Why do you Animate?

2 Comments / Questions /

[box color=”blue” align=”center”]Are you receiving the only curated weekly newsletter of animation news and features? Sign up here![/box]

In a brief, but all too painful and to-the-point post over on Tumblr, Keith Lango lays out what it means to create animation for mass consumption. It’s an eye-opener but one that could be said to be necessary for many people working in the industry. The bottom line:

Audiences. Do. Not. Care. About. “Quality”. Animation.

It almost hurts to read but it is absolutely something you should if you want to confront a lot of truths about the animation industry as we know it today.

Of course, why should audiences care. They don’t particularly care about how live-action is made because despite their thirst for making-of extras on DVDs, they remain quite ignorant of what really makes films happen. Why should animation be any different?

Why do you Animate? Read More »

What Next Media Animation Gets So Right

Business Models /

You’ve probably already seen at least one of their videos, you know the kind. If something gets the ‘crazy Taiwanese animation treatment’ it’s guaranteed that Next Media Animation (NMA) are the ones behind it. So the animation itself isn’t going to win any awards, but what does the company get so right that they might?

…

What Next Media Animation Gets So RightRead More »

What Next Media Animation Gets So Right Read More »

Using The Croods to Explore Necessary Changes In Key Art

Analysis /

Marketing and promotional art is a key piece of the entertainment puzzle and has been a feature of the promotion business since long before film. Film posters are an art in and of themselves, but as Bill Cunningham points out in a guest post over at Truly Free Film, they haven’t kept up with the times.

…

Using The Croods to Explore Necessary Changes In Key ArtRead More »

Using The Croods to Explore Necessary Changes In Key Art Read More »

Why Do Female Characters ‘Have’ To Look Feminine?

2 Comments / Questions /

Female characters often have a tough time with variety. While there is plenty of debate and discussion surrounding the prevalence of stereotypes that send poor messages to viewers, there is something else that is completely overlooked. Dave Pressler ponders the interesting question of why female characters are often forced too look feminine by executives.

…

Why Do Female Characters ‘Have’ To Look Feminine?Read More »

Why Do Female Characters ‘Have’ To Look Feminine? Read More »

Is The Animation Industry Being Held Back By Legacy Players?

9 Comments / Questions /

This is sort of a question to readers as opposed to a post, but is the animation industry being held back by existing, established, players? Consider the car industry and the fact that it wasn’t a manufacturer that made the biggest breakthrough in driverless cars, it was Google.

Is animation similarly hamstrung by studios already in business? Will real innovation come from outside it?

It’s tricky to say because even so-called innovative studios and internet efforts still rely on talent and their ideas/notions that are solidly rooted in the existing industry.

In other words, where is the animation ‘disrupter’?

Is The Animation Industry Being Held Back By Legacy Players? Read More »

WAKFU: Using Kickstarter Wisely

2 Comments / Business Models /

Kickstarter is a service that continues to enjoy a lot of popularity among filmmakers and entertainers. One of the main reasons that people turn to Kickstarter is to help fun the actual content. That carries a certain amount of risk though, so it’s always good to see someone using Kickstarter to fund something other than the animation, like what WAKFU is aiming to achieve.

…

WAKFU: Using Kickstarter WiselyRead More »

WAKFU: Using Kickstarter Wisely Read More »

Why Is Animation Like Software?

Business Models /

Software seems like a funny thing to compare animation to, doesn’t it? After all, one is mostly recreational and the other is, well, mostly utilitarian. Yet there are many common traits between the two, especially now that both are expected to be given away for free. Thankfully, someone has already figured out a way to make money from software.

…

Why Is Animation Like Software?Read More »

Why Is Animation Like Software? Read More »

Architecture in The Incredibles: Attention to Detail

1 Comment / Analysis /

Over at The Architizer, Zachery Edelson has taken a thorough and in-depth look at the architecture within the Pixar film The Incredibles. It’s a fascinating read for anyone with even a passing interest in either the film or architecture. yet it highlights an astonishing attention to detail that the filmmakers when the filmmakers could have gotten away with a lot less.

…

Architecture in The Incredibles: Attention to DetailRead More »

Architecture in The Incredibles: Attention to Detail Read More »