Q1. Animation styles developed over the years have a rich history. What particular style and genre are you most interested in? Explain, analyse and elaborate why you have chosen it.
A.
Even with the vast technological advancements in the field of computers and C.G. animation, the style I’m most interested in would be traditional 2-D animation. I have always been fond of sketching and have been practicing 2-D animation with light boxes and flipbooks for quite a while now. As for the genre I’m most interested in, I’ve been a big fan of Anime, i.e. Japanese animated cartoons since a really young age.
Even though I have also had experience in C.G. animation, I would still choose hand drawn animation as it has a certain effect and feel to it that computer graphics would be unable to replicate. Many animators still stick to hand drawn animation as they feel that they are able to put in more emotion into their animation and also feel that they are able to convey their story in a much easier way by using hand drawn animation.
Q2. Pick the personality of an animated character and explain why and how it is believable to the audiences.
A.
For this question I have chosen Shrek, from the first movie in this series, “Shrek”. Throughout the movie Shrek is portrayed as this grumpy green ogre that wants nothing to do with all the fairytale creatures that have entered his swamp. The character of Shrek is that of a tough grumpy ogre on the outside but on the inside, Shrek actually has a soft core and is considerate. His characteristics are made very believable to the audience as they can easily tell that he was grumpy, angry and didn’t want anyone’s company in the beginning, but he eventually shoes the audience his softer side later on in the movie. This can be easily seen when Shrek in the beginning of the movie shows no regard for the fairytale creatures that have just entered his swamp, and we can also see this when he shows us his disregard for the villagers. This can also be seen by the signs he keeps outside his house to ward off people passing by. His softer side shows when after he rescues Fiona towards the end of the movie and he starts to fall in love with her. This can also be seen with how his relationship with the character “Donkey” builds up through the course of the movie.
Q3. What are the differences between Miyazaki’s films and Western animation? Miyazaki celebrates the quiet moments in a film. What does it mean? Discuss.
A.
The main difference between Miyazaki’s films and western films is the fact that in Miyazaki’s films animation starts before the storyboards are finished and while the storyboards are developing in contrast to American animation where the scripts and storyboards are created first before proceeding with the animation.
Miyazaki’s films are characterized by themes such as environmentalism, pacifism, feminism and the absence of villains. Miyazaki celebrates the quiet moments in a film, letting the audience fully soak in the story and the environment at that particular time. It gives the audience time to fully understand the events that have taken place in the film.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki
Zeke Purushotham 