Kitee Lui Hiu Ling (1020198)
How animations instill message to the public?
Animation has been very popular in the last few decades, the sphere of animation spread through the world quickly. In US, we have a very popular animation—The Simpsons which centered the story of a five members family. After it was premiered on the 14th 1990, over 250 episodes ran still, the TV program which lasted for 22 minutes became the longest running series on television in the prime time, has fans all over the world including adults. The TIME magazine included Bart Simpson on its list of the top 100 cultural and influential figures of the century. Moreover, it also became the subject of three Master Degrees, there were serious articles and books written on the subject. In US, some catchphrase like “Don’t have a cow, man” and “Underachiever and proud of it” have become part of the vocabulary. It seems that The Simpsons is a very element of the society and culture.[1] In addition, Walt Disney also produced many famous animations like Snow White, Finding Nemo and Mickey Mouse which were very success worldwide demonstrated animation’s potential as a medium. Many tie-in products were made, and theme parks over the world created a paradise for children.The Taiwan International Animation Festival( TIAF) is a very strong evidence of howanimation is working in the region. The TIAF is a growing global event that successfully establish a worldwide reputation, and more and more participants came all over the world in the past four years, reaching a new high of close to 600 from over 30 countries in 2006. The festival also showcases the best animation from both Taiwan and the world that get audience in different aspects. The event also present a mixture of panels and seminars, exhibition and some special functions like free outdoor screening which wish to promote international exchange, advocate creativity to obtain better understanding of animation and encourage discussions between professionals, filmmakers and viewers.[2] The animation culture is developing rapidly in Taiwan.
In Japan, there is a very well-received animator Miyazaki who is also the creator of many popular animations like Spirited away. His special interest in recurring themes like human relation with nature and technology, and the difficulties of maintaining a pacifist ethic make his animation remarkable. His works were highly success overseas. And his achievement helps to establish a sphere of influence of animation in Japan, where is one of the most productive countries of animation.
The above examples convince us that the influence of animation is not regional but worldwide, therefore, it’s really worth spending time studying how the animation culture is having impacts on us. Since this topic may be a bit general which would create a big barrier for us in digging deeply into the topic, so l would like to narrow down my topic and focus on how messages were instilled into people mind. And l would like to illustrate my idea with the example of Spirited Away which is the most favorite animation l ever seen. To start with, it’s better to talk briefly on the story plot. The story centered around a ten-year-old girl—Chihiro who was going to move into a new environment that she felt insecure with. On the way to the new house, she encountered a strange abandoned amusement park where she and her parents find that they reach a dead end in their car. Her parents tried to find the way out and discovered a food shop that displayed watering food accidentally. Her parents decided to eat the food and eventually turned into pigs because they ate up the food that is not belong to them. And then the story move forward on how Chihiro find her life in the mystery place and save her parents. In order to survive, Chihiro has to get a job, she then worked for Yubaba who is a greedy witch with the help of Haku. Finally, peace was restored, everything turn to normal again. As usual, Miyazaki promotes environmental protection in the film. In the movie, there is a scene that the god of river has became the god of dirt, it then came to Chihiro’s work place which is a public bathing house. The reason behind this incident is that people was polluting the river, throwing rubbish like bicycle into the river band. In the story, we can always see that the bathing room which is tailored for god is very crowded. Many gods came to the bathing house for a deep clean. It is because people continuous damage to the environment therefore many of the gods need to take a bath. In this way, the problem in environment issue was brought out through the plot, and it is aim at raising people environmental awareness. Besides this, Miyasaki also want people return to simple, to free themselves from the hylicism of the reality and get into the nature. We can understand the bathing house as an epitome of the society. The god of faceless was just like a peasant from the rural area, simple and pure, polluted by the city with greediness, turning himself into a parasite in the society. He then changed the sand into gold, to temp the staff of the bathing house and swallowed them. The metaphor encouraged people to keep life simple. Also, there is a sharp contrast between Yubaba and her sister that l refer her as Miss Money. For Yubaba, she is rich, she owned a large bathing house, she has a lot of staff working for her, and she has magical power as well that she can stole people’s name to make sure that the person is under her control. It seems that she has the whole world. However, she is not happy, she always keeps her eyes on her money, she is busy with running the bathing house. Even though she own so much, she is not happy indeed. She is suspicious all the time, watching everyone. She is not happy in fact. When Chihiro went to Miss Money, ask for her help to save Haku who has suffered from Yubaba’s spell, there is a very distinct comparison between the two sisters. On the way Chihiro went to Miss Money, we can know that she lived in a remote area, a quite and comfortable environment. Even though there is no gorgeous decoration, no expensive furniture. The little house is lovely and joyful. Miss Money is rest content with her life. Her life is simple and peaceful. Sometime do some needle work, and drink tea as well, everything is ordinary but enjoyable. Miss Money’s satisfaction compare with Yubaba’s ambition, Miyazaki express his opinion on simple life. Yubaba and Miss Money were twins, they look the same outside, but their lives were totally different. The distinction brings out a message that although all of us are only a little part of the world, we have the same needs such as eating, drinking and sleeping. We have the right to choose our own time. Whether to choose a happy time or struggling in the materialistic world, tracing after banded products. Miyazaki tells us that we have choice in making our life, but he is encouraging us to choose the former one by imposing the sharp comparison. The idea that happiness of life is not measure by commodity and material is powerfully instilled into viewers’ mind through the comparison.
Moreover, the story also reveals problems that we may encounter in our daily life. In nowadays world, people are bearing different kinds of pressure, from work, our social relation, love and family. Live is stressful and harsh. Sometimes we may loss ourselves and feel lonely. In Spirited Away, Chihiro is also facing such problem. She found it difficult to get use to the new life. She missed her parent, she wanted to save her parent so badly but there isn’t any way out. She felt helpless and depress. With the help of Haku, she was able to obtain a job in Yubaba’s bathing house so that she can stay and try to save her parents. It is because, in the mystery world, everyone has to work, people without a job is not allow to stay. With the strong will to get her and her parents out of that world that is not belongs to them, she agreed Yubaba’s offer. She is given a job under a condition that she has to give her name to Yubaba in return. In the movie, giving names is not simple telling people your identity. It means that you are giving out your past and memories. So, Chihiro was given another name so that she would eventually forget her past. It seems to the audience that Chihiro was going to lost herself in the mystery world forever. The plot implied that it’s hopeless for Chihiro to back to the past again. However, under Haku’s help, Chihiro is able to grasp her past again, she remembered her name and the happenings. Her strong determination pushed forward her success in getting her and her parents out of the difficult situation. The happy ending act as a very great encouragement to those who feel lost in their life, remind us to be brave and positive towards the unknown future, don’t let any obstacles to hinder our life, to shaken our determination of having a bright future. Miyazaki talked about Spirited Away in an interview, saying that there wasn’t any weapon, no battle with the supernatural powers. It’s no longer about a war of good and evil. It’s about how to survive in the world that full of good and evil, about how to love others, and how to bring our talent into full play. The reason behind Chihiro’s success is not her power to defeat the evil, but her ability to unearth the life-force. The reality is become more and more complicated, there is no clear definition of what is good and what is bad. Therefore, it’s best to illustrate the power of life via animated characters. No matter the reality or the mystery world in Spirited Away, life is full of possibilities.[3] And that’s the main idea that instill into audiences’ mind after enjoying it. The main idea was instilled into minds but there is more and more understanding after reviewing it several times in mind which makes it one of the most successful animations among Miyazaki works. Although the story is very imaginative, but it’s also a very vive reflect on our life that lead us to be in deep though about it afterwards.
In general, public always have a misconception that animation is harmful to people’s moral standard especially teenagers since they are not mature enough to distinguish between good and bad. After watching Miyazaki’s animation specially Spirited Away, l realized that how animation have be educational as well. In his work, there is a hybrid of messages, it deal with environmental protection, attitudes when facing challenges, an encouragement to those feel lost…etc. It is not merely entertainment to kids but also find its potential to grown-up and adults. I think the public should really start to adjust the attitude towards animation and reconsider animation as a mean of delivering healthy messages. I should admit that there is still a lot of animations that promote harmful idea such as violence and amativeness which is something that we should seriously avoid. Yet, if we can make use of the popularity and nature of animation, and make it as a medium of education, it may help to instill positive ideas to children. Parents can also watch together with their children if they are still uncertain about the actual benefit of animation. Select the suitable ones and watch it together, then animation can also serve as a parental activity, provide chance for communication between children and parents which resulted in a double win situation. Once the society is accepting the animation as a mean of education, l am sure that people can understand more on the value of animation and stir up a hit of watching animation.
[1] http://www.snpp.com/other/papers/ak.paper.html
[2] http://www.fpsmagazine.com/blog/2007/03/2007-taiwan-international-animation.php
[3] http://hk.movies.yahoo.com/040219/173/x8f2.html
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Key visual materials
this is a poster of one of the Hayao Miyazaki animation. It's made by Hayao Miyazaki himself in 2001 in Japan. l choose this poster this is one of my favourite animation by Hayao Miyazaki. And l do think that his animation do include educational element.
This is the picture of a magic lantern which is the early device of producing animation. l hope by inserting this image can help people to have more understand about the history of animation.
http://cmplab16.ucr.edu/video/2002/mutoscope/QThigh.html
this is a clip about how a mutoscope work by Jessica Boyle, l hope it can give people a brief idea about how a mutoscrope work to make moving images.
this is a clip about how a mutoscope work by Jessica Boyle, l hope it can give people a brief idea about how a mutoscrope work to make moving images.
this is an a trailer of Ratatouille by Disney-Pixar in 2007, it is an example of modern animation. And by insert this clip l want to show people how advance the technique reach such that everything were so real.
this is the trailer of supermanreturn by warner brothers in 2006. This movie shows how image can be digitalized. And it state how the digital technique help in filmmaking process.
Key quotes
--"For some reason, animated cartoons has a unique appeal to kids, and if we dare to admit it, also to us adults "by Andreas Kristiansen ,Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
Trondheim,2001
--" I think the idea of a traditional story being told using traditional animation is likely a thing of the past" by Jeffrey Katzenbery, Animation, p 131
--"Computer animation is used in art to make some effects you can't make with a pallet. It is used in many professions and can also be a profession it's self." from http://library.thinkquest.org/J002472/what.htm
--"Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive" by Walt Disney in Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, p 13
--" Smoodin argues that cartoons appealed to a wide audience - not just children - and did indeed contribute to public debate about political matters by Smoodin Eric in Animating Culture, p 217
Trondheim,2001
--" I think the idea of a traditional story being told using traditional animation is likely a thing of the past" by Jeffrey Katzenbery, Animation, p 131
--"Computer animation is used in art to make some effects you can't make with a pallet. It is used in many professions and can also be a profession it's self." from http://library.thinkquest.org/J002472/what.htm
--"Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive" by Walt Disney in Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, p 13
--" Smoodin argues that cartoons appealed to a wide audience - not just children - and did indeed contribute to public debate about political matters by Smoodin Eric in Animating Culture, p 217
Bibliography
*Whitehead, Mark. Animation. UK: The Pocket Esential, 2004.(It's a quite useful book)
*John Grant, Le Masters Of Animation, UK:B T Batsford, 2001 (This book may be a bit boring)
*Paul Wells, Understand Animation, UK: Routledge, 1998 ( This book is highly recommanded to read it carefully)
*Norman M Klein,The Life and Death of the American Cartoon,UK: Verso, 1993 ( It gives very comprehensive information, better scan it )
*Giannalberto Bendazzi, One Hundred Years Of Cinema Animation, UK:John Libbey & Company, 1994 (An exhaustive global suevey of animation)
* Jonathan, Clements, Helen McCarthy, A Guide to Japanese Animation since 1917,
US: Stone Bridge Press, 2001(The most up to date guide on anime currently available)
*Kit Laybourne, A Complete Guide To Animated Filmmaking-From Flip Books to Sound Cartoons to 3-D Animation, US:Three Rivers Press, 1998(An ideal reading for those who keen to make their own animation)
*Carole, A Stabile, Mark Hanson, Prime Time Animation, UK:Routledge, 2003 (A brief introduction about animation, easy to read)
*Ollie,Johnston, Frank Thomas, Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, New York: Walt Disney, 1995 ( This looks easy)
*Smoodin, Eric, Animating Culture, US: Rutgers:1993
*John Grant, Le Masters Of Animation, UK:B T Batsford, 2001 (This book may be a bit boring)
*Paul Wells, Understand Animation, UK: Routledge, 1998 ( This book is highly recommanded to read it carefully)
*Norman M Klein,The Life and Death of the American Cartoon,UK: Verso, 1993 ( It gives very comprehensive information, better scan it )
*Giannalberto Bendazzi, One Hundred Years Of Cinema Animation, UK:John Libbey & Company, 1994 (An exhaustive global suevey of animation)
* Jonathan, Clements, Helen McCarthy, A Guide to Japanese Animation since 1917,
US: Stone Bridge Press, 2001(The most up to date guide on anime currently available)
*Kit Laybourne, A Complete Guide To Animated Filmmaking-From Flip Books to Sound Cartoons to 3-D Animation, US:Three Rivers Press, 1998(An ideal reading for those who keen to make their own animation)
*Carole, A Stabile, Mark Hanson, Prime Time Animation, UK:Routledge, 2003 (A brief introduction about animation, easy to read)
*Ollie,Johnston, Frank Thomas, Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, New York: Walt Disney, 1995 ( This looks easy)
*Smoodin, Eric, Animating Culture, US: Rutgers:1993
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