production.
 |
| Source: Google |
An example of line drawing used in TV animation is the Tom and Jerry animations. This production is very simple, but focuses greatly on facial expressions and the emotions of the characters, which is what draws children into watching the program. Similarly, the dysfunctional relationship of the characters is shown intricately through line-drawing along with the unpredictability of their relationship - with a cat and mouse fighting, viewers would assume the cat would win, however, the mouse always wins in Tom and Jerry.
 |
| Source: Google |
However, the simple and repetitive storyline could become uninteresting as every episode eventually has the same outcome. If the producers are not aware of the relevant codes and conventions for animations, and the wants/needs of their target audience, they may risk losing brand awareness and profit because money is being spent on the production process, but not coming in because less people are watching the productions. A way to overcome this would be to create a wide variety of detailed backgrounds along with more detailed facial expressions to make the characters more memorable. Doing this would keep the audience in suspense with the storyline for each episode. The technology of animation is always advancing so it becomes easier and less time consuming to create more intricate animations.
An example of line drawing used in advertising is Red Bulls 2000 advert. This advert was kept simple with one main character, and only lasts about 30 seconds.
Cel animation
 |
| Source: Google |
Cel animation, also known as celluloid animation, is a technique used in animation. It is where each scene is drawn or painted onto a celluloid sheet (transparent sheet) by hand, with each movement, a new celluloid sheet is placed ontop of the previous.
From this image we can clearly see the background of a scene and the painted celluloid sheet on top of it. During the process, each sheet will be placed onto the background to produce movement to occur in the animation.
Many Disney films, especially the early ones, were created using cel animation. An example of this is Popeye the Sailor tv series and films. An advantage of cel animation is the unique attention to detail that is applied during the production phase, this often surprises viewers because it is drawn in 2D, but moves in 3D. Similarly, this style makes cel animation productions stand out from traditional animations as they are more detailed with each movement, this draws in audiences.
Another advantage of cel animation is that it is cheaper and more cost effective than other methods because it doesn't need expensive equipment or advanced technology to create it, that can be associated with Disney productions. On the other hand, cel animation is extremely time consuming because every drawing has to look identical to the other otherwise the movements will not sync properly and the animation will look broken. A way to overcome this would be to ensure the same artist does all the drawings, with assistance from one other person, this reduces the margin of error. For example, Snow White by Disney had over 750 artists who completed more than 2 million sketches. The director had them paint each scene onto the celluloid sheet so that they would come to life in layers, like a flip book, making the process quicker.
P2: Describe the uses for digitised animation in the media.
 |
| Source: Google |
One genre of animation is for family friendly/ childrens televisions. An example of Claymation within the family genre is the movie Chicken Run. This is an animation created by Aardman Animations partnered with Dreamworks Pictures, about Rocky, a rooster, and Ginger, a chicken, who decide to escape from a chicken farm when they learn that their owner is plotting to have them killed. The production follows their escape and the crazy adventures they run into on the way.
 |
| Source: Google |
Using claymation means they will have to create many different facial expressions and replicas of each character to make their movements more realistic. Similarly, claymation animations can be aimed more at children because of their soft appearance and detailed facial expressions. Which makes it easier for viewers to relate to the characters. Here are some images of Chicken Run where the characters are made from clay, you can clearly see they have animated, lifelike features.
Another use of claymation animation is through the medium of film. For example, the director, Tim Burton has focused on creating animated films throughout his career, many of which have been nominated for various awards. With his style of very life-like characters Burton is able to create synergy between his characters, for example, the characters in Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas have very similar mannerisms that viewers can associate with the style of Tim Burton. The reasoning for using claymation is often so that the product can appeal to children as well as adults based on the storyline and heartwarming characters. When creating an animation using claymation it is often paired up with stop-motion, where the characters will be moved slightly by hand and a picture will be taken to create a movement through a series of pictures.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animated musical halloween- Christmas dark fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, and produced and conceived by Tim Burton. It takes on the horror genre through the colour scheme and costume design, as well as the elongated figures the characters have. Similarly, the settings used all have very dark/light contrast to enhance the horror and fear that should resonate within viewers whilst watching the film.
Stop-motion and claymation are also used by TV and film studios in order to appeal to an audience of young children and to help with the development of their imagination whilst they are young. This is more effective than using real actors because animated characters look more like children and it is easier to draw their attention into the characters.
 |
| Source: Google |
 |
| Source: Google |
Comedy, action and horror are other genres established through animation and CGI, which is a popularly used technique. CGI stands for computer generated image, and is when digital technology and softwares are used to generate animated images and graphics. Similarly, it is used for the visual effects because the quality is often higher and more controllable than claymation, where miniatures are constructed out of clay, which is also time consuming. It refers to the static scenes and moving characters, whilst computer animation only refers to moving characters/scenes.
CGI is widely used by Disney and Pixar. Some examples of CGI animation that illustrate each of these genres through the medium of film include 'The Jungle Book', 'Wreck It Ralph and Madagascar. This is so they can create detailed and high quality backgrounds that almost look lifelike to audiences. For example, in The Jungle Book, there's is only one real actor, whilst the rest of the cast are animated characters. Using CGI to create this film greatly enhanced its potential of being a great movie, rather than using claymation with stop-motion because it wouldn't be able to encapsulate the fear that the director wanted audiences to feel from the animals. The contrast of using a one human actor against an animated cast shows how cgi has the power to create great artwork. Similarly, CGI also creates high quality, realistic films. For example, in Madagascar, the animals look so lifelike it helps to enhance the sense of adventure and suspense which most children enjoy. Creating CGI films that children enjoy, will also mean they want to purchase products that feature in the films, such as the animals in Madagascar or the video game characters in Wreck-It Ralph. Having a second market of incoming profit helps to fund future CGI films, as they are expensive to fund due to the large amount of equipment and preparation that goes into each production phase. Due to this disadvantage small animation companies don't receive as much recognition as the likes of Disney and Pixar because they have enough to fund high quality films whereas smaller companies may not be able to reach that high standard, so therefore finding alternatives can make them more successful and not shadowed by Disney and Pixar. Moreover, the quality of technology is always improving and always becoming more expensive.
 |
| Source: Google |
TV and film studios use CGI because it gives an animation more life-like human features with higher quality than claymation and stop-motion. This is what attracts audiences to watch the animations, increasing the brand awareness and popularity of the films.
 |
| Source: Google |
M1: Assess the suitability of animations for the target audience.
Claymation has been used since the 1920's, and has always been produced to target younger audiences due to the benefits it can provide during developmental stages of life, such as the development of the imagination. Many animated characters are significant in animation history. For example, some iconic characters include Wallace and Gromit and Sean The Sheep because they have been developed over time and improved as the style of animation has become more developed. The friendly demeanour of the characters appeals to children and draws them into the film or program, this is because they are created out of clay so they appear softer than if they were created with CGI. Moreover, there is always adult humour and innuendo included in children's shows to appeal to the parents watching with their kids.
Similarly, as the characters have a toy-like appearance they can appeal more to children because it can almost seem like their toys are coming to life which fuels their imaginations and keeps them alive . Moreover, in order to bring them to life even more, the characters will have their own creative dialogues that fit to the personality, also enhanced by their mannerisms. For example, shaun the sheep will make a "baaa" noise. We can also see that majority of claymation productions are targeted at younger children roughly ages 1-3 years old due to the minimal amount of movement the characters have, that would otherwise not appeal to an adult target audience. We can also see from other claymation productions such as Wallace and Gromit that when targeted at younger audiences they are more successful, than if they were to be targeted at an adult audience. This is because the simple style and clay aesthetic can draw them in easily. Moreover, the show is rated PG and therefore can be shown on CBBC (by the BBC) at any time during the day, to anyone with a TV license. The lighthearted humour and minimal adult innuendo keeps audiences laughing and keeps them watching. The more audiences watch, the more profit directors receive - which can be put towards creating larger scale productions such as Shaun the Sheep Movie, which increases brand awareness.
 |
| Source: Google |
CGI is another type of animation that is commonly used in the media industry due to the high quality result and ability to produce human-like features. It stands for Computer Generated Animation, and is mainly used by big production companies such as, Disney, Pixar and Universal Pictures. However, CGI is relatively expensive and requires a lot of equipment and preparation to film to ensure that animation is clear, consistent and detailed with the script and storyline. This causes the wide range CGI animation market to be widely taken up by big companies that can afford it, whilst the smaller companies may have to compromise and find cheaper ways to produce a CGI effect on an animation. Disney have used CGI to create films such as Toy Story 4 and Finding Dory. Majority of the films produced by Disney are aimed at children because of the bright, colourful characters and emotional story lines with loveable characters. Similarly, the Disney films can be seen as beneficial to a Childs development as they show key events that will occur further on in life, such as the value of friendships and relationships, and the power of emotions. This deeper analysis into the benefits of Disney films can appeal to adults because they want their children to develop properly whilst they are young and gain an imagination, as well as good values. Moreover, the adult humour and innuendo that is also included will attract an adult audience and keep them entertained throughout the film, along with the children.
In conclusion animation studios will use different types of animation based on their target audience to ensure they can appeal to that audience as well as possible. Claymation can be used by film and TV studios in order to appeal to audiences of young children because of the simple and colourful appearance characters often have from clay - such as Sean the Sheep and Chicken Run. Moreover, larger scale companies will use CGI because they can afford it and it looks more professional with its better quality. As CGI is more detailed it can be more suitable for young children ages 3+ because of the life-like qualities it can create. Seeing more human-like characters can expand their imaginations.
D1: Compare the different styles of animations across global cultures.
 |
| Source: Google |
Toonz Animation India is an Indian animation studio located in the city of Trivandrum, India. They currently produce over 10,000 minutes of 2D and 3D animated content every year, making it one of the top animation production houses in the world in terms of quality and volume. They also have offices in Europe, North America, Australasia and Latin America.
The animation studio have received a number of international and India based awards such as at Salon Film Festival (2016) they received Best Short Film for "Magic Piano". They also won Best Animation for "Apna Bhai Gajubhai " at the Dada Saheb Phalke Award (2017)
The style of animation Toonz studio use is both cartoon and claymation, as they make both 2D and 3D animations. However the final products the final products featured on the website do not reflect the Indian culture. Similarly, they use this style because their animations are typically aimed at children so by using softer designs and colours they are able to draw in their primary target audience more effectively. Toonz animation studio do this in order to create seamless and traditional animations that have also been created in co-production partnerships with global brands such as Walt Disney, Sony and Universal. This brings more income and awareness for the studio as they are being included on productions with big, well known companies. Some productions created by Toonz include Wolverine and the X- Men and Sherazade: The untold stories, which is an Indian twist of Aladdin. Moreover, majority of their films have a common underlying theme that many kids tv shows around the world will have. Creating a storyline that aids children in their development and includes many different emotions. Based on the uses and gratifications theory, this approach will actively encourage parents to let their children watch the animations produced by Toonz Media Group.
The characters that are used in animations created by Toonz Media Group include different styles of character design, for example the characters below. They are aimed at children rather than adults and follow a common storyline of teamwork. An example of a production created by Toonz Media group is, Return of Hanuman. In this animated action adventure Devas are 'busy' in their heaven. Technology has crossed boundaries of earth and even non-mortal devas have become techno-geeks, they converse in hinglish. The remainder of the movie tells the story of how the characters fight war and end up leaving their town in India.
The environments that Toonz Media Group vary based on each production, as they partner with well known companies such as, Nickelodeon and Disney. For example, they can be set in rural Indian towns and bright green forests.
 |
| Toonz Media Website |
 |
| Toonz Media Website |
Another Animation Studio is Pixar. They are an American animation company based in California and they are a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios. Pixar began in 1979 as part of the Lucasfilm computer division but was originally known as Graphics Group. The first full length and most popular film produced by Pixar was Toy Story in 1995, it was also the first ever computer-animated feature film - using CGI as the main method. Since then, the studios feature films have earned approximately $14 billion at the worldwide box office, with an average worldwide gross of $680 million per film.
The style of animation used in Pixar is predominantly CGI - computer generated image. As Pixar have a huge net worth, they are able to put forward big budgets in order to create CGI films that require expansive software.
 |
| Source: Google |
 |
| Source: Google |
The characters used in Pixar films are more child friendly, and Pixar have created a wide range of characters from each movie, sometimes even merging them together. This entices children to watch, especially with the use of bright colours, even if a character is representing a sad emotion ( left picture). Doing this teaches children basic life lesson, such as it is ok to feel emotions. Another example of life lessons through a Pixar movie is in Finding Dory, when Dory says "just keep swimming". This can also suggest that when you encounter something tough you should push through it, essentially swimming through it.
Pixar also uses synergy to further sell products related to their films in order to appeal to a wider target audience, they have done this by opening up Disney merchandise stores and Disney theme parks. Children are likely to enjoy these experiences because it is bringing the on-screen characters to life and making them feel real, it also expands their imaginations. The purpose of this is to increase the brand awareness for Pixar, as they had to start somewhere before becoming a world- renowned animation studio.
A main theme that Pixar have used in various animated films is 'laughter is stronger than fear'. For example, this theme was explored masterfully in Monster's Inc. The notion that laughter and happiness are more powerful than fear. The storyline tells us that in order to power the city, monsters have to scare children, because the scream is what provides power, however, they soon come to realise that in order to end the energy crisis they need to make children laugh, rather than scream. This can be applied into many life lessons and contexts in this day and age. Moreover, another theme that Pixar use is 'the best relationships are based on trust'. This is shown in Finding Nemo, when Nemo needed to trust in his father's protective side, whilst his father needed to trust that his son was growing up and needed to be given trust. His father also needed to learn to trust Dory, even though she was suffering from a disability that prevented her from being able to trust herself. Similarly, another theme that can come from this is to 'believe in others when they do not'.
Pixar use many different environments when creating animations. For example in Tangled, the adventures take place in a forest, tower and castle. Whereas Finding Nemo is in an ocean. Creating adventures in places that you would least expect adventure to occur shows children that magic and imagination is never limited and your dreams can be anywhere and everywhere, with whatever you want happening in them.
In conclusion the differences in the studios are mainly transatlantic target audiences, although they both appeal to children, they are targeting different cultures so the themes of their productions are different. Pixar themes are more family oriented, whilst Toonz are more about cartoons fighting wars in different settings.
Comments
Post a Comment