Blog #13: The End

I would just like to take a moment and write this final blog on my feelings about this course. I never expected myself to take a class on animation... but I'm so glad I decided to see what it was all about. There's a certain nostalgia I've had about cartoons (I'm sure many feel the same) since I was a little girl. They make me happy. But I had this concept as I got older that they were made for children... just funny stories to make you laugh. Now, however, I've realized that there's so much involved in the production of animations. Some may be considered a form of art, others purely slap-stick, and still others serve a unique educational quality. It's interesting to me that many animations are tied to politics. Quite honestly I never really paid much attention to a cartoon like Rocky and Bullwinkle before. I suppose I viewed all animations as being timeless, not thinking how far back they dated (the example here being to the Cold War).

Apart from our viewings of the animations in class, I enjoyed my individual gain that would occur when I would flip on the television and simply watch a classic cartoon to see what I could learn. My classmates helped introduce me to some very interesting concepts, as well. Blogger, while I had never before heard of it, turned out to be a fabulous way of learning from my peers. For this, I thank you all.

To end, I would just like to share my appreciation of this course... it has opened my eyes to a different perspective of something I used to charish so much - and now I do again. Many thanks, Professor Petrik!

Blog #12:Toy Story 2

After our class viewing of the film Toy Story 2, I was again overcome by the ability of animators to envision the idea of bringing to life the small world of childhood toys. The amount of creativity that has gone into the animation seems endless. A great deal of consideration has been taken in considering how toys use their individual features to interact and how they utilize their own environment. It is this imagination of animators that causes non-stop laughter in the audience.

"Fun" is the word I would use to describe Toy Story 2. As the film begins, viewers are delighted with a scene of toys playing video games in the same manner of humans. It is humorous to observe Rex the dinosaur as he tries desperately to work the controller with is tiny arms. Similar to Rex, other toys must find ways around the makings of their own bodies. The piggy bank, for example, mumbles about how he must drag a bunch of change around. In addition, The slinky dog's body easily gets caught on the conveyor belt at the airport because of his extreme length. The enjoyment continues in watching an army of GI Joes waddle across Andy's bedroom floor. Their size (and the fact that their feet are attached) doesn't deteriorate their commanding presence.

I was so amused throughout the film as characters also tried to work within their surroundings. How funny was it to watch as a group of toys marched across a busy highway, using traffic cones as a sort of camouflage!? It was also a great idea it was to have Slinky lower his fellow toys to the ground with the use of his springy body. Two other great scenes included the elevator and the airport. It was interesting to watch how the toys conquered the challenges of their size here. Rather than getting inside the elevator, they found their way into the vent shafts and climbed onto the roof of the elevator to lift them up. In the scenes within the airport, it was fun to watch how the toys ganged up and ran along the conveyor belts to save Woody. In both of these cases fate definitely seemed to work to their benefit!

The ability of working with the personality of toys created some unique opportunities for animators. I thoroughly enjoyed the Buzz Lightyear duo. When the second Buzz took the screen, it brought back some great memories of the original Toy Story in which Buzz had unsurpassed confidence in his abilities as a space commander. It was also great to see the mass of barbies as they enjoyed their pool party in the toy store! One unexpected character was Stinky. I would have thought that a boxed collector's toy would be a rather boring choice of characters. Instead, by making him the bad guy who is capable of sneaking out of his box, animators created a toy that definitely seemed to surprise viewers.

To conclude, it is a film like Toy Story 2 that truly shows the creative abilities of animators. The ability to imagine the small world of toys is was truly added a great sense of humor and endless gags.

Note: To view my comments on the blogs of fellow classmates, look at the archives for September.

Blog #11: The Landscape of Spirit

I was in such awe over the vivid landscape in Spirit. While I was trying to focus on the story-line and the history of this animation in class tonight, I instead found myself drawn in by the scenery. I realize that the animators elaborated greatly on the location of Spirit's journey. (Surely it was not possible for one horse to move so quickly throughout the West that seemed to span from desserts to plains to mountains) ... but it didn't matter. Not to me. In fact, I say forget the screwed up details on historical references! Look at the beauty!

Yes, this is a history class. I therefore understand the significance of factual information when it comes to the past. However we are also learning about animation. And was it not the original intention of some animators to make it into an artform rather than a simple cartoon? Spirit certainly does take my breath away, at least... and this is something I praise its animators for.

I suppose a great deal of my feelings come from the sense of nostalgia I feel toward the west. Over the summer I spent months traveling about, getting to see places like Yellowstone and the beautiful sweeping plains. So yes - the location choices in Spirit may not have been the most realistic... But in terms of the story, I think they are highly appropriate in terms of adding to the adventurous plot.

Those canyons! The lush greenery! The big sky! How can anyone not find this atmosphere enchanting? To end my admiration of the landscape in Spirit, I wish to point out two particular things I found the animators portrayed particularly well: lightening and water. One of my all-time favorite scenes in Spirit was when the men were leading the horses along the plain at night. Seeing the shot of the horizon with the pitch black screen lit up by sudden bolts of radiant light was a perfect way, in my opinion, of showing the silhouette of the figures. (And of course it also helped with the ominous mood). And finally: water. Cheesy though it may have been... watching two horses, so in love (swoon), swim into a pond of lilies was beautiful. I especially enjoyed the way in which the animators chose to view the horses from underneath the surface. What a great job with lighting and angles!

Blog #10: The 1980's

Inspector Gadget, The Wuzzles, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Johnny Quest... the nostalgic cartoons from the decade of my birth are still alive in my memory. Granted, it's difficult to meet up to my expectations after having attached myself to images of David the Gnome and the Gummy Bears, but even these other animations captured my heart in my youth. Growing up, I remember my childhood being bombarded by animated images on screen. Particularly at this time was a sudden popularization of cartoons made as sequels to box office pictures. (Remember the Ghostbusters?) To me, many of these images just kind of merged together. It was rare for one particular cartoon to draw my attention at this time. Instead, I like to think of them all as reminiscent of a past era: the 1980's.

While there are so many animations to speak of, I'd like to point out a few particular ones. Johnny Quest. This boy had talent like no other. He was smart and adventurous, going on adventures with his father, Race, Haji, and his dog, Bandit. What a clever gang they made! Johnny was like a young Indiana Jones, always traveling to new places and meeting interesting people. Though the original cartoon premiered in the mid 1960's, it continued through to the 90's; but was well-recognized in the 80's. Why did I enjoy this one so much? Because it was thrilling! As a child, and even now, I have loved adventure! It was also educational in many respects (afterall, we are dealing with Dr. Benton Quest... do you not think he wouldn't teach us a thing or two through all his travels?)

Another thrilling cartoon was Inspector Gadget. This one, though, was a bit more directed toward the younger crowd. Inspector Gadget most definitely had one of the greatest suits ever built. Heck - he even had a hat with a mechanical hand that could extend outward! His gadgets were made all the better because the Inspector, himself, couldn't operate them all too well. This cartoon certainly made for a good number of laughs.

Alvin and the Chipmunks... what ever happened to this one? The one thing I never understood about this cartoon was how Dave was able to adopt three chipmunks to raise as sons. In other cartoons the animal/human combination works. However this one always seemed a little off with three chipmunks, the size of young boys, interacting completely with humans. What I enjoyed about this one was how Alvin always seemed to come up with some wise idea that would never end up too well. It was nice to see three brothers, each completely different from the others, working together.

Finally, to sum up the 1980's, The Wuzzles. This is the cartoon that everyone seems to ask: "do you remember that one with the weirdo animals - like a part lion/part bee... what was it called??" The Wuzzles, though the title is often a difficult one to remember, was a cartoon well-liked. It was so unique because composite creatures (such as "Bumblelion") were basically the characters, formed out of some heightened imagination of an animator, in their own little made up world. Cute!

Now for a question to pose to the class: is the Adventures of the Little Koala the one with the bear outside the girls' window, eating eucalyptus?

See if you remember all of the cartoons that the 1980's had to offer : http://www.spiffyentertainment.8m.com/80sToons.html

Blog #9: Being Tiny

Ah Fifel... it has been so long since I've seen An American Tale. Today's class brought back some great memories. My favorite thing about this animation is how the perspective is no longer that of a human - but something much smaller. By focusing the story on mice, the creators of this film had some amazing challenges in the way they decided to present the piece. At the same time, by working on such a small scale, there was an immense amount of creativity that came into play.

The life of the Mousekewitz family and their furry friends parallelled that of human immigrants. In one scene, animators would quickly show a glimpse of human life and then turn immediately to the life of the mice. For instance, when people were boarding the immigration ship in Germany, a line of mice were busy doing the same thing, scurrying up the ropes and onto the vessel.

Once having arrived in America, it was interesting to note the choices of materials used for things such as podiums in mice rallys, etc... Animators had such an array of possibilities in illustrating the cohabitation of people and animals here! Trash, (like empty soap boxes or canned goods), came into play a great deal, for instance. The adjustment of scale was incredible.

There were just so many fun things going on in this film. No wonder kids are especially attracted to this one. To get away from the cats, for example, Fifel hops on an old rollerskate which whisks him away much like a sleigh would a person. It seems that in order to make believable mouse characters, though, they have to be based on something an audience would already be familiar with: ourselves.

Not only do the mice have clothing and certain hairstyles, but they act very human-like in their entire manner. They have rallys to protest against the cats, they drink, swindle, and play instruments! Interestingly, even the pigeon's wings are drawn in resemblance to hands in order to believably hold a coin.

Now there is one thing that I might like to find different... why, when all else is scaled according to mouse size, are the instruments so well proportioned? I would rather see some additional creativity coming into play here. How about using some thumb tacks with strings attached to make some noise?

Overall, An American Tale does a phenomenal job with presenting history to its audience in a small-scale way. Animators had a lot to play with here and it's obvious that they took advantage of all they could. The appeal, therefore, is greatly seen in the film's ability to adjust viewers' perspective in a new and interesting fashion.

Blog #8: Wicked

How has evil been portrayed in animations over the years? To me, this is such an intriguing question. So many of those classic Disney films, the ones I remember as a child, show frightening female characters as the evil villain. When thinking back on those films, one can recognize some similar characteristics that are reused in following films to sustain a familiar wicked opponent.

In the last film we watched in class, Snow White, the character whose purpose was to send shivers down the audience's spine was that unforgettable evil queen. There are so many things that stood out about this one woman. Her height, for instance, makes her loom overhead, creating an automatic concept of intimidation. That dark wardrobe of hers, complete with a long cloak to hide her figure, makes her seem as if she may not even be human afterall. Perhaps the most demonic episode of all was when she transformed into a haggard old lady. As she set to work, weaving her spell, her lofty voice suddenly became raspy while her long fingers became wrinkled and her long dark hair turned ghost white. The evil queen is simply loaded with visual characteristics that mark her as the villain. Also, the fact that she's the complete opposite of Snow White makes her rather interesting.

Very similar to the evil queen are characters like the stepmother from Cinderella, Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), and Ursula (The Little Mermaid). The stepmother and Maleficent are very similar in the way they present themselves - a height to tower over others and pointed features (like those high cheekbones), creating an almost regal persona. Their voices seem almost enchanting with the deep, soothing tone and eloquent pronunciation. Ursula, on the other hand, while not the most attractive figure, still retains this sense of cold superiority. All three figures have a certain costume that enhances their dark personality. What interests me the most, however, is how each of these evil ladies is accompanied by some sort of animal. Cinderella's stepmother constantly strokes her cat, Maleficent's crow perches itself on her shoulder, and Ursula is joined by her two eels. These animals don't always come with a fan club. Rather, they are known for their sly qualities and, therefore, suit their owners well.

These wicked ladies are unforgettable for their sense of drama and their abilities to frighten our poor. innocent Disney princesses. It is interesting to mark the similarities that can be found in creating the evil stereotype associated with their characters. Features such as theirs have remained around for quite a while, especially until other animation companies churned out their own visions of evil.

Blog #7: Environmentally Friendly Cartoons

Alas, I am sick today. And interestingly I found myself doing the same thing I've done since I was a child... when I don't feel well, I do whatever I can to make myself feel better. To go along with our animation class, I rank watching cartoons to be very important in the healing process. To be honest, a lot of the newer cartoon series don't interest me these days. Where I used to turn to Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, or the Disney Channel, I now instead choose to watch programs on Boomerang. It seems that the Smurfs, for one, are always on! What a happy time it is to watch little blue creatures run about the forest. The Smurfs got me thinking again about the type of shows I miss from my childhood. I then realized that many of the cartoons I enjoyed could be grouped into a category such as, "environmentally friendly cartoons."

What is it about the caring for little creatures and plants and such that captures my attention more than just some basic gag-filled animation? Now, granted, I may not be qualified as a "tree-hugger," but it's shows like Captain Planet that really make my day. Still at the top of my list, however, remains David the Gnome. There was a certain lesson gained through each episode on loving and respecting nature.

David and his forest friends pull the viewers in and give them a glimpse of what it's like to be directly affected by so many of the things caused by outside forces such as humans. They show what it's like for such a variety of creatures to get along. Granted, a tale like this is very much dependent on imagination. The value comes in the important lessons to be learned. To me, it's shows like this one that I believe have impacted the way I view our surroundings.

It's not just short animations that have such themes of environmental awareness, though. Bambi is one particular full-length animation that pulls at the heart-strings of its audience. This type of emotion is all the more enhanced considering that its main subjects are all animals.

Now for a question in case anyone knows... what was that cartoon where the girl skunk is gased and her little animal friends go to help save her? I may not remember the film's name, but the message in the animation stays clear in my mind: humans have great power - the power to do harm, but also the power to do good.