Politics in Animation ＆ Films—— Take Hollywood animated films as an example

On the popular level, the main function of movies is undoubtedly to entertain the public. Even so, the entertainment attributes of films are bound to be affected by the mainstream cultural atmosphere and political and economic situation. Besides the effect of “family fun”, animated films also have the function and strength of conveying the truth by writing and criticizing the time theory. These text structures will be rich Rich in animation film content. Since the 1990s, animated films have tried to construct a value from multiple perspectives. Besides achieving the effect of “whole family viewing”, animated films must also hide some deep-rooted traditional values. For example, H. Giroux, an American cultural researcher, once criticized Disney films: “Disney’s films combine a form of a demagogue and a pure atmosphere to let children know who they are, what society is, and even what it is like to build a world of play in an adult environment. From a certain point of view, the leading positive and static and cultural authority in such films comes from their unique reproduction mode. However, this authority is also produced and rooted in the image packaging of dazzling technology, sound and light effects, entertainment effects, surrounding goods and warm and moving plots of broadcast media equipment. ” H. Giroux believes that the entertainment effects of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King cover up the injustice of race, class and gender, which reminds us to pay attention to the possible ideology while accepting foreign culture.

Ⅰ. Multiculturalism

After the “modernization” period after World War II, the views of the Western world have almost become universal values. In the 60s of the last century, in the films of the pioneering American West, the image of the whites and the Indians was generally negative. Pocahontas, at least in appearance, re-examined the aggression of the whites against the Indians. The images and lyrics presented in the theme song of Pocahontas also demonstrate the biological cycle of humans, animals, and nature in the Indian culture. Aladdin was released just after the first Gulf War. The most representative story of Tales from the thousand and one nights serves as the material and is also a friendly expression to the Muslim world. After the second Gulf War, DreamWorks’ Sinbad Legend Of The Seven Seas was affected by “9.11”, and a strong attempt to “de-Middle East” became clear. Mulan became Disney’s best animation of the year, and of course, it also reflects the fact of China’s economic strength from one side. As advertised on its poster, “From today, this beautiful legend will spread all over the world”. The cartoon also reflects the current international political and economic situation. Multiculturalism became the mainstream trend after the 1980s.

Ⅱ. Gender awareness

In the 1990s, the third wave of feminism came to fruition. In Aladdin and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the heroine is no less than the male. The mainline of Mulan is “Be brave to be yourself”. The protagonist of Sinbad Legend Of The Seven Seas, Malena, bravely stood up and saved all the sailors when Sinbad and his party entered the Banshee Canyon. The elastic superwoman in The Incredibles highlights the strength of women with softness. The vivid images of the people are impressive. From Alia in The Little Mermaid, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas Princess in Pocahontas, Gypsy Girl in Notre Dame, Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, and There is Anastasia from “Princesses Anastasia”. Almost all of them want to leave the family where they grew up and explore the outside world. Even so, under the traditional structure of gender consciousness, animated films cannot change the stereotype. Taking Sinbad Legend Of The Seven Seas as an example, Princess Marlena is not tempted by the banshee because she is a woman. It is a very heterosexual traditional narrative; the role of “elastic superwoman” in-home life is presented Out of the traditional division of female roles.

Ⅲ. Multi-family

Heterosexual sweet family is, of course, the ultimate destination of traditional cartoon heroes and heroines. Even if they come from impoverished families, the death of parents or family conflicts, the heroes and heroines will be resolute. In the end, the reconstruction is still to consolidate heterosexuality. Family order. I2 Tarzan involves identity. The female orangutan regards the “alien” in the baby as her own. The male orangutan has always been hostile to Tarzan’s non-orangutan identity. The non-blood and alien family combination in Tarzan have The possibility of multiple families is initially presented. The relationship between Lilo and Stitch in Lilo & Stitch redefines the meaning of “family”. It is impossible to develop family relationships without blood relationship? In Lilo & Stitch, no is a Hawaiian girl, and even a troublemaker, which makes her adoptive sister very troublesome. The Stitch from Interstellar is also a troublemaker. From the natives of Hawaii to the interstellar blood and ethnic changes, it has structured the tradition of heterosexual families based on blood. Whether it is Lilo and Stitch, or Lilo and Lilo’s eldest sister, they must re-explore the meaning of family. The alliance between sisters and the single parent alliance between mothers and daughters, in general, are also refreshing. In Brother Bear, the three brothers are in love with each other. The eldest brother is the parent of the offspring. The brotherhood is nothing new. But when the boss is killed by the female bear, the two brothers want revenge. The film uses the metaphor of the same spirit to die. The boss turned his third brother into a bear body, allowing him to experience the world of bears, Stopping hatred, the crossover of people and bears has also reconstructed the issue of alternative non-blood families. Finally, the third brother who returned from the body of the bear said goodbye to his second brother who was related to him and volunteered to become a bear body to take care of the little bear. Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear demonstrate the text of “de-blood relationship”. It does not deny the relationship of traditional heterosexual parents but explores the possibility of multiple families in the future. This of course also reflects the explosion of divorce in American society and the increasingly common reality of single-parent and non-blood parent relationships. Lilo & Stitch does not use heterosexual marriage and redemption to save these families, but reconstructs the concept of family and gives these families subjectivity, which cannot but be regarded as an improvement. In addition, Finding Nemo presents the love of single fathers for their children, which is different from the traditional maternal love. Father Marin first restricted Nemo’s adventures in a nearly conservative way to his son Nemo, and then again. The relentless pursuit of children and the “mother-in-law” paternal love also reflects Disney’s sincerity. Treasure Island is based on a literary masterpiece. In the film, the protagonist, Ajan, has his father died since childhood. During his growth and baptism, there is no object of identification. Hearing his mother tells the adventure story of Treasure Island, he vaguely becomes Ajan Expectations for the future. Just like the plot of the story, Jan also embarked on an interstellar journey, working with a group of pirates who are also friends and enemies, looking for the legendary Captain Hook hidden in the depths of the universe. The pirate leader originally wanted to use Jan to defeat the captain and control the starship to take away the treasure. In his activities with Ajan, he played the role of a father that Ajan lacked in his growth. Disney especially gave this pirate leader a positive image of kindness. Both right and evil also show that good and evil are not binary oppositions. The villain with no blood relationship can also play an active role as Ajan grows up. In Treasure Island, the boss and Azhan are also father and son, brother and brother, and enemy and friend. It belongs to the love between men, which is most touching.

Ⅳ. The coexistence of humans and animals

After the 1980s, western applied ethics gradually began to discuss “animal rights”. Some scholars explain from the point of view of benefits theory in ethics that human beings liberate animals and not eat animals as food will be more helpful to human beings. Some scholars have tried to argue that animal rights are not valued, reflecting the dominance of people-oriented. More scholars are compassionate and use the term reincarnation to stop people from killing. Of course, some scholars use the concept of “rights” to analyze and point out that “animal rights” are meaningless, just as we say that Long Xia is rational, which is a meaningless statement. The discussion of animal rights can indeed broaden the horizons of mankind and enhance the scope and level of the ethical use of mankind. Animated characters are modelled after animals, and they also have a long tradition. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy Dog, and Winnie the Pooh are all examples, but the shape of these animals is more or less close to children and the deep mentality of treating animals as pets. This mentality has no meaning in liberating animals. Hollywood animations since the 1990s have a more progressive depiction of the relationship between humans and animals, as well as the endless cycle of dependence between humans, animals and nature. The little lion king Simba and his father Mufasa in The Lion King wander in the grassland. Simba, who is a carnivorous animal, asks his father why he wants to eat meat. Mufasa answers that nature is endless, and after the death of carnivores It turns into dust to nourish the earth, vegetation flourishes, and herbivores make a living from it… Together they constitute the circulating force of nature. The image of the theme song “The Color of Wind” in “Pocahontas” also reflects the Indian hunting culture. Humans and animals should coexist and harmoniously, and the inner meaning of fishing can not be exhausted. Speaking of the relationship between humans and animals, DreamWorks’ Spirit-Stallion of the Cimarron is also ingenious. The narration at the beginning points out the theme of the whole film-the significance of the western development from the horse’s perspective. For the Americans, the Western Expansion was about white people riding on horseback against the Indians, overcoming the adventurous spirit of adversity. In Spirit-Stallion of the Cimarron, the conquered horse and the Indians formed an alliance to jointly fight against the impact of white people and high-tech technology, which also reversed the human-centred species discrimination. Of course, the indomitable spirit of Spirit-Stallion of the Cimarron is still in the bones, which indirectly metaphors the spirit of pioneering the western United States. However, by virtue of the interactive dialectical relationship between oppression and oppression, it presents another multifaceted style of western development.

Ⅴ. Individual and community integration

In the atmosphere of western individualism, the individual heroic colour in the animation is also extremely strong. In the early western movies, individuals often used anti-system methods to eliminate evil and evil and restore the original conservative order. In “The Incredibles“, although the superhuman family with superpowers punishes the society for evil and rape, they are not recognized by society. The mediocre people do not know the blessing in the blessing, and instead, ask Superman not to show superpowers. The directors believe that these unequal demands will weaken the special talents, and in the end, they will still combine the cohesion of the family to resist foreign enemies. The theme of “Dread the Dragon” also emphasizes a kind of community integration, where individuals unite and fight against external drastic changes. If “The Incredibles” is a kind of nostalgia for individual heroes, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is a return to the community’s insistence on collective goodness. Since the 1980s in the 20th century, in addition to facing postmodern challenges in Western liberal countries, there has also been a return to traditional conservative forces, represented by community. Liberalism values ​​individual autonomy and encourages individuals to get rid of external fetters and be courageous to be themselves. Communitarianism believes that individual choices cannot escape the existing cultural and historical heritage. Western liberalism attaches great importance to individual autonomy, which easily leads to the alienation between individuals and society, and also makes interpersonal relationships indifferent. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is a story about a “genius” who has not been fully loved by his father since he was a child. He has worked hard to build the most famous chocolate factory. When preparing for the grand exhibition, he was subjected to misconduct by commercial spies and subordinate employees who stole the secret recipe. , I was disheartened and closed the factory. Fifteen years later, the factory restarted and issued five gold coupons to the world. Those with gold coupons could get a glimpse of the factory. Except for Charlie, who is from a poor family and has no special abilities but has good qualities such as gratitude and cherishing good fortune, the owners of the five gold coupons. The remaining four are all “no virtue and no talent”, and some are addicted to material things. In the world of enjoyment, some gain self-esteem under the competitive advantage, some are extremely self-centred under the pampering of their parents, and some are addicted to self-righteousness in the online world. In the end, of course, the ordinary Charlie passed the test. Charlie assisted the chocolate factory owner to repair the relationship with his strict father. As pointed out earlier, after the 1980s, “multi-family” became the mainstream of the Hollywood world, and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” returned to the value of maintaining traditional families, which also coincided with the challenge of communitarianism to liberalism.

Part 1 Film Language

Shot length

Wide Shot

In a wide shot you can see the whole subject, the whole scene just like watching a play on the stage.

Extreme Wide Shot

In an extreme wide shot as in wider than a wide shot. You watch the whole scene from a distance.

Medium Shot

A medium shot is a partial body shot of the subject easily from the knees or waist up.

Two Shot

A two-shot is when two subjects are in a frame. In this case we’re looking for each character’s shoulder.

Close Up

Close-up is a complete detail of an actor’s face like in a portrait. Close-ups can also be a detail of an important object.

Extreme Close Up

Extreme close-up even closer than a close-up, where we can’t even see the whole head.

All be shot lengths can mean something on their own: an extreme long shot to establish a Place; a medium shot to show off a character; a wide shot let the action speak for itself; an extreme close up for exposition or disorientation; a two-shot to show closeness sometimes extreme closeness or a close-up to show powerful emotion or lack thereof.

Angle

Shot length works horizontally，and angle works more vertically.

Eye angle would be at eye level where the camera looks straight on at its subject where were actually at the level of the actor but you can make it interesting in.

High angle means a high angle shot the camera looks down at the subject and its opposite.

Low angle looks up at the subject. There are plenty of uses for both but generally a low angle can make a person seem large and menacing and a high angle can make them seem small and kind of silly.

Dutch angle where the cameras can’t it to look the subject from a tilted angle though it should be called a Joyce angle (it got the name from its use in this German film which used canted angles to make everything seem a bit strange).

Depth of Field

Depth of field means how much a camera focuses on at once. the distance between the nearest and farthest parts in an image that appear acceptable sharp.In other words depth of field is how much is In Focus.

Deep focus a long depth of field, everything in the shot is in focus.

Shallow focus a short depth of field, part of the shot is in focus.

Rack focus change the focus mid shot to draw the eye to the important things and details.

Tilt shift selectively blur the part of the image.

Telephone lens compress space.

Wide angle lens give a space more depth.

Fisheye lens make some disturbing images. 

Movement

Handheld  hold the camera,give more freedom to the camera man, but less controlled.

Steadicam have a rig stabilize

Pan swivel the camera on a tripod horizontally left or right

Tilt swivel the camera vertically up or down

Zoom the length of the shot is changed by adjusting the lens from wide to tight quickly or from tight to wide slowly

Dolly/Tracking shot move with the subject or without from left to right or back to front or a curve, raise above the subject or brought down to the subject

Dolly zoom the camera is dollied while zooming changing the depth of the shot

Mise en scène

Decor

• Setting
• Set dressing
• Props
• Costume

Lighting

• Three-point lighting
• High key lighting
• Low key lighting
• Chiaroscuro
• Hard lighting
• Soft lighting
• Unmotivated lighting
• Motivated lighting

Color

• Black and white
• Tinting
• Sepia tone
• Color film
• Color graning
• Saturation
• Color palette
• Balance

Spcae

• Deep space
• Shallow space
• Offscreen space
• Blocking

Editing

Editing usually includes dissolve, wipe, fade in/ fade out, continuity editing, Screen direction, Match on action, Eyeline.

Discontinuity editing includes freeze frame, slow motion, reverse motion, jump cut, match cut, split screen, overlay, montage.

Montage takes a film into many shots according to the content of the film and the psychological sequence of the audience. 

Part 2 The history of Animation, Film and VFX

1 . The history of Animation

At the end of the 17th century, a man named Johannes Zahn made a breakthrough transformation on the basis of the “magic slide”. The drawings on the “live”. This is the first time that man-made images have been recorded as light and shadow moving pictures based on the principle of rotation. It can also be said to be the earliest light and shadow animation.

In 1914, Winsor Mccay completed the famous film “Gertie the Dinosaur” in the history of animation, which is called a kind of movie in the history of animation. 

In 1906, James Stewart Blackton produced a film called “Humorous Aspect of Funny Faces”, which was also the world’s first animated film.

In 1908, French Emile Cole pioneered the use of negative film to make animated films.

In 1909, American Winther McKay used 10,000 pictures to represent the animated story “Gertie the Dinosaur”, which is recognized as the first decent animated short in the world so far.

In 1913, American Earl Heard created a new animation process called celluloid, in which he first drew cartoons on plastic film and then made animated films out of pictures drawn on plastic film. This animation technique has been used for many years.

In 1915, American EerlHurd created an animation process for drawing cartoons on plastic film

In 1928,  the world-famous WaltDisney gradually pushed animated films to the peak. To this day, the Disney Company he founded continues to create colorful cartoons for people all over the world. Disney — the greatest animation company of the 20th century.

In 1937, “Snow White” produced by Disney was the world’s first color animated cartoon feature film. The perfect artistry and sophisticated production effects of the film amazed the audience and made a sensation in the international film scene. It uses color film synthesis recording technology to create

2 . The history of Film

In 1895, the French Lumière brothers successfully developed an “moving movie camera” based on Edison’s “movie mirror” and their own “continuous camera”. 

The parody of the play was released in 1901, and one of the compatriots was afraid of the train movie. 

Since 1927, the film has gone from silent to sound, and colorless to colored.

From 1872 to 1878, Edward Mubridge, a photographer from San Francisco, USA, used 24 cameras to take pictures of the disassembled action group of a galloping horse. 

From 1896-1912, lumiere created the earliest film styles, such as newsreel, travel film, documentary and comedy.

From 1946 to 1959, some Soviet filmmakers produced a batch of war films with emotional impact and biographical films with certain image appeal.

3 . The history of VFX

“Star Wars” in 1977 was the first movie ever shot with a motion control camera. In this movie, Lucas invented a mechanism that can greatly reduce post-production time.

In 1982, a computer processing method called “source sequence” was applied to “Star Trek”. The scenes of the movie were digitally generated by a computer, breaking the previous shooting methods.

In 1985, Industrial Light & Magic created the first computer-generated character in film history, the Stained Glass Man, in the film Young Fulmos, which paved the way for many of the fictional characters in the Star Wars prequels.

In 1989, Industrial light and Magic produced the first ever computer-generated three-dimensional character in the sci-fi film The Abyss, which further paved the way for the creation of Yoda in Star Wars: Episode Iii.

In 1994, Jurassic Park created a character with real skin, muscles and movements for the first time in film history. At the same time, its work team used the best real acting skills as a reference for dinosaur movements, making it a major work in the film industry.

Since then, giant special effects movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Marvel studios, and Lord of the Rings have come out one after another. New technology gives rise to new art forms, and new art forms guide the development of technology. It goes hand in hand.