Initial Ideas for Dissertation

My dissertation will take a look at the important elements of visual storytelling in animation and how exactly they positively affect cinema. I will research into the exaggerated performance methods of the silent era in relation to the animated films of that era as well, using examples of visually appealing films, like The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Modern Times, and The General. I’ll also analyse the famous mime artist, Marcel Marceau, whose performances are so absurd and whimsical, while still portraying situations very effectively, that they are very become eye-catching, making him a very influential performer for animators. This will be the beginning of a chapter all about silent animation, which will talk about how silent shorts establish characterisation and narrative, using Koko the Clown, Felix the Cat, and Adventures of Prince Achmed, and other Lotte Reiniger films as examples. This will be difficult, as a lot of the behind-the-scenes material from those days haven’t really been recorded or well-documented, so I’ll have to look at mainly use critical analysis of those films for reference.

For the next chapter, I will research how much performance matters in animation, both by the animators and the voice actors, as well as how characteristics and personalities are defined through character design, using examples such as Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Pixar Shorts, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. Looney Tunes both because of the character animation but also the clever writing and the voice acting of Mel Blanc. Tom and Jerry are examples of taking a natural everyday thing, cats chasing mice, and making them into relatable, fully characterised, and funny shorts, without relying too much on dialogue, but more on the comedic timing. Roger Rabbit is a demonstration of animated acting working well, because the acting of the characters (both the live action and animated ones) is so well done that the audience is engaged with this idea that cartoons are really living in this world, and can even specifically represent typical film noir archetypes, while still maintaining that they are in fact cartoon characters. Luxo Jr works brilliantly well because of the performances of mere objects, the two lamps, establish the two characters and their relationships, all in the way they move. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is an example of a film where the performances of each character are so vibrant and unique to each other, especially the villain, that their personalities can be defined by their performances alone (the same can be said for Inside Out so I could talk about that instead).

I will also talk about cinematography and sound in animation. Betty Boop as an example of silent animation’s transition into the talkie era very smoothly. Tom and Jerry is, again, an example that fits into this dissertation very well in the sense that sound, despite the characters being silent the whole time (apart from a couple well-timed brief dialogues), I might do a case study on Tom and Jerry, but there is still the problem with finding reference material for it, which is strangely hard to come by. Belleville Rendez-vous is an example of a film which tells its story effectively through cinematography, intricate sound design, character design, and of course the acting.