Analysis of existing animations (P1, P2, M1, D1)

Analysis of existing animations (P1, P2, M1, D1)

Understand the types and uses of animations

2D Animation

2D animation consists of making hundreds of drawings, then animating them by playing them in rapid succession. It’s the most popular and common form of animation and has been used for decades over many different media sectors. Walt Disney is often given the credit for making 2D animations with the creation of Mickey Mouse. However, he was not the first person to come up with 2D animation, as the very first animation was called Fantasmagorie made by Emile Cohl. It was made entirely in black and white and consists of a simple stick man. This 75-second animation was released in 1908, 20 years before The Mickey Mouse Steamboat Willie.

Traditionally, 2D animations are made by drawing a subject, then making another drawing of the subjects with a very subtle change in order to make the illusion that there is movement. These all used to be drawn on clear sheets called ‘Cels’, and each element was drawn on a different cel sheet and they all were layered on top of each other infront of a background, back before 2D animation was digitised.

Some more examples of 2D animation throughout the years include

Totoro (1988)

This would of been painted onto sheets of cel, as it was made before the animation industry was digitised.

Totoro is also a Japanese Animation, targeted really towards children, although it can be enjoyed by any age. Whilst Hayao Miyazaki (the director) has his own distinctive style, it still can be linked in with the classic Anime style of big eyes and small noses and mouths, which can be compared to the western animation style of looking more realistic and comic book like.

For the film Totoro, the 2D animation style enhances the innocent and child-like manner of the film as animations tend to be linked with cartoons and children’s TV shows. By using 2D animation to narrate a story about old Japanese folklore, it creates a sort of fairytale like atmosphere to the film in its entirety.

(Photo referenced from Pinterest / Video referenced from YouTube)

Claymation

Compared with other techniques of animation, claymation is fairly recent and new. The first claymation feature length film Chicken Run can out 60 years later than the first cel animation feature film, Snow White. Chicken Run came out in the year 2000. However it’s not the first film ever to use the concept of claymation. In 1908, the film The Sculptures Nightmare was the first film ever to use the idea of claymation. and since then there have been many other popular feature films to come out in that medium, such as:

• Coraline
• Monkeybone
• ParaNorman
• Wallace and Gromit

However, whilst the first feature length claymation film wasn’t released till the year 2000, the art form dates back to 1897. This was when plasticine was created and then went on to become the standard claymation clay to be used for most films. Claymation is very similar to stop-motion animation. It involves making a model out of plasticine and moving it ever so slightly and taking a picture. Once this process is repeated several hundred or thousand times, it gives to illusion of movement.

Arguably one of the most popular claymation films is Coraline made in 2009.

This is a 1 hour and 40 minute feature film, made entirely out of claymation.

Claymation isn’t as popular in more western countries such as Japan. Japans specialty is more in their 2D animation skills, and their manga adaptations, meaning they don’t tend to put as much money into other mediums such as claymation, so they don’t produce any feature length films using this technique.

(Photo referenced from Google / Video referenced from YouTube)

The use of claymation animation is extremely effective when it comes to the film Coraline. The visual aesthetics of the technique such as the movements and the over all look characters. The stop motion movement of the characters really adds to the eeriness and uneasiness of the entire film and conforms to the horror conventions.  

M1

Suitability for Target Audience - Totoro

Totoro is mainly targeted towards younger children, but may be enjoyed by adults and teenagers too. The official genres are Family and Fantasy and those genres really shine through throughout the film. Totoro essentially is a comforting film with no specific content which would make it inappropriate for some viewers meaning families can watch it together without worrying about the age rating. And on top of that, Totoro is rich in fantasy elements such as magical creatures, spirits,  and mystical events, meaning it really lives up to the fantasy genre. 

Gender - As it’s a child's film which is not focused on any stereotypical gendered events or topics, any gender should be able to enjoy this animation. The main subjects of the film are two girls, but considering the very young target audience, it shouldn’t make influence  on whether or not young boys will watch it.

Race - Whilst there is no variety of races represented in the film, it is a film made in Japan where there is a lack of varying races, especially in1988. Despite this fact, the film doesn’t blatantly hate against any race, meaning everyone should be able to enjoy.

Age - Totoro is advertised as a young children’s film due to its childlike themes around spirits and Japanese Urban Legends, however there’s no reason as to why older children and adults can’t watch it as its quite a comforting and cute film that older audiences may come back to in order ti wind down, or for nostalgic reasons.

Class - The subject of class doesn’t matter at all within the animation as its a fantasy film. Theres nothing in the film that only a certain class will understand or relate to, meaning it's enjoyable for everyone. Furthermore the film is part of the fantasy genre, this way no one feels left out due to another group of people being able to relate to events occurring, as no one can relate to events taking place.

Ethnicity - The film is made in Japan, and is an exhibition of Japanese culture and folk tales, yet even of you’re not Japanese, you can still enjoy the film as its not very confusing to people of different cultures due to the lack of proper plot.

Secondary Target audience - Totoro

This film can have quite a broad secondary audience as the film can be enjoyed by pretty much everyone. The film is a representation of Japanese folklore which are stories told by many and passed down from older people to generations, therefore this film can really be enjoyed by anyone as its also an illustration of Japanese tradition.

Suitability for Target Audience - Coraline

This film is catered towards older children and adults due to its sinister and scary undertones. Coraline is within the family and horror genre and when you watch the film you can clearly see the horror themes. The entire film has an eerie feeling around it which is enhanced by the colours and the character designs even the dialogue. Although there’s no explicitly inappropriate scenes meaning that families including all ages are able to watch it together.

Gender - This film is enjoyable for any gender as it doesn’t focus on a specific stereotypical gender topic of event. The main character is a female which may appeal more to girls as they get to watch a film where the main interest is of the same gender as them, this shouldn’t effect the interest of the male audience as there are also lead roles of the male gender too.

Race - Any race could enjoy this film as there are characters who represent other races, such as Wybie being a person of colour. There are also characters of other nationalities included as well, for example: Mr. Bobinsky is Russian. The diversity of the film makes it more appealing to wider audiences as people would be more likely to watch and enjoy if their race and nationality is represented.

Age - Coraline is suitable for most ages, however younger audiences such as young children may be less inclined to watch it due to its creepy, sinister nature. However older children may be able to enjoy this film despite the horror genre as its not as gruesome and graphic as live action films would be per-say.

Class - This film has no themes or instances that only a certain class can relate to therefore any class is able to enjoy watching. The film would fit into the fantasy genre so a lot of the events taking place, no one would be able to relate to. This means that the audience can relate to one another with the idea that neither of them can relate to the events taking place.

Ethnicity - Theres no reason as to why other ethnicities won’t be able to enjoy this film as once again there are no specific cultures broadcasted in the film that others may not be aware of. In fact it doesn’t broadcast any specific cultural content at all.

Secondary Target audience - Coraline

The secondary audience for this film would most likely be the parents or the older siblings of the primary target audience. As this film contains aspects of the horror genre, it would be most likely that the primary target audience would ask that their parents or older siblings to sit down and watch the film with them. Due to this fact, the film also caters towards an older audience, whether it's down to dialogue, content or moral ideas.

2D animation Pros and Cons table:

Positives	Negatives
Lower in cost - This factor is dependant on your art style, but overall its a lot cheaper than 3D animation. This is Due to the advancements in technology meaning it doesn’t all need to be drawn frame by frame which saves time and therefore money.	Less in demand - With the development of technology, 3D animation has become more in demand. 2D is still popular, but people prefer 3D nowadays.
Has gotten quicker to produce - With the arrival of newer softwares for producing animations, the process of producing 2D animations has gotten faster and more accessible to all.	Time consuming - Traditional cel based animation involves drawing every movement frame by frame which takes an extremely long time. However that said, developments in software has made this process a bit quicker.
Software advancements - Newer softwares and technology are no where near as strenuous as the old time machines that used to be used for making animations meaning they get done quicker, and also cheaper	Less dynamic - movements in 3D animation can look a lot less dynamic when animated in 2D as its quite difficult to draw frame by frame a movement from multiple different angles.
Story Focused - 3D animations could distract audiences with the environments and camera movements, whereas with 2D animation, audiences an be a lot more focused on the story at hand	More skill required - With 2D animation, you’re required to have some level of anatomical and artistic skill, whereas with 3D animation, you just need to learn how the programmes work and you don’t need a lot of artistic ability.

Claymation table of Pros and Cons:

Positives	Negatives
Inexpensive - With experiences stop motion animators, and clay designers, you can save money on time and resources. Stop motions may take a while to shoot, but once the frame is prepared, the movements can be done quickly and efficiently with the right team.	Clay can either dry out or melt if left out in certain conditions - If your models get too hot, they could melt, and if there’s too much air, they could dry out. Either way the models are ruined as you can’t move them correctly any more and you need to restart.
You can use real objects to save time - Commonly, real objects are used in claymations in order to save time, and also enhance the quality fo the film. These items include things like foot products, leaves, grass etc. This makes set design a lot easier.	Time consuming - Just like 2D animation, claymations also need to be done frame by frame. For a smooth movement, many photos need to be taken of slight movements of the models meaning one second of footage takes a long time to achieve.

Digitised animation is used in many media sectors such as:

• Film
• Gaming
• Advertisements
• Education
• Marketing
• Entertainment (TV series)
• Sciences

And with the development of digital animation, it’s become easier to do so.

American and Japanese animation 

Hallmarks of Japanese animation are distinctively large eyes with numerous reflective highlights and detailed colour, as well as small noses and mouths drawn with minimal lines; even certain styles that favour unrealistically broad, generous mouths depict them using few lines. The style itself uses many angles and flowing attenuated lines. Other features such as eyelashes, hair, and clothing are depicted in greater detail. Colour often appears with more variants and shading, with greater attention paid to non-outlines highlights and shadows that add more depth.

Japanese animation very often makes use of exaggerated angles, prospectives, and zooms to intensify the mood of a scene and show actions to extreme effect.

In Japan, anime can be for children or adults, and some Japanese imports have surprised some parents who discover Japanese animation’s more mature nature. What is appropriate for children and adults can differ between two cultures; appropriate for a 10-year-old in Japan may not be considered appropriate for an American 10-year-old. 

(Refereced from Pinterest)

American animation either falls into attempts at comic-book-style realism or grossly exaggerated, comically cartoonish characters with rounded, highly exaggerated features. There are usually fewer details, with more focus on using tricks of style to imply the detail in a subtler, more understated fashion. Less attention is paid too shading than to solid block colours, except in dramatic scenes that require it.

American animation tends to use straight-on camera shots, less concerned with cinematic angles and dramatics than with clearly depicting the events, though there are expectations to that rule.

IN America, animated cartoons and films have long been considered more of a medium for children, and most animation produced in America is targeted for that audience.

(Referenced from IMDB)

While American animation may seem to lack in the colour detail, it includes a great deal of original animated motion - some of it used cyclically but still animated painstakingly frame by frame. In contrast, anime employs shortcuts, such as long scenes in which only the mouth of a character and maybe a few strands of hair move during the delivery of key information or when depicting rapid motion with a character frozen in an action pose against a swift-moving, stylised background that does not require extensive animation. They often use dramatic still shots against patterned backgrounds, with a few moving emotive symbols accompanying a monologue. This is why American animators sometimes label Japanese anime as ‘lazy’. Both styles reuse shots and sequences, but this practice is a stylistic element indicative of Japanese animation.

Beyond that, the differences aren’t really so great. Both seem to tell a story in an animated medium, using digital as well as traditional methods. Both use exaggeration to emphasise the emotion in character actions, as well as other techniques like anticipation, well-timed music, and squash and stretch to accentuate drama or humour. Both follow the basic principles of animation and require a dedication to the craft.

Comparison of Digital animations

Animation	Attack on Titan - Japanese	Tangled - American
Studio	WIT & MAPPA Studios	Disney Studios
Age Rating	15	PG
Themes	Attack on Titan contains themes of War, Violence, Death and Strong language. However among these themes, the reoccurring message of the show is to never give up and keep fighting int he face of adversity.	Tangled contains Fantasy themes and potential themes of romance. Perhaps even a tiny hint of horror, but just enough for it to stay a children’s film. Overall the message portrayed in Tangled is look out for the superficiality of mankind, and how in order to gain trust and popularity, people will pretend to be something their not.
Characters	The visuals of the characters in Attack on Titan are very stereotypical in terms of the Anime look. The characters have typically larger, detailed eyes; paired with small noses and mouths. They also have an overall 2D look with little to no ‘shading’ and block colours.	The character design in tangled, on paper could be similar with the large eyes, small noses and mouths. However the male characters seem to me more anatomically correct with relatively proportioned faces. As well as proportions, the colouring/shading process is very different compared to the Japanese style as it is completely rendered in a 3D space.
Enviroments	Whilst being a 2D animation, the environments for Attack on Titan are insanely detailed as the backgrounds don’t need to be animated so they can spend more time on them.. These include forests, towns, fields and interiors. The show is set in the past, so the environments and furnishing look aged.	Similarly, the Tangled environments are Forest and towns set in past eras. However the difference is that the backgrounds are also rigged in 3D so it gives the characters a chance to really interact with their surroundings without the animations having to create a separate 2D entity for the characters to interact with.
Narrative	The plot of Attack on Titan centers on a civilization inside three walls, the last location where humans still live. Over one hundred years ago, humanity was driven to the brink of extinction after the emergence of humanoid giants called Titans, who attack and eat humans on sight.	Tangled tells the story of Rapunzel, a lost, young princess with magical long blonde hair who wants to leave her secluded tower in order to see the lanterns that are released on the lost princesse’s birthday

Gaming

Since 3D animation has become more advanced and accessible to people, lots of game companies are taking this as an opportunity to improve gaming graphics and experiences. Unlike 2D animated games which contain sprites played sequentially over the period of the game, the animations in 3D games consist of an influencing armature on the vertices of a 3D model. An armature is a set of digital 3D bones which allows you to rig up, and move a 3D model. This allows animators to get as realistic movements as possible when creating characters such as their idle pose or running.

Genshin Impact is an open world, action, RPG (role playing game) in which players are allowed to control one of four interchangeable pre-made characters in the party in which you can choose the characters to deploy. Switching characters can be done quickly during combat, which allows players to use several different combinations of skills and attacks.

Whilst the game is widely single player, co-op options are available for player to be able to play with friends.

The game was released on all platforms (except Nintendo Switch) on September 28th 2020 by the Chinese game company miHo Yo. The age rating for Genshin impact is 12+ because it features depictions on non-realistic looking violence towards human-like and nonhuman-like characters. Characters occasionally let out pained cries and stumble backwards, although no visible, graphic injuries are shown.

Genshin Impacts genres include: (All images referenced from Google)

Open World - This means that players can explore the world and approach objectives freely compared to more structured and linear gameplay. Genshin Impact has beautiful graphics, and an enormous open world which contains materials, chests, shops and enemies which players can freely engage and interact with. 

Action - Action games emphasise the physical challenges within the gameplay. This could include skills like hand-eye coordination (depending on what platform you play on) and reaction time. Characters in Genshin Impact use their allocated weapons (Swords, bows, rapiers) and can periodically use special elemental skills which allows them to deal more damage for certain amounts of time to an opponent. 

Role Playing Game (RPG) - These are a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for these actions within the games narrative and plot. In this case, with Genshin Impact, it involves a process of structural decision making regarding character development. This means, when taking part in story like quests, when talking to characters, you get multiple choice answers in conversation.  

3D animation is perfect for a video game with these genres and this level of detail. It allows them to create insanely detailed scenery for the most realistic/pleasurable experience possible.

By 3D animating the characters you can utilise the armature (digital skeleton) in order to make poses and animations realistic to human movement. It would also be easier and less time consuming as you wouldn’t have to draw frame by frame the walk cycle and the battle animations.

The evolution of 3D animation has improved the way in which 3D games look. It has allowed them to become even more realistic in every aspect such as movements, character design and environments. However even if a game isn’t going for an extremely realistic look, improved 3D animations software has allowed them to go into extreme detail on things like costume designs, textures and the fluidity of movements.

Simulations - 3D animation

Once again, due to 3D animation becoming more realistic looking and accessible, training simulations used in areas where real-life training is dangerous or are unable to be controlled, are becoming more common. For example, training individuals for professions such as military personnel, piloting and firefighting would be much more efficient when done with 3D simulations. This way, no one is put in danger, and no money is wasted on machinery and fuel which can easily become damaged in the training process.

With the constant progression of the quality of 3D animation programmes, training simulations are becoming more realistic, and are even able to accurately recreate situations which trainees may need to be prepared for. This means trainees are able to get a close to the real thing as possible, without the need for constantly repairing expensive machinery (if needed) and mistakes made don’t have the opportunity to cause any injury.

Below is a video of the L3Harris Full Flight Simulator, which is used as a part of pilot training. The simulated scenarios are highly detailed which gives the trainees the closest possible feeling to the real thing, which will inevitably will make the shift to flying real airplanes a lot smoother, rather than training on a lot older, less realistic simulations.