Identifying Animations 12: Dimensions of Dialogue

"Dimensions of Dialogue" is a Czechoslovakian animated film, directed by Jan Svankmajer. The film was released on 1982 and has won 3 major awards, along with Terry Gilliam's personal selection of being one of the 10 best animated films of all time. Like most of Svankmajer's films, "Dimensions of Dialogue" is animated using the technique of stop-motion, and is divided in three parts: "Eternal Conversation", "Passionate Discourse", and "Exhaustive Discussion". These three parts are all abstract representations of human interaction, as the abstruse and cryptic meaning behind the animation resolves around the pessimistic impossibility of true communication and understanding. During the first part, 3 Arcimboldo-like humanoid creatures composed of different parts (one metallic, one paper, and another made from vegetables) take turns in devouring each other before spitting themselves out in new and disassembled forms. This segment dwells upon the aspect of people within a society: the most organic and primal of people, the scholarly and intellectual layers, and the most mechanical, all of which acquire the same appearance an the end of the action which insinuates the biological unity that hides behind all of our accolades. We are all humans. The second part explores the concept of communication between significant others, where going through the amorous ritual of sexuality and the barbaric discourse of misunderstanding grants the same outcome: both lovers meld together beyond recognition, however, one suggesting unity and the other destruction. Thus, the last segment ruminates upon the difficulties of compatible language and interests among humans, as there is more misunderstanding in absurd communication than there is comprehensibility. Less matches, more mismatches...

"Dimensions of Dialogue" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JitQGpTwUyY

Identifying Animations 11: Escalade

"Escalade" is an animated short produced by the studio Birdo, scripted by Paulo Muppet. The film is done using both 2D and 3D techniques of animation, giving it a smooth flow of movement. The blocks differentiate themselves from the characters in terms of relative dimension, insinuating weight and physical consistency, while the characters appear more agile. Furthermore, the selective use of colouring (which are two complementary colors - yellow and purple) aesthetically appeals to the human mind, as a sense of perspective is created with the shading of the two colors. Although very short, the animation effectively portrays an aspect of the human ego through a cartoonish allegory - the insatiable urge to validate one's prideful "superiority". By inconsiderately striving only to surpass another, the main character keeps on stacking blocks (which are eviscerated from the very land that houses him and the rest) without caring about the damage those missing blocks would cause to the "island". With this, a symbolic parallel is drawn: the island being the environment of Earth, the blocks being its resources, while the vertical stacks present personal possession. Sadly, this is what our society has been reduced to, thus the animation elaborates on the issue in a very playful manner. Are we all so egoistic?

"Escalade" - https://vimeo.com/36549221

Identifying Animations 10: Everything That Will Kill You... From A to Z

"Everything That Will Kill You... From A to Z" is one of the many animated shorts supplied by College Humor. The animation introduces Death as a character who narrates all the things that are detrimental to the life of humans in a whimsically-grotesque version of an alphabetical song. Furthermore, the deep baritone voice of Death adds to the cynical yet playful atmosphere of the animation, making him an appealing yet frightening character. The short is created with computer animation, although all elements are drawn with a thin pencil tool and then manipulated as puppet-symbols. In other words, the characters are not redrawn every frame individually, as is the case with traditional animation (for example, Loony Tunes). The purpose of the animation is to portray and belabor the harmful elements of the 21st century society in which consumerist products are filled with chemical compounds for productive services. And all of this is done with a smile on Death's face.

"Everything That Will Kill You... From A to Z" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPz9Fcvb1II

Identifying Animations 9: Storytime

"Storytime" is an animated film, directed and animated by Terry Gilliam. The animation was done with a stop-motion technique, where cut-outs of art sketches are fused together by only the purest stream-of-consciousness train. Furthermore, it is a unique piece of animation for it distinguishes itself by the referential inter-titles that intrude on the narrative, making it chaotic. The film is a compilation of three small animation segments which Terry Gilliam has created, which displays his distorted view of life which stems from his whimsical and overactive imagination. Although it may seem as it is purely comical at random, the animation uses aspects of every-day social activity in a parodical and symbolic manner. For example, during the second segment "The Albert Einstein Story", people of different classes are associated with hands and feet, the former being aristocrat, and the latter more bourgeoisie. Gossip is spread around like wildfire as the feet are seen as dirty, right before a transition to a dance queue is done, preserving the whimsicality of the animation. Moreover, Terry Gilliam's style of animation is eternally linked with "Monty Python's Flying Circus", which makes this piece a pre-Pythonesque segment of comedy that would appease anyone who's familiar with "Monty Python". It's Terry's brilliance that places this animation in a new, quantum genre of comedy.

"Story Time" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXW9b9O9S6A

Identifying Animations 8: The Sand Castle

"The Sand Castle" is a canadian stop-motion animated short directed by Co Hoedeman, released in 1977. The animation has won several international awards, as well as the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 50th Academy Awards, making it a successful and entertaining animation. As in stop-motion different props used consolidate a different visual aspect of scenery, "The Sand Castle" features foam rubber puppets and malleable figurines covered with sand, whose "limbs" are made with bendable wire from beneath, and along this technique of puppet making, the film also incorporates sand animation. Furthermore, the visual aspect of the animation is quite appealing as it is duo-chrome with two aesthetically complementary colors (blue and orange). Although the animation features no dialogue, the philosophical concept hides behind the whimsical flow of the plot. As it takes time for the humanoid character to create morphing animals from sand which then all work together to build a mini-civilization, the end of the animation signifies the meaning behind all the exuberance. Wind blows, and destroys the castle, which reverts the desert scenery back to its primal state (like the beginning of the animation), which provokes the audience to assume that after everything simmers down, the characters will resurface and continue the same cycle. In other words, the animation expresses a motive of existentialism: the absurdity and despair of monotony.

"The Sand Castle" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA0doO0vG-Q

Animation Project: Pixilation Research

Segment from personal sketchbook

The principles of animation apply to the technique of pixilation. The equipment required for the production of pixilation animations is not versatile, as frequently the only tool animators use to produce such a film is a camera.

Examples of Pixilation:

"Sledgehammer" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJWJE0x7T4Q
- Effective use of a profound color palette
- Intertwining stop-motion along with pixilation
- Light-flicker omitted, assuring smoothness of illusion

"Neighbours", Norman McLaren, 1952 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YAYGi8rQag
- Sound effects complement action
- Live-action video intertwined with pixilation

Two general genres of pixilation:

- Personal Films
- Music Videos

Pixilation research from personal sketchbook

Animation Project: Pixilation Storyboard

Among the many projects we have (and will be assigned in the future) is the very first active attempt at making an animation using one of the dated techniques artist have utilized to make their own animations in the past. What I'm talking about is pixilation. Pixilation is a stop-motion technique where live actors are used as subjects for creating animations which are done by taking frame after frame. In a way, the actors mimic the effectiveness of puppets used for animation. For our project, incipiently, we were to devise a storyboard which would channel and develop our ideas into representations of what our pixilation animations are to look like. I personally chose to explore the concept of Predator VS. Prey (given the choice of 4 concepts which we are to explore), and am intertwining the relationship with the notion of The Food Chain, where the meek is prayed upon the strong, up until the formerly strong is considered meek and delectable by an even more vicious predator.

UPDATE: My animation has been finished and is uploaded on YouTube for entertainment and academic purposes.

"Consumed" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N20YdNn-a74

Identifying Animations 7: Fever the Ghost

"Fever the Ghost" is a music video which is available on YouTube. The video features a 2D graphic animation done by Felix Colgrave. The animation is perfectly synchronized with the music, and its frame-rate gives it a smooth flow, as everything is contoured with thin lines which aesthetically seem appealing to the human eye. Although the style is very peculiar, the meaning of the animation hides behind an elaborate allegory which interconnects Chinese tradition with modern-day graphic art. As we can see, the main characters are the dragon and the man, one being a symbol of water and the other a synecdoche of humanity. Furthermore, dragons in Chinese mythology uptake two roles: oracles of knowledge, and providers of life, and since almost all life has evolved by water and been sustained by it, this interpretation is plausible. In the animation, the dragon is taking the man to the core of the Earth every morning, while travelling within caves and crevasses, giving the Earth life (by flicking the underground switch). This symbolizes how, in Chinese tradition, that man and dragon (water) are to create sustainable life through irrigation of crops, fishing, and harvest. In order to consolidate the dragon's symbolic convention of water, the animation progresses and we can see a desert planet which was previously barren sprout life and generate vegetation, such is the power water holds.

"Fever the Ghost": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RHFFeQ2tu4

Identifying Animations 6: La Linea

"La Linea" is an Italian experimental animation series by Osvaldo Cavandoli which was broadcast for the first time in 1971. The series is done with traditional hand-drawn 2D animation techniques, with an aesthetic sense of minimalism. The voice of the character is just sped-up jibberish, which insinuates that the animator and character understand each other without verbal use of language (one's a projection of another's creative mind, after all). Although the series' name is "La Linea" (translated to "Line Man"), due to its global broadcast, different countries have a different nomenclatural name for the show. The

"La Linea" Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skb2gKR7rOk

The cartoon series features a man which is drawn as with a single line, showing him only as a silhouette. Furthermore, the animation revolves around the Line Man encountering all sorts of obstacles, after which he consults the animator to draw a solution (as there is often a line or two placing the man in danger). Thus, the global purpose of the animation is not solely entertainment values, but also to portray the power animators hold in terms of manipulating still life around them. In other words, the animation hyperbolizes the omnipotent power vested in animators as they bring life to the inanimate. Every episode has the motive of breaking the 4th wall, and it is what inspired other animators to experiment with the paradigms of animation.

Identifying Animations 5: Enjoy the Ride

"Enjoy the Ride" is a music video by the band Morcheeba, which is available on YouTube. The music video is a computer 2D animation which incorporates the shooting of twos and ones. Although most animations are done either on twos or ones, "Enjoy the Ride" incorporates both techniques where the former is used for more deliberate movements (such as when the animals eat on top of the graves), while the latter for faster-paced movements (for example, when the ghost suddenly grabs the arm of the wolf). Having said this, it is clear that the animation portrays anthropomorphic animals executing a ritual at a graveyard, which summons the spirits and revenants of dead souls. Along with the lyrics of the song, the animation's purpose is the appraisal of life and how one should indulge in his own existence, for it does not last forever. As the animals try to beckon the dead, one can assume that they are attempting either to revive a missed soul or prolong their life. Nevertheless, their attempt at executing a ritual backfires as the dead take them along on an airborne ride, which they enjoy, until they all disappear into the cloudy sky. Thus, the animals suffer the consequence of trying to alter their own life, without stopping and grasping the beauty of the life they already had.

"Stop chasing shadows, just enjoy the ride..."

12 Principles of Animation: Timing

The last principle, according to my personal chronological order, is Timing. With timing, texture to the movement of characters in order to assert a meaning to an action, depending on how many frames have been used to execute it. In other words, the same action but with a different number of frames elaborating upon it (as it all has to do with a variety of slow and fast actions) creates a different meaning, a different purpose of said action. However, timing requires experience to be effective, and it takes a while for animators to master the technique to their fullest benefit. Furthermore, timing can also define the weight of objects, as the momentum of the movement elaborates on inertia, which can be altered with timing. For example, if a character were to turn his head to the right suddenly, there would be less frames for the movement, while if he did so if he were scared (slowly), there would be more frames.

Tom and Jerry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykSSxb--LqQ

Tom, upon hearing the vacuum, turns around slowly (more frames), exhibiting his fearful emotions. If it were to be done quickly, different timing, the effect would not be established.

12 Principles of Animation: Slow-Out, Slow-In, Ease-Out, Ease-In

Easing-in and easing-out presented with a coordinate graphical plain

Slow-Out, Slow-In, Ease-Out, Ease-In, whichever works best, is an aspect of animation that deals with the smoothness of starting and ending actions, how well they flow and progress. In other words, the slow-out and slow-in technique is used when manipulating a character or form that prepares for movement, or prepares to terminate said movement. Without this technique, character's movements might appear a little mechanical, distancing them from the achievement of life-like motion (as robots). The way this technique is done is quite planned out: the first, middle, and last frame of the movement are created, and then during the incipient or final phase several images are drawn in-between to suppress the beginning and closing action of movement.

Tom and Jerry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c06HUhCAn9k

For example, after Tom slaps on the collar to Spike's waist, he proceeds to run away with Spike breaking away from the snare and then chasing him. When Tom starts running, he doesn't mechanically achieve the same speed he would run away with, but first gathers it, as there are several more frames in between him getting ready to run away... same goes with Spike.

12 Principles of Animation: Secondary Action

Primary action - walking, Secondary action - rest of body

Among the 12 Principles of Animation is Secondary Action. This technique elaborates on the actions and gestures that support and emphasize the principal action of a character, adding a more convincing performance to mimicking real-life acting out (most commonly on emotions). Furthermore, secondary actions which complement primary ones add more dimension to the exertion of movement, while communicating the intentions or emotions of the character in a visual manner.



"Ormie" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsP9ppLPRbQ

For example, during Ormie's walking cycle at the beginning of the animation, there is a primary and a secondary action which supports the first one. The primary action is the shuffling of the legs which insinuate walking and movement, while the secondary action is his arms rotating back and forth with his elbows up, as well as his tilted facial expression, both signifying his prideful state of certainty.

12 Principles of Animation: Solid Drawing

Solid Drawing is the technique that is used to assert the three-dimensional aspect of forms and characters. In other words, with solid drawing animators maintain volume, weight, and balance of characters and objects, making them appear more dynamic. The opposite of solid drawing is called "wooden drawing", which describes characters or forms that do not exhibit a consolidation of three-dimensional space, but appear to be flat and two-dimensional (as a cardboard cut-out). Thus, by applying solid drawing, an illusion of 3D space is created which adds depth, perspective, and scale to the animation, rendering it applicable to every-day existence. For example, linear and parallel drawings would not create the illusion of 3D because they won't follow the perspective of space (which is to follow the vanishing point of the occurring shot).

Samurai Jack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KODo-qsBoIE

The colorful and eccentric samurai whilst making his entrance, portrays a 3D perspective as he is drawn in a solid manner. We can see him spinning around and getting close-ups from profile, which exhibit his life-like appearance.

12 Principles of Animation: Appeal, or Character Personality

Appeal - Differentiation in character design

The technique of appeal is all about charisma and how pleasing to look at characters are. By using appeal, a character's design should appear more interesting and fascinating so that it grasps the attention of the audience. Animators have adapted this technique and in order to embrace the appeal of a character, certain aspects that define a character's principal personality are magnified, and in doing so the design of the character becomes more compelling. Furthermore, appeal is not centralized only on the protagonist or antagonist, but on all characters so that a versatility of appearance is established. For example, animators often play around with the contour shapes of different characters, making the overall characters differentiate in a visual appeal. In this manner none of the characters will be considered tedious or boring from a visual perspective, hence they all have a unique trait in their design. However, adding too much detail might decrease the visual appeal of a character by overcomplicating his design, rendering him difficult to follow.

Spongebob Squarepants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerpQcrgVnc

All characters follow a different design, making them appealing to the audience.

12 Principles of Animation: Staging

Staging is all about the way in which the scene is set up, from the relative location of the characters, to the environmental elements of background and foreground in relation to the camera angle. This technique is used in order to present an idea and communicate with the audience so that the purpose of the animation is unmistakably clear to the viewer. In other words, staging is all about "how": how the scene looks like, how the angle of the shot improves communication with the audience, how the position of the characters diminishes confusion about what's going on. Furthermore, ideas are presented one at a time through staging so that the viewers do not get perplexed over the situation, for it's difficult to follow several ideas simultaneously. In terms of staging, animators also use what is called an "establishing shot", where the scene is presented in a timely manner as to give the audience enough time to perceive what is going on.

Pink Panther: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi_oHn31LL4

For example, there is an establishing shot at the beginning of the episode, which elaborates on the location and scenery. Plus, while the horse and Pink Panther are chasing each other around the hen-house, the scenery differentiates the objects that are further away, while the house is given a 3D perspective as the characters are going in and out of it.

12 Principles of Animation: Arcs

Arcing motion of hand

Most actions, except for some mechanical ones, revolve around some type of arcing motion. By adhering to this principle of movement, animators add an extra sense of reality in their animation by making characters move in a naturalistic manner. Arcs, for most of the time, are applied on limbs, which revolve around a pivot point during the movement of the character. Furthermore, the faster the action is, the flatter the arc becomes. In other words, if the movement is faster (during running, for an example) there are fewer frames exhibiting the arc. However, if the movement is slower (for example, an arching movement of a head turning), the arcs are gradually slower and contain more frames.

Scooby-Doo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtnPE1YRxfE

For example, during the 12:02 mark, Shaggy's walk is followed by an arcing movement of his arms, portraying a realistic and non-stiff motion of walking.

12 Principles of Animation: Squash and Stretch

Squash and Stretch is the technique which grants flexibility to objects and characters. By using this technique, animators can create dexterous movements and characters, breaking the stiffness of motion by increasing the flow of the animation and asserting density of objects. For example, by squashing and stretching a ball upon landing, the animation insinuates that the ball has a malleable structure (possibly rubber), whilst if the ball does not squash and stretch upon landing, the animation insinuates that it is made from a more dense material (if it were a bowling ball, perhaps). Furthermore, the technique improves interaction between characters and objects by mending them to the environment and using their density to make them appear more fluid in motion.

Tom and Jerry's "The Yankee Doodle Mouse" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJpKmAm6h4

Perfect example of squashing.

As an example of stretching, during Jerry's firing array of champagne corks, the bottles stretch out giving a free-flowing effect of movement, making it appear really cartoonish.

12 Principles of Animation: Follow Through and Overlapping Action

The Follow Through and Overlapping Action are the techniques from the 12 Principles of Animation that are utilized for the details of the character corresponding to his movement. Follow Through is the termination of an occurring action and all additional movements which gradually stabilize after the movement has stopped. In other words, when a character is running, the moment he stops the rest of his body (movements of his hand, clothes, etc...) lag in motion for a brief period, to make the character more vivacious. Overlapping, on the other hand, is where a second action follows the first and the character's details (hair, clothes, etc...) move in compliance to the motion of the character.

Emperor's New Groove: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km40jvV5lhM

For example, during the 0:13 mark of the video, the character runs down the stairs, exhibiting Overlapping, while when he stops the bag and his hair continue their motion for a short while until they stabilize, which is the Follow Through action.

12 Principles of Animation: Exaggeration

Among the 12 Principles of Animation is exaggeration. Exaggeration is a technique which is used to distort a character's movements, in order to add vibrancy to the animation. During the development of the principles, exaggeration was created by numerous attempts to add a realistic appearance to the characters.  However not realistic in terms of making the characters more consistent with reality, but to make the essence of a character's action more apparent.

"Red Hot Riding Hood" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXcWQrhzlMU

For example, when the wolf stumbles upon the attractive performer on stage, the character's movements of excitement are exaggerated, making them more lively and appealing to viewers.

12 Principles of Animation: Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose

"Regular Show" - Pose to Pose

Among the 12 Principles of Animation is Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose animating. Straight Ahead animation is the process of animating every frame independently, completely disregarding the use of keyframes, while Pose to Pose animation is scrupulously planned in regards to every frame. Straight Ahead animation allows for a more liberal control of action and a spontaneous progression of plot, granting vivacity to the animation, while Pose to Pose gives it a structural outline, allowing for assistance by other animators.

Straight Ahead animation is mostly used in stop-motion as every frame is shot individually, without the use of incipient and concluding keyframes, while Pose to Pose is utilized in the production of cartoons for mass entertainment purposes as several people (a crew) are working on the animation and must refer to a script.

Process of creating Stop-Motion - Straight Ahead

Personally I use the Straight Ahead technique as it allows me to develop my animation in an improvisational manner, without a reference to a guideline.







Straight Ahead Stop-Motion animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHHkb3udPY4
Pose to Pose animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mvEow5yzzc

12 Principles of Animation: Anticipation

The 12 Principles of Animation is a set of concepts regarding the movement of animation introduced by the Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. The principles had been established for the sake of animation development, and to this day are vastly adapted by animators throughout the world.

One of the principles is anticipation. Anticipation communicates what is about to happen as through visual assisting movements the expectation of a certain action that is about to occur is foreshadowed. In other words, anticipation informs the audience what is going to happen, and it is almost always fluctuating in the opposite direction of the main action. This technique is frequently used in the Warner Bros. cartoon " Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner" where the destructive fate of Wile E. Coyote's dysfunctional plans to capture The Road Runner are foretold.

Compilation of "Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner" best scenes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_41tM6H2Y

For an example, during the 4:26 mark of the compilation, Wile E. Coyote enters a pipe along with a stack of dynamite with the detonator elongating through the ground, and with the technique of anticipation we are able to comprehend what is about to happen next as the trajectory of the detonator's movement is aligned with a stone that is sure to set it off.

Identifying Animations 4: MAN

"MAN" is a modern 2D computer animation created by YouTuber Steve Cutts. The style of the animation is achieved using a puppet-manipulation technique, which does not require the animator to animate movements separately by drawing every frame individually.
The animation generalizes all industrial exploitation of the Earth and its wildlife by using one man as a synecdoche which represents all of humankind. Man, in Native-American culture as well as in other arboreal and spiritual beleifs, has always been considered as a guest on this plain, forbidden to destroy Mother Nature for it only decreases the time man can co-exist with it. This element is portrayed in the animation with the "Welcome" label on the man's shirt. Furthermore, as the background music ("In The Hall Of The Mountain King") escalates, the atrocities committed by the man gradually get even more grotesque, ultimately leading to the absolute destruction of Earth and all other life inhabiting it. The animation's message is the inevitable devastation of life by the hands of man solely for the insatiable consumerism which befalls capitalism , as well as the perception of animals as being products and sources.

Identifying Animations 3: Coda

"Coda" is a multi award-winning 2D animation directed by Alan Holly. The animation is available on YouTube and has been prominently shared throughout the Internet. This animation tackles the value of life and death, as it displays an inebriated man getting lethally hit by a vehicle, which purges his soul into leaving the dead body only to be guided by Death through a visual journey. As the character's soul departs from the body, it heads off to the park and sits on a bench, where Death accompanies it. The character's soul has an expression on its face, while all the other people which are drinking, smoking, and vomiting throughout the city do not. This portrays the true essence of the human's soul, which is rarely visible as most people do not wish to display it. Furthermore, as Death transforms the soul into a new-born, guiding it through the beauty that surrounds the world (in correspondence to the character's requests), only then does the soul understand how a human takes his life for granted, treating it with negligence. Thus, as Death is ready to take away the life now lost, the soul continues to crave the majesty of life (which also depicts the insatiable human urges), as it now is slipping away into the abyss of non-existence. As the animation progresses, Death takes off the mask, revealing a motherly appearance, which portrays the element of reincarnation within the animation: all that is born shall die, then be reborn.

Identifying Animations 2: $100

"$100" is a stop-motion animation created by YouTuber "SpastikChuwawa". The animation displays a man who finds a hundred dollars on the floor and then ponders over what to use them for. After a while of ruminating about all the charity acts he could perform with the money, he chooses to buy a rocket-pack with which he flies away from the store he bought it in, producing smoke around the clerk which sold said rocket-pack. Although it is a short animation, it effectively portrays consumers' emacity for frivolous items instead of using the surplus money in their possession to help the needy. Furthermore, in a whimsical manner, the animation refers to the generally cynical approach consumers apply to modern-day existence. While the main character ruminates over all the generous acts he can perform with his money, the tone is dark and despairing, however, as an instant transition occurs between the thoughts and the action of the character purchasing his rocket pack, the song abruptly stops. This sudden change alludes to how minuscule these problems are in the minds of cynical consumers, which at times, even are perceived as inhumane.


"$100" by SpastikChuwawa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWpgpnaluAI&noredirect=1

Identifying Storyboards 5: Brave

This storyboard is purely visual. In other words, no verbal language or movement indicators are used in order to portray the sequence. However, for compensation, the storyboard graphically elaborates on action by portraying every action with several panels. For example, the first three panels are solely for one action: removing the blanket off the bear. Thus, if all of the frames of this storyboard were to be displayed in a slideshow sequence, a viewer will comprehend the progression of the situation.  Furthermore, along with the shadows and camera position we are perfectly able to designate the location of each character relative to the camera. 

Identifying Storyboards 4: Jurassic Park

In this storyboard, the language serves a narrative purpose. In other words, as the panels progress the language elaborates on the sequence of the action. The characters protrude out of the panels, signifying collision with units. For example, in panel 5 George proceeds to kick the raptor in the head, and as he does so the camera transitions to the raptor being kicked. Thus, the camera focuses on the force which is exchanged between characters, and in doing so, it descriptively visualizes the action that takes place. The last three panels are tri-shots, which are panels that elaborate on quick and sudden movements that occur in a matter of seconds. With this technique of storyboarding and character emotional expression, the viewer can get a true and realistic feel of character interaction.

Identifying Storyboards 3: Hellboy 2

The format of the “Hellboy 2” storyboard is vertical, and every consequent shot descends upon it. Within the barriers of the panels action occurs and movement is signified with arrows. Furthermore, the arrows also elaborate on the camera’s movement; how the shots develop and sequentially transition. For an example, in the 35^th panel, after Prince lands, the arrow states “Pan w/ Prince”, meaning that the camera moves along with the character, panning slowly as he moves, while right to the panel the language assists a minor action the character takes (in this case, dusting himself off). Thus, unlike the “Spider-Man 2” storyboard, this one does not use contour lines to suggest movement, but language instead in order to make the visual drawings more comprehensible. Language is the main tool which is used in this storyboard, and with its successful utilization, both dialogue and action is perfectly clear as it is intertwined with the arrows that shift between and within panels, along with the onomatopoeic elaboration on audio and sound effects.

Identifying Storyboards 2: Lego Star Wars

This “Lego Star Wars” storyboard also revolves around action and movement. However, unlike the “Spider-Man 2” storyboard, this once uses no verbal language whatsoever. The focus is placed on the camera’s shots and its angles. The arrows also serve the same purpose; portraying movement of characters or miscellaneous items, nevertheless, unlike the “Spider-Man 2” storyboard the background is omitted and replaced with contour lines in order to portray incoming projectiles and zoom-in close-up action of characters to signify their intertwined interaction. The contour lines are most necessary due to the Stormtroopers’ expression-less faces which level eye movement. 

Identifying Storyboards 1: Spider-Man

I consider a successful storyboard being able to portray the plot, action, movement of characters, and camera angles effectively, thus to impose a visualization of the final project in the minds of the viewers. This “Spider-Man 2” Storyboard effectively does so, however, in portraying purely action and movement. The arrows signify movement of the characters and miscellaneous items, which assist the viewer in conceptualizing how the action evolves and progresses. For example, when Spiderman pounces on Dr. Oct, the arrows follow his direction of movement while the oscillating lines implore impact. Furthermore, the language is either onomatopoeic, or labelling, meaning that no elaboration on the situation or dialogue is necessary due to the fact that the storyboard portrays only action.

Identifying Animations 1: Der Fuehrer's Face

“Der Fuehrer’s Face” is a political propaganda animation produced by Walt Disney Productions and released in 1943. The animation had been aimed at the masses of America during World War II with an effort to sell war bonds and spread scorn towards the Nazi Party. Due to Walt Disney Productions’ reputation as a creator of children’s cartoons and the mass globalization of TV Units, the main message of the animation could easily be dispersed throughout the nation. The perception of the prevalent audience (children) and the intended audience (adults) of the animation had varied extremely, for to the children it appeared as yet another cartoonish adventure of Donald Duck, whilst to the adults the message became rampantly clear.

For example, at one point during the short animation Donald Duck (which is presented as a low-ranked Nazi soldier) experiences a plethora of hallucinations from the regime’s inhumane standards regarding the labor force. Furthermore, with the horrible conditions of Donald Duck under the Nazi doctrine, the malevolence of Nazi Germany’s dehumanizing principles is emphasized in order to effectively sell war bonds.