Animation is defined as the creation of the illusion of motion recorded
in a variety of drawings frame-by-frame. Nowadays, animation has been developed
in several areas such as in games, films and in the world of advertisement. In
the last years Animation has had a huge development since the creation of Willy
which creates the first mass production called cell animation witch is worked
with more than one layer. It is widely seen the representation of animation as
a story film due to the fact that nowadays the technology has help animators to
create a new realistic animation where it can be filmed in the real world. Paul
Wells (1998) categorized animation in two particular groups; orthodox and
experimental animation. He points out the mass production created though cell
animation in huge studios companies in the United States of America such as
Disney or Warner Bros and in Japan with the denominated ‘anime’. Cell animation
can be made by computer tablets or celluloids. Thus, his two categories (orthodox
and experimental animation) are based on animation behind the circumstances of
mass-production and animation “with different creative impulses” (Wells, 1998).
The main aim of this essay is to argument about that animated form can be
categorized.
On the one hand, wells made a table by contrasting both group
categories. First of all, the configuration of these, witch orthodox approaches
include characters with human being or creatures. Most of the cartoons that are
into this area do not have realistic characters, as an example that Wells (1998)
mention is Donal; which the audience can perfectly recognize that it was a
duck; even though it wore a sailor suit and a pith helmet. By contrast,
experimental animation uses the abstract form by the use of shapes and colours
to give rhythm and movement. As an abstract animation, there is no characters
and the viewers have an interaction with the film. It means that this kind of
animation (abstract animation) let the audience create their own meaning by
having a “open text” (Wells. 1998) without giving the resolution of the plot;
due to the fact that abstract form is not narrative.
Furthermore, orthodox animation has a specific continuity as Wells (1998)
states in his book “Understanding animation”. He explained that orthodox
animation is structured as a story of fairy-tale witch its sequences are
following a well-known structure. Its
structure is logically for the audience as it has a continuity by taking as
important the character’s context. However, wells explained the non-continuity
in experimental animation. This type of animation approaches the logistical
structure and it have priority in the use of its techniques.
Following the terms and conditions that Paul Wells (1998) created;
orthodox animation is based on a narrative form while experimental animation is
distinguished for its interpretative form. As the most well-known cartoons (an
example Toy Story) are produced by a linear narrative structure; it means a
story telling with a beginning, plot and end. Thus, orthodox animation bases it
purposes on entertain the audience. That is because they have a specific continuity
established by focusing in the main character by creating comic events or in a problematical situation. On the other hand, aesthetic and non-narrative
form are the principal characteristics in experimental animation. In this case
the audience can interact and take part into the animation by giving their own
meaning and symbolism. How I explained before, it uses the abstract form
instead of characters. Its vocabulary and visual image is created by paints and
shapes “taken as priority abstract forms in motion” (P. Wells, 1998).
Moving to the next point in the terms and conditions of orthodox
animation, it is founded the evolution of context. Orthodox cartoons are presented to draw the attention
of the audience by creating a character and evolving the self-contained
narrative. It is seen in animations made by Disney studios, witch shows the
realism of the real life into animation in order to animate feelings. Graham
suggested that the animators should pay attention in films of live action and
animated movement. By contrast, experimental animation goes in detail in the
evolution of materiality such as the use of colours, textures, shapes and the
materials that compose its animation work.
It is because experimental animation is focused on what these elements
(colors, shapes, textures, etc.) causes on the audience. Colours have a large
scale and each one interacts with the mood state; for instance, red is related
with angry or light blue witch is related with a peaceful or thoughtful mood.
In the way of thinking, narrative stories connect plot actions requiring a
logical thinking. Otherwise, the right hemisphere of the brain has a relation
with abstract animation in other to process the data that it is given. In tic
se the audience is able to perceive all the elements in the composition and
have a clear understanding of the design of the animation.
In experimental animation is seen the variety of styles that the artist
wants to incorporate. Artist will make the animation from their point of view
facilitating the audience a successful understanding of the facts. On the other
hand, the main aim of the orthodox animation is the unity of style. It means
that animation remains constant although, it uses conventions, a variety of
color and scenic designs. Orthodox animation lets the audience to believe a
change of the perspective for develop of the character. An example is the
adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm of Halas & Batchelor. It is
represented the animals realistically, in a different way that Disney studios
did. Hanna-Barbera studio helped to give continuity in the expressive
vocabulary.
Continuing with orthodox animation, the absence of the artist is crucial
in its work because this category works into the industrial production trying
to give to the audience what they want. Consequently, the main purpose of the
animation is the story and the characteristics of its characters as well as the
tone of voice used, instead of the personally approaches of the artist. However,
the presence of the artist is particularity significant in the experimental
animation due to the fact that these animations are made from imagination and
originality personal ideas of the artist. It is clear that experimental
animation is predetermined as an abstraction form. Thus, the artist
incorporates their own perspective and try to attract the audience on the
dream-state witch is related to philosophic and spiritual concerns.
The last category that Paul Wells (2006) explains is dynamics of dialogue
and dynamics of musically. Orthodox animation stands out by its dialogue,
indicating the beginning of an action or moments of conflict. The verbal
expression in orthodox animation as well as the soundtrack are well known in
woks by Disney and Warner Bros studios. These two studios have a huge
difference in soundtrack. Disney’s soundtrack is symphonic, poetic and
classical while Warner Bros is cacophonic; meaning of urban and with high
impact in its vocabulary; as example of Warner Bros production is the Bugs
Bunny character. Dynamics of musicality are particular from experimental
animation because of the fact that its relationship between abstraction and
music creates a different eye caption that orthodox animation do not make. The
rhymes, shapes and colors of the animation provoke to the audience a variety of
sense of emotions. As Wells (1998) said “orthodox animation is about ‘prose’
while experimental animation is more ‘poetic’ and suggestive in its intention”.
To conclude, animation can be categorized in two general groups because
of the distinctive form between narrative animation and abstract animation.
These are general categories due to the fact that they can be sub-categorized
by different methods and techniques of production of the animation. Thus, Paul
Wells’s categories are a clear understanding of what involves animation and its
relationship with reality, music, context, characters and artist.
REFERENCES
Furniss, M. (2007) Art in motion: Animation aesthetics. Eastleigh, UK:
John Libbey Cinema and Animation.
Liu, X., Mao, X., Yang, X., Zhang, L. and Wong, T.-T. (2013)
‘Stereoscopizing cell animations’, ACM Transactions on Graphics, 32(6), pp.
1–10.
Neupert, R. (1999) Reviews. Screen 40 (4) pp. 467-471
Selby, A. (2009) Animation in process. Laurence King Publishing Ltd,
London
Wells, p. (1998) Understanding Animation. Routledge, London
Wells, P. (2006) The Fundamentals of Animation. AVA Publishing SA,
London
Whitley, D. (2013) The idea of nature in Disney animation. United Kingdom:
Ashgate Publishing.
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