Finding my Question for Final Essay

Research is something I find hard to make myself do I find I always find information when I don't mean to and think "oh that would work in my ..." however I am trying to research on purpose. At the momment I find reading books difficult I find them think they look really interesting but never actually get round to reading them and have to take them back to the library.Research which I should look into are :  Festivals, Art, Literature, Subculture, Politics and Theory.

Discussed in Contextual Studies I need to start with an area that interests me and I must read so I need to actually start reading the books I take out. I should always keep track of my thoughts I always have thoughts at the worst of times about my work and need to start taking notes to remember for later at a more convenient time. I need to stop using Wikipedia as an easy solution and actually use the internet more respectfully. Doing this will mean I can reference better.

All my contextual work need to feature History, Context and theory which I need to check in my work. We are starting to plan our presentation and essay for our studies and I need to think of a question that interests me to do with animation. In general I find the history of animation fascinating mainly how it has developed but also the realism and fantasy of animation.

I am interested in finding out about the past and present of animation looking at how animation has developed and changed over the years and also how animation has become more realistic which I think both subjects tie in together nicely. 

When googling the question “ Is animation becoming too realistic” a flood of hits are about the latest Disney film and main words such as “ sqwirm” “repulsed” and “uncomfortable” are decorating the google pages.  

When looking at reviews of the film I notice the reviewer is complaining about technology and it made me think that is “mars needs moms” creepy and a flop because of the ever growing technology and trying to hard to make it realistic?

Is that now the aim to create a new wow factor to make everything as realistic as possible?

Looking at “the adventures of Tin Tin” which will be released in cinemas soon could this end up being the same outcome as “mars needs moms”? Im interested when it is released how reviews will flow and possibly giving it a review myself.

Tin Tin and Mars needs Moms was created by a motion capture process which is when actors still act out the film and then they are animated. This is to either give a more realistic approach to human form it reminds me of an advanced rotascope. However it is also used for fantasy such as Gollum for Lord of the Rings and King kong.

Is it the wrong to do this?

Well its all dependant on the Uncanny Valley Theory which can be applied to Animation.

Are audiences to conditioned to love animation in a non-realistic world to not accept animation as a realist?

Or is that the way animation should be? After all isn’t realistic for live action?

My personaly view is that animation shouldn’t be realistic I think that is the whole concept of animation, a recent film I watched “ despicable me “ all the characters are completely out of proportion and unrealistic in looks. However that’s what makes the film if it was realistic I think it would make the main character a completely different perceived person. If technology was to take over films like “despicable me” it could ruin the whole enjoyablity of the fantasy in animation.

This then leads me to a whole other topic of the definition of animation.

Books looking at :

Stop motion passion, process and performance / by Barry Purves.

Wells, Paul/Re-imagining animation The changing face of the moving image

Haven’t properly engaged into it yet.

Films:  The Pixar Story 2007

A very interesting film which talks a lot about the highs and lows of technology and also talks about how there films have been so successful through story and how to make it visually engaging.

Stop Motion: I love stop motion it is a timeless way of animating and lots of my favourite films are created by Stop motion e.g. coraline, which was full of fantasy and is a strong example of why animation is so good for fantasy. Athough the film can get quite creepy and scary in some parts it does not put off the audience because of the fantasy of it and the way they presieve it e.g no one looks realistic from Corlaine’s natural blue hair and very skinny stick like body, the setting it very over realistic to make it unrealistic for example the house is old but exaggerated aswell as the tree’s. compared to Mars needs Moms which is a completely different side of creepy which isn’t enjoyable for the audience because of how realistic visually the characters are and their lifestyles are. It’s a shame because the story is full of fantansy however in my view the story wasn’t the kind of fantasy I think is extremely appealing to a wide audience.

Staff Notes:
Interested in past and present of animation – how animation has beome more realistic. May need to narrow down the question – has already chosen some films and developed possible questions. Film ‘Mars needs Moms’ At the moment focusing on realism in CGI but also looking at stop-motion film.

Might be interesting to look at the difference between photo-realism and poetic realism. Have a Look at the reading on animation and the real which is on moodle.


Target 1: Find and collect critical responses to Tin-tin and other films mentioned. There was one by writer Tom Mcarthy in the Guardian last Saturday. (Deadline: 17-11-2011 )
Target 2: Read around some of the problems in defining what is ‘real’. (Deadline: 17-11-2011 )