Who doesn’t love a good animated film? The very word, “animate” means to bring something to life! Animation is something that is drawn or brought to life through CGI, in other words, computer-generated imagery. It brings to life things that ordinarily wouldn’t be able to move on their own in real life. Animation can make animals, imaginary creatures, inanimate objects or anything else dance, talk, go through trials and elicit emotion from the viewer.
I got totally caught up in cartoon characters at an early age. When I was a kid, I watched cartoons non-stop. I love them! Animated shorts, features and videos are still very popular with children of all ages! Why? What’s so appealing? Well, for one thing, they often touch the emotions in such a way that is universal. Who wouldn’t want to cheer on a likable character that has been wronged or treated unfairly? Who wouldn’t want to stick with him or her through thick and thin to the end of the journey? It’s also our chance to “Booo!” the bad guys!
Animated characters have the power to capture your emotions. This is often the case in some of the most popular animated features. They go for the heart! Just look at “Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo”! These stories touch the hearts of kids, adults, teenagers and the over fifty crowd alike. Audiences care about the characters and want them to succeed when they’re emotionally invested in them. They want them to be happy. Animated characters mirror the human condition, the journey each of us takes through the course of our lives.
Even though animated features are big, their themes are often small, intimate and emotional. The larger the story, the smaller more intimate the theme can be. Themes capture your emotions because they reflect difficult human issues or conflicts, often between loved ones. What lengths would you go to in order to save your daughter from danger? Or, how far would a father go to overcome his own fears and find his lost son? Sometimes themes also reflect a character’s inner conflict. What if you discover something ugly or terrible about yourself? What do you do? Who could resist falling in love with that big lovable, green ogre, “Shrek”? Even ogres have feelings. Even ogres fall in love.
What makes an animated feature a comedy or a drama? Well, isn’t it funny when the hero can’t seem to ever get what he or she wants? Remember the “Wile E Coyote and the Roadrunner” cartoons? Hilarious! But, when the hero goes through trial after trial and finally arrives at his goal, that’s drama. Why? Because the hero gets what he wants and the story ends happily. “The Lion King” is full of drama and pathos, and universal appeal, like Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, yet it also has some laugh out loud moments! Animated features can also depict the age-old battle between good and evil. Look at “Cinderella” and “Snow White”. Life and death struggles and suffering are often popular subjects. What would you give up to live your dream?
Whatever the theme, animated characters are always full of energy and movement. They have energy, even if the characters are depicting older people. Remember “Up”? That old guy was full of determination to reach his goal! Energy, movement, conflict, drama, comedy, the battle of good and evil, life or death struggles, these are all part of the human condition. These are all universal and yet very intimate themes that weave through animated films, and take us with them on great emotional journeys that bring the stories to life!
Blog By Bonnie Maffei