Category: 1.2 Design for Animation, Narrative Structures & Film Language

Andrew Sarris: Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962

1. Andrew Sarris theory states that films should hide different aspects of the director, his repetitive or persistent actions, and that the truth is what the director thinks and feels.
2. The third part of the author’s conception is the inner meaning of film, the true glory of film as art
3. Andrew Sarris said it is possible to make a film without a director.

Pauline Kael complained and argued that arris Zefutes arris was the original conception of the author’s conception

1. To Kael, a better area of critique, and the ultimate function of a critic, is ‘perceiving what is original and important in new work and helping others to see’.
2. when human leaders break the rules of creativity, there is a lack of understanding of the talent required for creativity.
3. Filmmaking techniques help inspire authors.

What is it that makes Hayao Miyazai an auteur?

• Miyazaki’s animated films often feature unique storylines, deep characters and beautiful graphics. Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded with other animators, is a major force in the Japanese animation industry, known for its unique style and artistic quality. He also dabbled in literary creation, and incorporated many literary elements into his animation, which made his works more in-depth and thoughtful, and benefited a lot of audiences. Miyazaki’s originality has helped and guided many animators.

In abstract works, sensory and emotional responses are often unabashedly exposed

Formal Elements：

1.Use of space/composition

2. Light & colour

3. movement

4. rhythm

5. timing

6. pacing

7. transition

8. audio relationships

Enable animation to acceptably deviate from traditional narrative structure（Paul Wells，Understanding Animation 1998）：

• Associative relations
• Acting and performance
• Choreography
• Condensation
• Fabrication
• Metamorphosis
• Penetration
• Sound
• Synecdoche
• Symbolism and metaphor

The Triplets of Belleville (2003) This film tells the story of a grandmother who enlists the help of some old vaudeville singers to find her son who has been kidnapped by the French Mafia for illegal gambling purposes. It’s essentially a tribute to French culture, cinema and everything that the French call cool. Through impressionist style images, it presents an exaggerated and fantastic world. Using a unique animation style, including exaggerated images, formal expressions and non-traditional narrative methods, it presents a unique visual feast for the audience.

Golden Section: This ratio is recognized as the most aesthetically pleasing ratio, so it is called the Golden Section.

ELEMENTS OF ART:

• Line: An element of art defined by a point moving in space.

• Shape: An element of art that is two-dimensional, flat, or limited toheight and width.

• Form: An element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume; includes height, width AND depth (as in a cube, a sphere, a pyramid, or a cylinder).

• Value: The lightness or darkness of tones or colors.

• Space: An element of art by which positive and negative areas are defined or a sense of depth achieved in a work of art .

• Color: An element of art made up of three properties: hue, value, and intensity. 1.Hue: name of color 2.Value: hue’s lightness and darkness (a color’s value changes when white or black is added) 3.Intensity: quality of brightness and purity (high intensity= color is strong and bright; low intensity= color is faint and dull)

• Texture: An element of art that refers to the way things feel, or look as if they might feel if touched.

PRINCIPLES OF ART:

• Rhythm: A principle of design that indicates movement, created by the careful placement of repeated elements in a work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat.

• Balance: A way of combining elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or stability to a work of art. Major types are symmetrical and asymmetrical.

• Emphasis (contrast): A way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements.

• Propotion: A principle of design that refers to the relationship of certain elements to the whole and to each other.

• Gradation: A way of combining elements by using a series of gradual changes in those elements.

• Harmony: A way of combining similar elements in an artwork to accent their similarities

• Variety: A principle of design concerned with diversity or contrast. Variety is achieved by using different shapes, sizes, and/or colors in a work of art.

• Movement: A principle of design used to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewer’s eye throughout the work of art.

In the first class, the professor introduced the syllabus of the semester and let us start thinking about our views on animated films. Spread your mind and find your own goals and themes.