Week Links 31-2013

Things will soon return to a normal schedule around here; next week is the last week of class, forever!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RETURN OF 2D ANIMATION? (Princess and the Frog as a Case Study)

A very thorough analysis of the film itself over on Total Media Bridge, and why the plot and characters more than anything else may have contributed to the abrupt end of hand-drawn feature animation at Disney. Having attempted to watch the film myself, I had to give up within half an hour; it was so stilted and tired I felt I’d seen it all before.

Notes For Fred

Fred_Seibert

Josh Selig has a post over on Kidscreen that talks about notes; specifically executive, creative notes. Cartoon producer and ‘Person I RespectFred Seibert says that notes “impact the DNA of [the creator’s] creation”. I agree, but Selig provides a respectable counter argument that’s well worth reading.

The Sullivan Bluth Studios in Ireland

ANiamtor magazine_bluth

This is actually a very interesting post from an old animation magazine that takes a look at the pioneering Sullivan-Bluth studio in Dublin. Although it delves more into how an animated film is produced, it’s nonetheless a unique insight into a studio that helped kickstart the modern Irish animation industry.

Passive Female Characters From a Passive Woman’s Perspective

Erin over at the Gagging on Sexism blog has a really good post about passive female characters (as opposed to strong female characters):

…I don’t think doormat female characters are inherently harmful role models, the likes of which should vanish from fiction. Rather, I think how we present these characters in fiction should be altered. Instead of depicting a complete lack of a backbone as something to be admired in a woman, it should be shown as a type of behavior that some people have, with all the trouble it can bring upon those people.

She makes a good point, and in fact complements another piece by Sophia McDougall for the New Statesman entitled ‘I Hate Strong Female Characters‘ wherein she expresses the regrettably narrow definition in which ‘strong female characters’ are often placed.

Both pieces are well worth pondering because while many have noted the need for strong female characters, there has been scant attention paid to exactly what kind of characters they should be. A strong femals character does not have to be a ballbreaker; I tend to consider them as characters that are at least the equal of any male characters in a show or film for instance.

I also agree with Erin that there needs to be a variety of female characters representative of real life.

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2 thoughts on “Week Links 31-2013”

  1. In a recent comment post by Steven Hullet of TAG Blog, Lasseter wanted Disney to make 2D animated films whilst Pixar makes CG ones. Bob Iger turned down the idea.

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