Today we saw an abbreviated evolution of the concept of character in early animated film, from the changing visages of Blackton's Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, to Cohl's Phantasmagorie, to McCay's mosquito and dinosaur. Additionally, in those same films we went from no background, to minimal background (more graphic than spatial), to a fully realized physical space.
That said, pick a character you know from animation and describe how this character is engaging or unique.
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Pick a work of animation that has a strong setting (location/time/environment) and describe what makes this setting engaging or unique.
Try and do this in six sentences or less. If you have a hard time keeping it short, try typing your long version, setting it aside, and coming back later to include only what is most important.
And be sure to read the other post from this evening, a little addendum from today.
-Tim Finn
One series that comes to mind in response to the question is an anime called Kino's Journey. It's based off of a series of Japanese light novels and follows the adventures of a girl named Kino and her talking motorcycle, Hermes. While Kino and Hermes are both well written, the real thing that stands out about this series is the setting. Since Kino is constantly journeying, she sees many places in her travels. Kino's Journey does a fantastic job making each place she visits stand out, as each country, city, etc. has its own culture and idiosyncrasies (i.e., in the first episode alone she arrives at a town where humans seem to have all but disappeared). As a result, this leaves the viewer with a sense that they traveled too.
ReplyDelete--Sarah Arch.
A character that comes to mind is Gromit, of the Wallace and Gromit cartoons. Gromit is a dog, and silent. Though he has a muzzle and nose, he doesn't have a mouth. All of his expression is told through his eyes, eyebrows, and body language so well that we still know all his reactions to the world around him. In addition to his expressiveness, we see Gromit as one half of a very familiar character set; with his owner, Wallace, Gromit is the straight man of the "funny man" and "straight man" comedy pattern. In this traditional set, we relate to him as the sane one who has to keep his master's oddities in check.
ReplyDelete-Ria Campbell
A character I find engaging is Spongebob Squarepants. I find him so unbelievably annoying that it eventually makes me laugh like Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm. What also stands out to me is the setting, a city beneath the ocean called Bikini Bottom where Jellyfish are butterflies and cats are snails that meow. The way it's drawn also is unique to me. It has a lot of detail and it looks like it has a watercolor brush like quality. I don't know if there's a technical term for this but I find most cartoons on T.V don't have this anymore.
ReplyDelete-Lily Siritaratiwat
The character that I find engaging is Gib, from the Invader Zim series. In a plot line vacant in other series, or animations, Gib is the antagonist that wants to "save" the world. The norm. usually consists of a protagonist that fights for good, and yet in IZ we are meant to feel negatively for the character fighting for good. I can't argue, and say I ever felt sympathy for Gib over the other character's, but it always perplexed me that I wasn't supposed to. Zim is a world conquering buffoon, and yet we don't care that he is trying to obliterate us.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite short lived series is Mission Hill. My favorite pair of characters out of that series would be the openly gay couple Gus and Wally. This is the first animated series produced in america for mainstream television to have an openly gay couple that is not flamboyantly emoting every time they enter frame. Instead Gus is a very stereotypical masculine man and wally is your normal film geek. Had they not had an open conversation on their sex life you wouldn't even be able to tell they where a couple. Treating these characters in this way is a welcome breath of fresh air compared to the slapstick caricatures of most animations
ReplyDelete-Jonathan Grzybowski
I choose a location rather than a character, the planet Cybertron from the 1984 television series "The Transformers." Painted in saturated gouache with a full palette of lights and darks, the metallic surfaces of this all-metal globe gleam in the flashbacks of their prime years, yet fade to grey murk in the war-torn present. While flashbacks are often shown with a bright daytime-blue sky overhead, the planet is now devoid of an oxygen atmosphere, and is perpetually under cover of night. Curved buildings, raised highways, and exposed chasms and lower layers of city abound. Though various cities, regions, or countries are never named, the planet feels like a real place, full of scientific possibility, and danger around any corner.
ReplyDeleteThere is a little-known animated series from Japan called Mushishi that follows the work of a character named Ginko. Each episode features this character treating and assisting others with problems stemming from creatures most people can't see. The character has always struck me as interesting thanks to his motivations which are unclear at the start of some episodes. Unlike most main characters in animated shows, Ginko isn't really a hero and sometimes does things that are clearly more for himself than others. In spite of this, he still manages to help others with their problems and maintains an air of mystery throughout most of the series.
ReplyDelete-Scott Maynard
The most engaging character I can think of is Homer Simpson. He is a simple man who is ruled by his impulses. One second he's happy as can be, and the next moment he's strangling his son. His impulsive life makes him one of the funnest characters on "The Simpsons" with him geting a new job in every eposide and going on crazy adventures. He may do stupid things and endanger his familly because of his impulsivnes, but he still cares and loves them with all of his heart, okay maybe not Bart. I can never be that impulsive, I always think about what might happen if I did, just about anything. Thats why I love to watch Homers life play out in all 452 eposdies.
ReplyDeleteJohn Croce
A favorite movie of mine that I feel has a unique and engaging setting is Quest for Camelot. While traveling through the enchanted forest searching for Excalibur, all of the characters are constantly beset upon by the forest itself. Living moss, helicopter-esque trees, attacking trees, water stairs and many other pitfalls fill the forest and pose many challenges for those who are looking to recover the sword. As a kid it really captured my attention, and I still enjoy watching it today.
ReplyDeleteLauren S
A character that I find engaging would be the Warden of Superjail. A very talkative parody of Willy Wonka who is almost constantly in motion. A dictator-like yet childish individual who presides over a seemingly limitless prison system that defies both logic and the laws of physics. Seeing him move and talk at the same time reminds me of what I like so much about animation.
ReplyDelete- Robert Gradie
When I think of a work of animation that has a unique and interesting setting, I think of the film, "A Journey Through Fairyland." The story is focused around a clumsy boy named Michael who plays the oboe in his school's orchestra, but has a passion for growing plants and ends up taking a journey into fairyland. There is dialogue, but like "Fantasia," it is mostly told through classical music. The setting's are really interesting because as the music and tone changes throughout the film, so do the settings and characters within them. I loved the film as a kid, and I still recommend it now for those who haven't seen it.
ReplyDelete-Karinne Davis
A film that has an interesting and unique setting? I'd say The Adventures of Prince Achmed. I saw this move on Turner Classic Movies late one night and was blown away, the sets practically weren't there, most of the backgrounds were just colored space with beautiful and intricately cut, lead character silhouettes. This lack of background isn't immediately obvious though, the appeal of the characters and their colored space world worked together seamlessly. When the settings were present, they were just enough to let you know where you were without being overbearing. I can't think of any other animated film that has achieved this method of minimal backgrounds so successfully.
ReplyDelete-Colleen
An animation I find with an engaging setting is Tekkon Kinkreet. All of the background images are filled with beautifully intricate details. The amount of details that is put into each background could seem excessive and overwhelming but I think it gives the place it's own characteristics. Alongside with the simple character designs they help balance each other out. The minimal details of the characters makes it so they stand out and don't get lost in the cluster of bg details.
ReplyDelete-N.David
A character that I find keeps me engaged is "Jackknife" from Superjail. He is a low-level criminal that for the most part opens up every episode by getting dragged back to jail by another chacter called jailbot. By the end of each episode he will be seen escaping jail at some point whether he is either in full view or thrown into the background of a chaotic scene.I find this character engaging because he is a silent chacater. He uses gestures, facial expressions, and grunts and moans to portray emotion. The environement he is placed in while commiting a crime at the beginning and also while being dragged back to jail is outrageous, the colors, style of animation and sheer imagination is outstanding, for me I have to watch the same episode multiple times to pick up on everthing and even then it's difficult.
ReplyDelete-Buck Squibb
Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind, immediately comes to mind when I think of an animation with a strong environment. The story is set hundreds of years after an event called the “Seven Days of Fire” which destroyed almost the entire ecosystem of the planet. There are a few human settlements left which live far away from a huge toxic jungle called the “Sea of Decay.” The “Sea of Decay,” contrary to it’s name is actually a very lively place full of strange plants and enormous bug like creatures. While watching the film I was captivated by the oddness of the alien like environment but also impressed with it’s beauty and organic atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteLiz Keene
When I started thinking about this assignment, what came to mind for me was the television show Ed Edd n Eddy. What sticks out to me for the character design is that all of the characters "wiggle" in a way that reminds me of Gertie the Dinosaur. I remember noticing the outlines on the characters move and wondering why it did that. Now I see it as something that is quintessential to the show in a rather intrinsic way.
ReplyDeleteI really like the environments of the anime called Cowboy Bebop. They have great drawing style and very different and unique locations. On one hand the spaceship/space and on the other hand the different planets the story takes place at. Sometimes it feels more like a space saga and sometimes you feel like in the middle of a film noir, a western or a crime story. They mixed really great different styles to one piece also with the use of guitar music that I had never expected from a anime series. All the environments and characters are drawn with love to detail. It creates a great and unique atmosphere.
ReplyDelete