anim8yash

[anim8yash]

Reader

1.

Antola, L. (2024) ‘Holy transmedia! - the many faces of Batman in 1960s Finland’, Continuum, 38(4), pp. 532–547. doi: 10.1080/10304312.2024.2340009.

This paper analyzes Batmania(1960) and the franchise of Batman through the lens of Transmedia and intertextuality. It makes an example of Finnish Batman to present how the American franchise travelled all across the world breaking linguistic and cultural barriers. It reached Finland through one form of media ie. Television but quickly spread into other media platforms including comics, soft drinks, merchandise and even into fan clubs. It demonstrates the expansion of the transmedia universe while adapting to different culture and yet sticking to the core essences of the franchise. Each adaptation of Batman has added more to its world, stories and characters. Through this article, I learned the basis of applying transmedia to make a franchise globally successful. Uricchio and Pearson (1991) stated that there might not even be a "true" batman which arrays the true success of a Transmedia character as it is accepted in of all its iterations.

2.

Bender, S. (2024) ‘Generative-AI, the media industries, and the disappearance of human creative labour’, Media Practice and Education, pp. 1–18. doi: 10.1080/25741136.2024.2355597.

The article highlights the connection between human creativity & Generative AI. The author takes instances of previously revolutionary technological standpoints in Cinema or storytelling to present an approach which leads towards a co-existential future where Human creativity can work hand-in-hand with AI. The introduction of CGI in Jurassic Park(1993) is used as a prime example to portray how technology helped with the expansion of visual storytelling. It also mentions the stigma faced my artists worldwide and related events with the intent to dig deeper on what exactly humans add to artistic creations instead of glamorizing human values on a superficial level in comparison to AI. As a growing animation practitioner, it speaks to me about my role in the creative ecosystem and helps me understand the direction I should be focusing (being creative and using technology as an ally) to be a relevant and useful contributor in the field.

3.

Cannon, S. (2024) ‘Contemporary Disney Animation: Genre, Gender and Hollywood: Eve Benhamou. Edinburgh University Press, 2022, 264 pp. $110.00 cloth’, Journal of Popular Film and Television, pp. 1–4. doi: 10.1080/01956051.2024.2375937.

This paper is based on a comprehensive research treatise, "Contemporary Disney Animation: Genre, Gender and Hollywood" By Eve Benhamou. Splitting the subject into two sections the author highlights Disney's gradual evolution, breaking its own trends or reinventing their narratives with their animated feature films. The first section focuses on the Genre of romance while second section, on action-adventure. It mentions Disney's formula of using fairy tales and romantic musical performances in its early feature films and as their competitors came into the picture, Disney had to adapt accordingly and target the newer audience by breaking their norms of gender roles and plots. Studying this paper made me realize there is no fixed formulas for success and as an artist, updating ourselves and understanding the audience through the reception of current films while experimenting with novel themes is the key to creating relatable and relevant content.

4.

Cores-Sarría, L. (2024) ‘An Ecological Approach to Dynamic and Static Camera Framing Techniques’, Ecological Psychology, 36(2), pp. 69–80. doi: 10.1080/10407413.2024.2355889.

The author talks about camera techniques and framing based on research work as well as theories by J.D. Anderson, J.J. Gibson and many more. The paper mentions camera to be a semiotic system for visual communication and further explain the concepts of optic flow, depth perception, optical velocity, role of proprioception and perception of motion. It also marks that viewers tend to relate any video in terms of their own personal experiences and hence experience an "egocentric perception" in author's words. The paper also talks about the impact of camera positions, movement and lighting decisions on narrative and the ideal approach to take in order to convey any particular kind of emotions through a shot. As a practitioner, this information greatly influenced my storyboarding techniques, shot selections, character staging and my relationship with depth or space in my work.

5.

Lee, S. (2024) ‘LGBTQ+ themed public art: promoting an expanded view on genders and advancing gender education’, World Art, pp. 1–10. doi: 10.1080/21500894.2024.2417424.

Using the medium of public art to communicate and raise awareness about the LGBTQ+ identity is the focus of this Article. It gains an expanded view of the subject, whilst assisting in normalizing LGBTQ+ identities. Through works of Public art such as the AIDS memorial quilt, Suburban rainbowization and Keith Haring's art, the LGBTQ+ are shown in a more humane light which helps evoke the feeling of empathy and inclusiveness towards any identity a person might associate with. Art also helped educate the masses about the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ by demonstrating their emotional aspects and struggles leading to a deepened acceptance with encouraging respect for their choices. It also acts as an excellent starting point for discussions regarding the subject. By studying this article, I learned how art can influence the opinion of masses and realized the appropriate approach to represent different gender identities, without bias in my practice.

6.

Mohd Hasri, U. H. and Md Syed, M. A. (2024) ‘Enhancing transmedia component through world building; the case of Ejen Ali franchise’, Communication Research and Practice, pp. 1–17. doi: 10.1080/22041451.2024.2364970.

The article analyzes a Franchise in the Malaysian Animation Industry called "Ejen Ali" through the lens of Transmedia. It makes successful use of various platforms such as Episodic, feature films, short films, comic strip & mobile games to enhance the engagement and sustain a wider audience. It emphasizes the importance of building a reconcilable universe across different media platforms which surpasses individual plots & attains a profound narrative. It states the relationship of author as well as audience in the process of world building. In my practice, it helps me understand the power of transmedia and its effect on immersion of the masses. The concept of three types of immersion; Physical, Sensual & Conceptual Immersion by Mark J.P.Wolf(2014) mentioned in this article provided me with newfound insights. Lastly, I learned about the impact of involving cultural references in a fictional world, on the relatability of the target audience.

7.

Prokhorov, A. (2021) ‘The Hero’s Journey and Three Types of Metaphor in Pixar Animation’, Metaphor and Symbol, 36(4), pp. 229–240. doi: 10.1080/10926488.2021.1919490.

This article talks about the ability of animation as a medium, using metaphors with a lot more freedom as compared to cinema.The study used the Universal "Hero's Journey" or "Monomyth" structure formulated by Joseph Campbell in 1949 to analyze Pixar's few most successful films. The study analysis the contribution of metaphors used in storytelling, specifically in animation. It talks about the existence of a major metaphor throughout the theme of the piece or "mega metaphor" and a series of "creative" metaphors which support the story as well as the mega metaphor. Studying the article helped me understand how to apply structural use of metaphors in my practice. Especially in the narrative of a short film where too much of elongated supportive metaphors might divert the story from the theme, that needs to be conveyed in a rather short timespan. It helped me keep my animation crisp and precise.

8.

Seel, M. (2008) ‘Realism and Anti-Realism in Film Theory’, Critical Horizons, 9(2), pp. 157–175. doi: 10.1558/crit.v9i2.157.

The author talks about "Realism and Anti-Realism" in Film theory by describing three different theories, namely: "The Realist film thesis", "The illusionist thesis" and "the anti-realist thesis" using sources from renowned works of film theorists like Siegfried Kracauer, Christian Metz, Roland Barthes etc. The first theory defines films to be based on reality and real-life representations, without manipulation by fictional elements. The second suggests that viewers are under the illusion of witnessing or dreaming a set of events as reality. The third says that films lead to events of audio and visuals that may not be a demonstration of reality. The distinction between photography and films is also discussed in great detail. I learned the fundamentals of film theories and varying ways in which realism can be or not be applied in films. I realized all the approaches are valid and can be applied based on the theme/audience.

9.

Son, E. (2023) ‘Symbolic Image of Colors in the Animation Film, Loving Vincent’, Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 40(7), pp. 807–826. doi: 10.1080/10509208.2023.2235991.

The article takes a deep dive into the use and representation of colors in the animated film "Loving Vincent". The movie narrates the story about the legendary painter Van Gogh. Taking into account the influential works of Birren, von Goethe, Eisenstein etc The author talks about the role of color, its classification in terms of tones, shades, warmth, coolness and everything in-between while shedding light on what they symbolize or are perceived as. The relationship between Yellow and Blue is portrayed as prime examples as these have contrasting effects on viewer. Black and white are used within the complementary colors to catch the viewer's attention. In "Loving Vincent", Colors are also used to represent present and past. Studying the color language, its meaning and application enabled me to add to narrations through background and ambience. I learned that the qualities of characters can also be subtly presented through colors.

10.

Sze Yeoh, J. P., Han, M. G. and Spence, C. (2022) ‘The Impact of Musical Fit and Sound Design on Consumers’ Perception of a Luxury Car Ad’, Luxury, 9(2–3), pp. 165–184. doi: 10.1080/20511817.2022.2224496.

The article sheds light on the effect of music/sound on the advertisements of Cars and how its commercially used to draw the right audiences. It gives examples of well known car advertisements such as Lexus NX, Jaguar, BMW, Skoda etc. It mentions the use of classical/pop music to communicate with the audience and the use of "Rock n Roll" hits from 80s to target retirees. Based on these advertisements from the past, an experiment was held to test the effects of sound on a total of 160 participants, split into four groups. Each group watched the same advertisement but with a different treatment of music/sound . It was observed each group experienced the same advertisement with different impressions based on what they listened. As an animator, this study helps me approach sound/music more convincingly and understand the role and impact of sound/music in narratives.

[anim8yash]

Critical Analysis

Son, E. (2023) ‘Symbolic Image of Colors in the Animation Film, Loving Vincent’, Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 40(7), pp. 807–826. doi: 10.1080/10509208.2023.2235991.

Written by Eunha Son, a research professor at the Korean Studies institute at Pusan National University, specializing in the interdisciplinary studies of humanities and imaging science, this article analyzes the metaphoric and representative meaning of colors in animation through the example of the recently released uniquely animated film "Loving Vincent"(2017). I have chosen pages 810 to 813 from this paper to make the analysis.

This part is dedicated to the evaluation of colors, especially the ones which deal with our mental and emotional aspects. The author elaborates that the choice of colors in films are notably used to enhance its emotional value. Hence, it stresses on making it prevalent to use metaphors through representation and doing so by the use of color. In medium such as animation where the artist has complete control over the subject, forms, colors and environment, the choice of colors to effectively communicate the essence of the shot becomes important. The author bases this study on the foundational work of revolutionary color theorists such as, Faber Birren’s (1961) color theory, Wassily Kandinsky’s (1914) work on Spiritual art, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s (1840) color theory and many more, as well as evaluating the psychological impact of colors used in recently released animations.

"Loving Vincent" is an animated feature film released in 2017 which is based on the life of the legendary painter Van Gogh which is also the theme of this article. The author observes that the colors used in the films are the same that was used in Van Gogh's paintings and talks about its representation. The colors of the character are figurative while the color of the background sets the mood and emotional value of the shot. The article states how the film uniquely uses oil paintings by Van Gogh to animate and narrate the story. Thus, all of its frames are painted by artists in the stylized approach which was used by Van Gogh and also preserves the same interpretation that he used through his colors. After Van Gogh's death, his life is revisited in this film through the perspectives of people who knew him. It is clear that each person had a different narration about how he dies and the film tries to explore the cause of his death through its runtime and the ways in which colors were used to communicate through each person's perspective.

The article also tries to settle the dispute about "Color psychology" about its mental and sentimental application. They do so by quoting the opinions of well known color theorists across history and presenting the significance of it. The author suggests, through Guilford (1939)'s work that the psychological and neurological reaction produce the affect we feel through the interaction with colors and hence also attach emotional values to them. They also emphasize on the quote “the harmony of color can only be based upon the principle of purposefully touching the human soul” (Kandinsky 1914,59) which suggests that colors have an impact on the very foundations of being and so, goes beyond psychological facets of a human, resulting in an authority over their emotions. Focusing on color balance, Eunha talks about the historic and symbolic meanings of color and its function of setting the mood and adding more information about the context in any film.

The article stresses on how combinations in which colors are used becomes extremely important to express certain feelings with clarity. It makes mention of color being categorized as warm and cool tones as well as light and dark shades. The text emphasizes that tones and shades both bring something to the table and the interaction between them makes or breaks the expression. Light shades are related to warm tones while Dark shades are connected to cooler tones. In Author's words "Brightness is matched with the temperature of the color". The interconnection of temperature with two of the primary colors i.e. Yellow and Blue is mentioned it great detail. The article highlights how Yellow tends to behave keenly and does not naturally go to prominent depths whereas Blue acts in an exact contradiction to yellow. Due to these reasons, Yellow and Blue are widely used to contrast each other. When mixed in equilibrium, they generate green. The application of Blue describes a darker, dispirited character while Yellow, a delicate and warm character. The text also talks about tones that effect the function of a color to act both cheerful or bright with higher saturation and gloomy, dull or depressive with lower brightness.

The Author also presents Faber Birren's (1961) work on representing colors with the personality of people wherein according to Birren, Extroverts were portrayed with warm colors and introverts with cool colors. The text sheds light on some of Yellow's representation such as it being implied spiritually or possessing the quality to appeal intellectuals and people with less intelligence. While in west it was mostly negative with the associations of qualities such as timidity, preconceptions and oppression. Another important aspect of this article is the mention of Color theory by Von Goethe(1840) which says Yellow and Blue are extremes of the color spectrum and their complementary relation with each other give rise to other colors in the spectrum. Using these points from authoritative sources, the paper speaks about maximum emotional impact that occurs when using Yellow and Blue in greater detail. Through Eisenstein's theory of colors, the article explains the significance of the co-relation between color, story and sound while learning the process of film-making.

In conclusion, this article talks about a very important and relevant topic in film-making i.e. representation through colors. Providing valuable insights as well as strong authority based on the work of color theorists from the past and by using a recent and uniquely made artefact as an example of its application. The subject being vast and highly practical, also opens new doors to experiment , practice and an opportunity to contribute on the research in future while exploring deeper into the fascinating connection between human psychology, emotions and colors.

[anim8yash]

10. The Analysis of Disney's Pocahontas(1995) through the theory of "The Others" by Zygmunt Bauman

This is an attempt to analyze the Disney feature film through the concept of "The Others" by Zygmunt Bauman (1991). It goes to say that humans tend to perceive individuals or groups that are different from their own social circle as "others". It was found to be a natural behavior by people before postmodernity. (Dr Zuleyka Zevallos, 2020).

[Figure 1] Poster of Disney's Pocahontas (1995)

The Disney Movie Pocahontas (1995) can be used as a prime example of its implication as the core of the plot revolves around this concept. Its a story about two completely different groups of people living in different social environments that come in contact with each other.

The female protagonist Pocahontas is the daughter of the chieftain of the Powhatan tribe. While the male protagonist , John Smith is an European settler who arrived in the "new world" in search of gold, riches and a new life.

[Figure 2] John Smith meets Pocahontas

One day John smith, ventures into the wild and meet Pocahontas. their first interaction invokes curiosity in both of them. But since they both perceive the person in front of them as "the other", it quickly escalates into misunderstandings. However as they learn to communicate with each other , they quickly understand each other's culture or differences.

However, its prevalent the people from both of their sides, have no communication and hence foster hatred towards "the other". The greed of general John Ratcliffe who led the Europeans to present day Virginia does not help the situation. These factors add to the growth of conflicts between the Europeans and the native Powhatan tribe leading to a waring situation.

[figure 3] Both parties prepare for war - Pocahontas(1995)

Meanwhile, John smith and Pocahontas get closer to each other and as their interactions goes on, and form a romantic bond. As there is no communication between either party, they continue hostility towards each other to the point where John Smith get captured and is to be executed. In a climatic scene, Pocahontas saves John Smith by throwing herself over John Smith in order to protect her. This act stops the war and it shifts the perspectives of people on both sides.

Pocahontas Saves John Smith thus breaking the discriminatory ideals

The movie makes a realistic representation of the human nature described by Bauman, where we are quick to discriminate and take a conflicting angle as our first stance, when interacting with someone coming from a different origin. However , the world has changed and progressed from the time this concept was first introduced. The notion of "the others" is still applicable today but the impact is considerably lower due to a highly communicative and democratized world.

Bibliography:

Palmer, J., Brzeziński, D. and Campbell, T. (2020). Sixty-three years of thinking sociologically: Compiling the bibliography of Zygmunt Bauman. Thesis Eleven, 156(1), pp.118–133. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0725513619898289.

‌Says:, D. et al. (2020) What is otherness?, The Other Sociologist. Available at: https://othersociologist.com/otherness-resources/#:~:text=Woman%20is%20the%20other%20of,enemy%20the%20other%20of%20friend%20( (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Kinyera, C. (2024) Straying from the truth: The historical facts disney’s ‘Pocahontas’ overshadowed, Big Picture Film Club. Available at: https://bigpicturefilmclub.com/history-disney-pocahontas/ (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Fanpop, Inc. (no date) Disney Princess Article: Dp villain songs countdown, Fanpop. Available at: https://www.fanpop.com/clubs/disney-princess/articles/249727/title/dp-villain-songs-countdown/459 (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

(No date) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVC23SCMmmw (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Admin (2014) A disney reflection: Pocahontas, Cult Fix. Available at: https://cultfix.com/a-disney-reflection-pocahontas-27009.htm (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

[anim8yash]

9. Analyzing Frozen Movie through the structure

This blog is about the analysis of Disney's Frozen movie (which I had previous analyzed through the use of Semiotics) through the structure of Vladimir Propp's eight archetypes. Vladimir Propp claimed that the characters in a story can be defined by their "sphere of actions" in 1928. (Media Studies, 2024) He also proposed the structure of eight character archetypes used in narratives. The Seven Archetypes are, 1) Hero 2) Villain 3) Princess 4) Dispatcher 5) Donor 6) Helper 7) False Hero 8) The father.

[figure 1] Disney's Frozen Poster

Frozen is a modern day fairy tale and has a novel representations of various things such as plot, gender , the conflict etc. So, there is an intersection of a few roles from the Vladimir Propp's structure that is used to analyze them. With several layers to decipher, it becomes an intriguing process and leads to some very interesting findings on how Disney has broken their stereotypes and story structures.

Elsa:

[figure 2] Princess Elsa

It is quite evident that the "Hero" of this story is Elsa, the main character of the film however she can also be interpreted as the princess as she is the one who gets saved by her Sister Anna. She can also be categorized as a borderline "princess" role by Propp's structure since in the beginning, she is the victim of her own powers and princes from all neighboring kingdom assemble to ask for her hand in marriage.

Anna:

[figure 3] Princess Anna

Anna fits the "Hero" definition from Propp's structure as she goes on a quest to save their kingdom, along with sidekicks. She also ends up sacrificing herself in order to save Elsa.

Kristoff, Olaf and The Reindeer:

[figure 4] Olaf (Snowman) , Kristoff and Reindeer

All the Three Characters can be considered as "helpers" in different degrees. Kristoff is more of a male protagonist in the movie but his role in the story still serves as a sidekick. We could say he is the most important helper out of all the three. Olaf is a standard definition of a comic sidekick while the Reindeer is a niche sidekick. Regardless of their differences, when evaluating from Propp's structure, they all fall under the "helpers" Category.

Trolls:

[figure 5] Trolls in Frozen

The bunch of trolls can be categorized as the "helpers" from Propp's structure because of their assistance in helping Anna realize her love for Kristoff as well as showing Anna and Elsa that the strength of their bond as sisters can overcome any obstacle that comes across them.

Hans:

[figure 6] Prince Hans

Hans is the most interesting aspect of the movie. He is the one character which makes Frozen so unique. Despite displaying all the qualities of a prince charming, he is the major antagonist of the film. He attempts to trick Anna in order to take control of the Kingdom and going as far as evening killing Elsa to achieve it. Hans is a fusion of "False Hero" as well as "Villain" in the movie.

The other roles such as the Father, The Donor and the dispatcher are not physically present in the movie but in fact are the situations that play these roles to motivate the characters to carry on their actions.

This analysis also shows the ability by Disney to represent Gender roles, break stereotypes and changing their own formulas to success which was being followed from the past decades in order to adapt to the changing time as well as audience.

Bibliography:

Media Studies (2024) Vladimir Propp’s 7 character types and narrative theory, Media Studies. Available at: https://media-studies.com/propp/ (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

O’Neill, R. (2020) Frozen: 5 reasons olaf is the best sidekick (& 5 why it’s Sven), ScreenRant. Available at: https://screenrant.com/disney-frozen-olaf-vs-sven-comparison/ (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Jadine (2024) The untold secrets of Disney’s ‘frozen’, The Punk Rock Princess. Available at: https://thepunkrockprincess.com/entertainment/tv-films/the-untold-secrets-of-disneys-frozen/ (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Mullen, A. (2024) Frozen 3 should bring back the original movie’s villain (& there’s 1 easy way to do it), ScreenRant. Available at: https://screenrant.com/frozen-3-bring-back-hans-villain/ (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Wallpapercat (no date) WallpaperCat. Available at: https://wallpapercat.com/queen-anna-of-arendelle-frozen-wallpapers#modal (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Wiki, C. to F. (no date) Trolls, Frozen Wiki. Available at: https://frozen.fandom.com/wiki/Trolls (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

[anim8yash]

8. Intertextuality and its impacts on gags in Animation

In a lot of animations, the concept on intertextuality is used to achieve different objectives. Intertextuality is the concept that describes the relationship between media products where one text uses the reference of the other to convey same or different meanings through it. (Media Studies, 2023). Its a popular concept in the present as there is a wide variety of content being created. The term was first coined by Julia Kristevain 1966. (M. Zengin, 2016).

Intertextuality is used widely on the internet today especially in platforms where there is a need to tell stories quickly like Youtube Shorts, Tiktok, Instagram etc. The reason could be that these platform use no more than 30 - 60 seconds to complete a narrative. Which means there is very less or no time to establish a new character and hence, starting with an already established character saves time and also aids to the narrative because the audience has already accepted them. "Frame order" a channel from youtube (which was mentioned in my first blog) puts intertextuality to good use. Below are the examples of how they use the famous fable character Rupunzel and Spiderman to create a gag without having to explain much about the characters.

Haircut for Rapunzel by Frame Order

Spiderman by Frame Order

There are instances of other works in the field of animation which use intertextuality in compelling ways. Shows like Family Guy and Simpsons use intertextuality from not only other creative media artefacts but also the ongoing geopolitical references or from an ongoing trend.

[figure 1] Bond reference in the Simspons

The Things Animated - 20 Movie References in Family Guy

By using these references, shows like family guy and simpsons use the context to create entirely different narratives from what the original version was. They sometimes change the meaning or ending and other times add more elements to the same reference making it hilarious for their target audience. In some other works of animation, intertextuality is used to grab the attention of the audience or also to generate a hype of the upcoming film or series.

Shrek using intertextuality from Spiderman(2002)

Shrek using intertextuality from Lord of the rings

Intertextuality is a powerful tool for a creative practitioner and its potential to elevate the product is immense but it is to be used with caution as the intertextual element can make the work unoriginal and a ripoff, if it overlaps the main plot or the originality of the content that is being created.

Bibliography:

Media Studies (2023) Intertextuality: Definition and examples, Media Studies. Available at: https://media-studies.com/intertextuality/ (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Zengin, M. (2016) (PDF) text/texts: Julia Kristeva’s concept of intertextuality, dergipark.org. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273771676_TextTexts_Julia_Kristeva’s_Concept_of_Intertextuality (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Cartoonbox (no date) Frame Order - Spiderman, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZKsc2C-I3A&list=PLSg9uHxhv5-5zX0woLfByf6wsbpmtl1M1&index=7 (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Cartoonbox (no date a) Frame Order - Rapunzel, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKheDFAdhJg (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

2) intertextuality in Shrek (2019) The Shrek Franchise: Intertextuality and Textual Poaching. Available at: https://shrekfranchise.home.blog/intertextuality-in-shrek/ (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

Carlo, D.D. (2022) 10 best classic movie references in ‘the Simpsons’, Collider. Available at: https://collider.com/classic-movie-references-in-the-simpsons/ (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

The Things Animated (no date) 20 movie references from family guy, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7uVzk09X8Q (Accessed: 07 January 2025).

[anim8yash]

7. The Role of Clothes/Costume Design in Animation & Identity

Any character in media that we come across, tend to have a story and a personality. The clothes designed or worn by the characters does play a huge role in describing the identity of the character and also about the life or environment in which the character is set. "the relationship we have with our clothes has been mostly analyzed in terms of fashion and identity, with a focus on the ways in which we use clothing to represent ourselves to and in the world." (Lucia Ruggerone, 2016).

[figure 1 and 2] Diluc's Outfit in the game Genshin Impact (left) Disney's Aladdin (right)

Above are a few examples of clothing /wardrobe used to communicate a narrative. Diluc's outfit clearly points out to the fact that the character has a rich background, with such intricate designs and extensions to his coat, the viewers are easily able to make out that he belongs from a lineage of nobles. The colors used ie Dark browns, Grays , Blacks and with a white shirt inside, suggests that he is a formal personality. Overall makes the viewer sense a feeling of Elegance and composure from his outfit. On the other hand, Aladdin's clothes tell us a different story, the rags in his pants suggest that he's not privileged and come from a poor background. That can also be made out by the dull colors of his clothes. However, the use of a dusty purple for his jacket suggests that he dreams of becoming rich or royal and so he tries to look like that with whatever he is able to afford. (since purple symbolizes royalty especially in the earlier days when the story of Aladdin took place).

Sometimes the choice of clothes on a character represent a less directly readable elements. Something which has more personal meaning like guilt or remorse, or a memory that was left by a loved one. For example, the character Giyu in the anime Demon Slayer or Kimetsu no Yaiba, wears a Kimono which has two different halves in its design. The story later reveals that he mourns the death of his best friend who died saving him and the guilt which he carries leads him to believe that he deserved to die in his friend's stead. For this reason, he wears a Kimono which has half of it designed after his Friend's Kimono as a symbol of the guilt and sorrow he carries of that incident.

[figure 3] Giyu's Character Sheet in Kimetsu no Yaiba

The costume of characters in a scene can also explain a lot about the setting in which they are placed. The time in which it takes place ie ancient, medieval, modern or future. The geographic location and the climatic conditions of the place can also be expressed through the use of costumes.

[figure 4 and 5] Prince of Egypt Costume design (1998)

In the examples above, the costume plays a very important role. Prince of Egypt has a wardrobe that distinguishes the class separations of rich and poor, king and peasants through the costume. Presence of Tunics, golden armbands, baggy clothes with in the grayish spectrum of peasants highlight their poverty and helplessness while the whites and golds of the king's wardrobe depict the authority and abundance they have. The fact that the prince and royalties also don't wear fur or thick clothes indicate that where the setup takes place is a hot place and close to the equator.

[figure 6 and 7) Arcane Season 2 Costume design (2024)

In figure 6 and 7, we look at a completely different idea of costume which takes place in a fictional world. The world of arcane is a prevalent theme ie. Steampunk (Dudkina, L. and Serrano Madrona, 2023) and so the costumes are designed to depict the development in technology with a mix of magic in a world which appears to be futuristic in nature.

In conclusion, The costume design for characters in animation plays out a huge role on the psyche of the audience subconsciously. If the Costume design goes wrong , immediately something starts to look off and it reflects on the work negatively. This study has given me some insightful learning on which me as a budding animator, should approach my practice.

Bibliography:

Ruggerone, L. (2016) ‘The Feeling of Being Dressed: Affect Studies and the Clothed Body’, Fashion Theory, 21(5), pp. 573–593. doi: 10.1080/1362704X.2016.1253302.

Yurin on twitter: Character design, pose reference, anime poses reference (2020) Pinterest. Available at: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/682225043550249781/ (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Demon slayer TV animation character material sheet vol. 2 art book (no date) Anime Books. Available at: https://www.animebooks.com/desltvanchma.html (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

X.com (2024) X (formerly Twitter). Available at: https://x.com/ValorantUpdated/status/1814359024911131004/photo/1 (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Dudkina, L. and Serrano Madrona, M.A., 2023. Navigating Transmedia Landscapes: The Mutual Impact of the Arcane Series and League of Legends on Audience Engagement.

Rotoscopers (2019) Reflections on ‘The prince of egypt’, Rotoscopers. Available at: https://www.rotoscopers.com/2018/11/14/reflections-on-the-prince-of-egypt/ (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

March 30, 2018 et al. (no date) The Prince of Egypt: The humanized exodus, The Prince of Egypt: The Humanized Exodus. Available at: https://reviewsofthebosch.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-prince-of-egypt-humanized-exodus.html (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Arcane season 2 highlighted in new ‘Next on netflix’ animation trailer (2024) Bleeding Cool News. Available at: https://bleedingcool.com/tv/arcane-season-2-highlighted-in-new-next-on-netflix-animation-trailer/ (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

[anim8yash]

6. Animation and Affect theory

"The Affect theory can be loosely defined as a an idea that attempts to categorize affects, with emotions and subjectively perceived sentiments with respect to their physiological, sociological, interactional and internalized expressions" (Sociology plus, 2022). However the experience of affect is not conscious. It focuses on the experience or feeling about things, more than the conclusions drawn.

Animation as medium draws a cognitive, sensory and emotion engagements of viewers. (Romana. A. S, 2024) Because of its unique attribute of motion, it lets us add human qualities to imaginary objects, metaphors or to even completely different fictious worlds. In Character animations, poses are exaggerated to make it more communicative to the viewers. Those exaggerated poses tend to create affect in a viewer's body and mind, especially if its something the viewer can relate to in the world around them or if its an experience they have already felt.

[figure 1 and 2] Courage the cowardly Dog Scarred(left) and Daily lives of Highschool Boys (right)

In the figures above, Even if they don't exactly resemble reality, the viewers can clearly empathize with what the characters are feeling. The exaggerated pose from courage, which literally portrays all of his fur standing, eyes popping out, jaws open so wide that it covers almost the entire body and the smearing motion blur from his hands and legs they all subconsciously make the audience convey exactly how much he is scared. On the other hand, the Boys from the anime all jump up soo high with a carefree pose under a shining sun and bright blue sky, it tells the viewer that its a beautiful , happy and cheerful day. To me, personally it reminds me of my summer vacation when i was a kid and gives me a pleasant feeling of nostalgia when i look at it for instance. The facial expressions, the motion of head, punctuations , pauses as well as intonations, they all create a sense of affect through the characters.

Raging Gon from the Anime (Hunter x Hunter)

In the Video above we can clearly relate to the character's rage because of the buildup of motion and expression. Starting from an eerie calm to a violent rage, It goes out to exaggerate the explosion of anger so much that there is a dark Aura transforming him and making him look a completely different grimly entity. Although this is a different world with its own rules, the affect from it causes the audience to empathize with the character and indulge into the story because of it. Some dynamic camera angles further add to the affect of the scene such as his pupil losing all the details that highlight the metaphor that he is blinded by anger or the low-angle shot that expresses the intensity of his rage.

[figure 3 and 4] Gon blinded by rage (left) Low angle shot of Gon going berserk (right)

Using the affect Theory i tried to implement it in my animatics which is about stage fear. I tried to use exaggeration and metaphors to sum up the experience a person feels when they have to face a huge crowd. When i create the short film, my aim is to convey or make people empathize with the character in my film, thus either reflecting onto themselves or better understand the people who are afraid of large crowds or are intimidated by it. I also wanted to end the video with a conclusion that, our fears are in our heads and with little support from our close ones, anyone can overcome it and become better versions of themselves.

My animatics based on the prompt "Places of mind"

To conclude this, "affect in animation is an exploration of how animated media extends and reshapes human perception and cognition by integrating embodied cognition, empathy and posthumanism."(Romana. A. S, 2024) Using and learning affect theory can help animation as a medium, become a bridge between the character on the screen and the viewer watching it and thus establishing a connection (temporary or long lasting depending on how much it affects them) with the viewer through it.

Bibliography:

Affect theory definition & explanation (2022) Sociology Plus. Available at: https://sociology.plus/glossary/affect-theory/ (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Romana, A.S. (2024). Book review: Affect and Embodied Meaning in Animation. Animation, 19(2-3), pp.185–188. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/17468477241281645.

‌Kinshi (2016) Gon’s Anger, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZCOwFtlbIA (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Luigimaster123 (no date) Courage the cowardly dog: Hallway of horrors, SiIvaGunner Wiki. Available at: https://siivagunner.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Courage_the_Cowardly_Dog:_Hallway_of_Horrors (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Daily lives of high school boys (no date) The Movie Database. Available at: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/45859-daily-lives-of-high-school-boys (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

[anim8yash]

5. Batman and his Transmedia success

Batman is one of the most icon superheroes to emerge in the history of media. He first appeared in the May Issue of Detective Comics in 1939. Although he didn't get a standalone comic until 1940 with the title "Batman". (Transmedia Case study E, 2014)

[figure 1] Batman's First appearance in DC comics, May, 1939 Issue cover page

From this point, Batman kept becoming more and more famous with every issue of his comic, quickly gaining popularity and rising to the top. With its success, we see that his universe was already starting to expand through Transmedia. Batman travelling across its country of origin ie USA. In the 1960s Batman made its first appearance in Finland and quickly gained fame amongst children. The Finnish Batman was slightly different from the Batman in the US. It showed some element of comedy and fun. Batman adapted few elements according to the Finnish audience while managing to keep the core essence intact. It was one of its earliest success through Transmedia. They also introduced a "batman" soft-drink in Finland.( Laura. A, 2024).

[figure 2] Batman in Finland 1960

In 1966 Batman also had his first feature film and a TV series (1966 - 1968). Batman had become one of the highest selling superhero for DC.

[figure 3 and 4] Batman 1966 Movie poster (left) Series poster (right)

Due to its immense popularity, the franchise kept expanding with time and technology. The animated series of Batman (1968) was a big success and was followed by Batman the animated series (1992) and a global hit. There were plenty more animated series which followed. Each exploring new mediums, adding and expanding the universe of Batman (including a lego version).

Batman: Evolution (Animated TV Shows and Movies) - 2019 (80th Anniversary) by Renash30

Interactive Media Platforms such as video games, Mobile games , playstation or Xbox, every single one of them has a Batman game designed for it. The detective storyline through most of its adaptations, keeps the audience hooked. (Jesse. S, 2022) In 2024, there was also a trailer released for a VR that lets you play as Batman called "Batman: Arkham Shadow"

[figure 6] Batman in Arkham game series

The New Batman VR Game , Batman : Arkham Shadow (2024)

Batman is also highly known for his merchandises and figurines. At Present, Batman is present everywhere and only growing. From Comic books to Cinemas to Games , animation and merchandises, Its all available! In the DCU Cinema, Batman has received success in multiple standalone films such as Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) as well as relevant appearance in films like Justice League (2017) etc. Recently there was another film, The Batman (2022) which goes to show that Batman remains active in every media platform that it touched throughout its evolution.

Different representations of Batman (Jordan King, 2023)

But what makes Batman stand out? Why did it succeed so much that even after 70 years of his first appearance, people still want to see more? The answer could be that, in a world of superhero comics, Batman does not have any mutation, superpower or any innate physical superiority. He is an ordinary man who takes his human abilities to the peak in all possible areas because of the pain he had to go through. In short he is an ordinary person who wants to turn his pain or trauma into something positive. (Jordan King, 2023)The storyline has a lot of unique villains , fairly dark storyline and amusing twists and turns as it being a detective series.

Even after seven decades, the relevance of this character and the acceptance it receives from the audience still remains fervent. In Short, the ability to adapt and connect with the audience and with time, makes Batman as a franchise truly special and a top example of a successful Transmedia franchise.(Jordan King, 2023)

Bibliography:

Transmedia Case study E. (2014) Transmedia. Available at: https://wbs99190.wordpress.com/transmedia-case-study-e/ (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

King, J. (2023) Why Batman is cinema’s greatest superhero, Empire. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/why-batman-is-cinemas-greatest-superhero/ (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Antola, L. (2024) ‘Holy transmedia! - the many faces of Batman in 1960s Finland’, Continuum, 38(4), pp. 532–547. doi: 10.1080/10304312.2024.2340009.

Batman (1966) IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059968/ (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Batman: The movie (1966) IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060153/ (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Renash30 (2019) Batman: Evolution (Animated TV Shows and Movies) - 2019 (80th Anniversary), YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFm6EuLjU7Q (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Schedeen, J. (2022) The Long Road to perfecting Batman in video games, IGN. Available at: https://www.ign.com/articles/batman-video-games-history-arkham-asylum-telltale (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Kennedy, L.S. (2014) :: Batman arkham asylum, city, origins & knight, Steam Community. Available at: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?l=german&id=267413550 (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

[anim8yash]

4. The Male Gaze and Marvel's Black Widow (2021)

In films and media, "The male gaze" is associated with the point of view of a male spectator through camera, direction or narrative conventions. The term was popularized five decades ago by a British film theorist, Laura Mulvey in 1973. She pointed out how the cinema portrays females in films through the lens of a man's perspective (which more often than not used to be a sexualized representation of women). (Lauren Michele Jackson, 2023)

Examples of male gaze by youtuber Chang G (2020)

This blog discusses the male gaze and the extent it was dealt with in the recently released movie "Black Widow"(2021). Black Widow is arguably the more fierce and feminist movie from Marvel as of now. It breaks the stereotypes of Marvel's male-centric storyline establishing strong female characters as cast, showing a less hypersexualized Natasha, going against mansplaining, sexism and misogyny all at once. She is also portrayed in different lights such as a vulnerable kid in the beginning to an assassin who is all about the mission without any reference to potential romantic interests. When in fact her representation in comics as well as other media was mostly through a "male gaze" until 2021.

Representations of Black Widow in Comics (From left to right) The Web of Black Widow, The Web of Black Widow #5 Bianchi variant, Black Widow : Deadly Origin

Her clothes also includes a leather jacket instead of skin-fit russian assassin suit which exaggerates her sex appeals and nobody compliments about her good looks as contrast to the Iron-man 2 (2010). Even her poses while fighting in Iron-man 2 was hypersexualized. This was much better represented in the recent Black Widow movie (Killian.K.D , 2022). The plot moves around her family, sisterhood and everything that she had to go through before becoming a part of the avengers which is again an empowering representation for a female character who was used as an eye-candy in previous movies.

[figure 1] Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in Iron Man 2. Photograph: François Duhamel/AP

[figure 2] Black Widow Poster (2021) rectifying the male-gaze from past movies

The ideology of "Male Gaze" despite being termed in 1973, has been present way before cinema was even invented. Since the society was more patriarchal during the medieval times and even after democracy came into the picture, women have been represented as an object of pleasure for male spectacle even in oil paintings. Due to which, the progress to come out of that bias will also take some time.

[figure 1] Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus, 1484-86, tempera on canvas, 172.5 x 278.9cm, Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

[figure 2] Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Grande Odalisque, oil on canvas, 1814, 88.9 x 162.6cm, Louvre, Paris

[figure 3] Édouard Manet, Déjeuner sur l'herbe, 1863, oil on canvas, 208x 264.5cm, Musée d’Orsay, Paris.

However if we suppose the time when the oil paintings were created as a starting point, art and media has come a long way in terms of representing women today. Moves like Marvel's Black Widow, may not be there yet. But there is a clear progress from when she was seen as a sidekick in Iron-man 2 (2010) and with every new film release, women and even other identities are being represented with more clarity. As a media practitioner, It is also my responsibility to make an effort in creating relatable and unbiased representation of identities in my work.

Bibliography:

Jackson, L.M. (2023) The invention of ‘the male gaze’, The New Yorker. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/the-invention-of-the-male-gaze (Accessed: 04 January 2025).

McInerney, R. (2021) The male gaze, Art History Perspectives. Available at: https://www.arthistoryperspectives.com/posts/themalegaze (Accessed: 04 January 2025).

Killian, K. D. (2022) ‘An Analysis of Black Widow��(2021): Marvel’s Most Feminist Film Features Powerful Sisters and an Attenuated Male Gaze’, Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 35(1), pp. 106–113. doi: 10.1080/08952833.2022.2139926.

Pulver, A. (2021) Scarlett Johansson criticises ‘hypersexualisation’ of Black widow in iron man 2, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jun/17/scarlett-johansson-criticises-hypersexualisation-black-widow-iron-man-2 (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Spalanz. (2021) Black widow (2021), spalanz.com. Available at: https://spalanz.com/2021/12/08/black-widow-2021/ (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Marvel Comics (no date) Web of black widow #5 Bianchi variant (of 5), ComicHub,ComicHub Stores,ComicHub Customer,ComicHub Publisher,ComicHub Pos,ComicHub Supplier/samurai_comics_glendale. Available at: https://stores.comichub.com/samurai_comics_glendale/products/web-of-black-widow-5-bianchi-variant-of-5- (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Houser, J. (2020) The web of black widow: Paperback, Barnes & Noble. Available at: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-web-of-black-widow-jody-houser/1134088605 (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

Lawson, C. (2011) Comics spotlight on Black widow: Deadly origin, Wired. Available at: https://www.wired.com/2011/02/comics-spotlight-on-black-widow-deadly-origin/ (Accessed: 05 January 2025).

[anim8yash]

3. "Gesamtkunstwerk"(total work of art) in 20th century concerts.

"Gesamtkunstwerk" is a term coined by German Composer and theatre director named Richard Wagner in 1849. Gesamtkunstwerk is german word which translated to "total work of art" (Grigoriadou, 2013). It is a creative fusion of art, music, theory, philosophy and even technology to create a complete experience for the viewer or the audience.

Modern day stage drama and auditorium (Chicago Auditorium Theatre)

Wagner combined the opera and drama to create a musical drama which were performed in the Auditoriums. (Pederson, 2016). Here the way in which the auditorium were built, the performances of actors and the orchestral music under the stage which in turn avoids any distraction was seen as a complete work of art at that time.

As time went by, new technologies were developed, introducing new forms of entertainment. We see the emergence of Cinema halls and motion pictures. Where audience could watch a story that is recorded in a reel and projected on a screen. Initially these films did not have sound or color. But as technology grew, so did the the realism and the level of engagement that "Gesamtkunstwerk" of the time provided. There was a gradual evolution of films with the addition of Sound , color as well as the experience of the third dimension for the viewers which we call 3D or stereoscope today.

Modern day Stereoscopic Cinema Hall (2020)

It did not stop there it continued to explore the possibilities of involving more of our senses such as smell, touch, rain, wind and vibrations which was termed as 4DX Cinema. (Wilson. S, 2021)

4DX cinema demonstration by Cineworld Cinema (2022)

In the year 2023, Los Angeles had a new venue open for concerts. However, it was no ordinary concert venue. It was and still is what i consider the most recent form of "Gesamtkunstwerk". The Venue is called "The Sphere". It is a technological, architectural and innovational wonder. "The Sphere" is an auditorium which is spherically build as suggested by its name. As an audience when you enter the auditorium you are transferred into a futuristic world with skin of the structure covered with LEDs that project dynamic digital imagery.(RIBA Journals, 2025 ) Its a venue for electronic music concert where the artists play music with the robotics playing a few instruments while the whole venue projects mesmerizing abstract, futuristic or affective animations which look real and interact with the crowd in subtle ways. (RIBA Journals, 2025)

Concert performed by Anyma in "The Sphere - Los Angeles" 2024

Concert performed by Anyma in "The Sphere - Los Angeles" 2024

Combining animation, architecture, latest technology, lights, music, art and performance, "The Sphere" fits the definition of Richard Wagner's "Gesamtkunstwerk" and can be called a total work of art of the recent time. However, it is not the last version of "Gesamtkunstwerk" as it only paves a path for the future for more engaging works of art to immerge. "The Sphere" is also an excellent example of how revolutionary technology can be used positively with human creativity to reach new heights.

Bibliography:

Grigoriadou, E.T., 2013. Exploring the Gesamtkunstwerk Concept in the Design of the Theatrical Spatial Experience. A Constructivist Approach. In Infusing Research and Knowledge in South-East Europe, 8th Annual South-East European Doctoral Student Conference, STEERC.

Pederson, S. 2016. CHAPTER 2 From Gesamtkunstwerk to Music Drama. In: Imhoof, D., Menninger, M. and Steinhoff, A. ed. The Total Work of Art: Foundations, Articulations, Inspirations. New York, Oxford: Berghahn Books, pp. 39-55. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781785331855-007

Wilson, S. (2021) 4DX cinema in Cineworld: Everything you need to know, 4DX cinema in Cineworld | Cineworld cinemas. Available at: https://www.cineworld.co.uk/static/en/uk/blog/4dx-cinema-in-cineworld-everything-you-need-to-know (Accessed: 04 January 2025).

McNeil, R. (2020) Home, Chicago Film Scene. Available at: https://chicagofilmscene.com/the-current-state-of-movie-theatres-as-i-see-it/ (Accessed: 04 January 2025).

RIBA Journals. (2025) Look at what you can’t have now: The intense reality of the Las Vegas Sphere, RIBAJ. Available at: https://www.ribaj.com/buildings/las-vegas-sphere (Accessed: 04 January 2025).

Galvez, T. (2024) Anyma Concert (2024), YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7UYFMS09IA (Accessed: 04 January 2025).

Fender, R. (2024) Anyma Shorts, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95-uKvuTMc8 (Accessed: 04 January 2025).

[anim8yash]

2. Analyzing Disney Movie: Frozen Using Semiotic analysis of Roland Barthes' Denotation and Connotations

Frozen is an Oscar winning Animated movie made in 2013 by Walt Disney Motion Pictures. This Blog would be a dedicated analysis on the feature film using the structure of Denotation and Connotation by Roland Barthes (1957) on semiotics which suggests that every sign has at least two meanings, one which is literal and straightforward which he calls denotation and the others which has more deeper meanings ingrained that might speak more about the purpose. Denotation: Frozen is a 3D animation film of a fantasy story tale about two sibling princesses of a kingdom called Arendelle. The older daughter Elsa, has the power to create and manipulate Ice or snow but with no awareness of how to control it. The story has theme of royalty and winter with Reindeer, Snowman, warm decorative costumes and frost being predominant elements.

Frozen Poster, Frozen (2013)

Connotations:

The Style and characteristics of the movie was clearly designed to appeal audiences of younger age group and despite the universal theme, the first target audience appears to be teenage girls. The use of sparkles and shiny effects which adds magical touch all over the movie which usually attracts young girls more. The main characters are two sisters who are close to each other but rift apart due to an accidental moment.

The Princesses and their problems resemble the inner battles any teenager would be facing, with the solution seeming out of reach but with the support of someone close can easily be won.

Frozen, despite being a fairy tale, does reflect the time at which it was created. The Characters in the movie have some good contrast and variety that breaks a lot of norms of a typical fairy tale. The Setup is in a medieval age where trolls and magic exist. Although it does not give out any sort of patriarchy in the movie which was quite common for that era of stories. The two main protagonists, being both females, support that theme.

Background Layout, Frozen(2013)

With Elsa being reserved yet bold when she has to be. She is the strongest individual in the kingdom and not a damsel in distress which is usually how a princess is portrayed in these type of stories. On the contradictory, her greatest fear is that she might harm someone if she fails to contain her powers.

Elsa, Frozen (2013)

Anna who is the second protagonist, on the other hand is an optimistic, bit awkward but warm younger sibling who yearns the love of her sister because of their separation for several years. She is also the person who saves her sister who is the most powerful character of the show and the kingdom from the winter curse by an act of self sacrifice.

Anna, Frozen (2013)

The Antagonist of the movie is a handsome prince named Hans, who is pretending to be in love with one of the princess for his own greed of acquiring and ruling the kingdom of Arendelle. The movie breaks a common stereotype by having a handsome, rich, well mannered prince as the main antagonist. By doing so it gives out a strong message to the audience about how appearances and pretenses can be a facade to something much more sinister underneath. It also attempts to show that not all people having a high status in a society, have good intentions.

Prince Hans, Frozen (2013)

And the most important part, the ending of the movie. Like every fairy tale, Frozen also has love as the solution to the biggest conflict faced by the protagonists. However what it does so well with the story is how it really elaborates the idea of "Love" into no longer being restricted to "romantic love" like any average medieval era themed fairy tale.

Anna's Sacrifice, Frozen (2013)

The Curse of eternal winter gets lifted because of an "act of love" just as prophesized however, an act of love could mean several things and not just romantic love. It could be care and love that parents feel for their child, or love for our siblings, friends etc. In this case, its the act of self sacrifice that Anna commits to save her sibling which breaks the curse and frees the kingdom from eternal winter.

In conclusion, there are many layers to the obvious plot which made the movie a success on a global level. The semiotics structure by Roland Barthes (1957) helps one to decipher meanings in a story which might be translated to the audience subconsciously and how it can connect to a wider mass, beyond their traditional backgrounds and their differences. It also helps analyze how they managed to engage the audience with altering a format of storytelling which is tried and tested by time to make it relatable to the times in which we live today.

[anim8yash]

1. Media Specificity : Impact of Short format Videos on Attention Span

In the past decade, there has been a huge shift in the way we consume content. It is a clear observation where people preferred content with a good length; be it feature films, episodic or documentaries as their primary source of entertainment before the past decade, have moved to a new form of video format for their entertainment. The format being short videos of approximately 30-60 secs. (That being said longer format still has a lot of significance but it is no longer the primary source of video content that the masses consume).

Rest in vibes - Short from Youtube

The short videos like the one displayed above, have a quick pinch of humor. Unlike the longer format, these short videos can be accessed and consumed much more flexibly and easily. People watch them while commuting, standing in a queue or even while waiting for their food in a restaurant. It does not require any commitment and so its popularity rose quickly as soon as it was introduced. Apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Youtube Shorts have become the go-to destination to consume media as of present.

On the contrary, these bite sized videos has also been a talk of growing concern about the impact they have on our ability to concentrate and focus. It has been observed in a study conducted in 2023 (Mohd Asif and Saniya Kazi, 2024) Shows evidence that addiction and overconsumption of these bite-sized videos has indeed deteriorated the attentions span of the people. The research was commenced with an experiment with the students of Bachelor of Management Studies, Sanpada College of Commerce and Technology in Mumbai. There were qualitative methods used to test the attention span of students who indulged in short videos for more than 4 hours per day. Several participants were interviewed that provided a deep insight into their experiences and obstacles which they faced in a regular day.

[figure 1 and 2] Graphs based on the study conducted by Mohd Asif and Saniya Kazi (2024)

It was observed that these students showed traits such as Lack of focus, deteriorated attention span, reduced productivity and Poor time management. Out of these traits Lack of focus and deteriorated attention span have impacted and will continue to impact the production of videos as the audience are comparatively less willing to engage in longer formats due to the instant Dopamine rush or instant gratification they get from the shorter formats. In a Study that used Youtube API to compare the performance of Youtube Short videos vs Long videos found that Shorts acquire 6 times more views compared to regular videos and there was a steady decline in the views of regular videos over time(Ha. L,2022)

As a content creator, it means that the way we tell stories has to somehow create a lasting impression in the audience's mind regardless of the format. It means that, for longer formats, trailers and first impressions mean a lot more today in order to reach our audiences. It has to leave an impact or drive them straight into the gist of the core idea as quickly as we can to make them engaged or for them to look forward to the official or the whole release.

Youtube Shorts by carton box

Youtube Shorts by cartoon box

In the examples above, the narrative is quick and fast paced and yet it doesn't miss out any relevant information needed to understand the context of the video. The comic timing and the reference to famous characters such as Snow White and Lord of the Rings save the time needed to establish them.

For more mainstream content, Do we stop trying to tell stories that don't fit the 30 - 60 seconds mark? In my opinion, we could try to find ways to play around the restriction of the duration to tell longer stories while retaining our audience and their attention span. To create a new format of storytelling which starts with a 30 second reel or a short but as the story progresses, the next reel it takes the duration ahead to approximately 60 seconds with a cliffhanger or a point of curiosity for the audience and then gradually increasing the content duration so that it can also help viewers maintain their attention while it gives the content creator to tell stories which are longer while utilizing the same traction or reach more masses that the short videos have access to compared to the longer ones.

Bibliography:

Asif, M. and Kazi, S. (2024) (PDF) examining the influence of short videos on attention span and its relationship with academic performance, researchgate.net. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380348721_Examining_the_Influence_of_Short_Videos_on_Attention_Span_and_its_Relationship_with_Academic_Performance (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Young, D.G., Jamieson, K.H., Poulsen, S. and Goldring, A. (2018) ‘Fact-Checking Effectiveness as a Function of Format and Tone: Evaluating FactCheck.org and FlackCheck.org’, Journalism & mass communication quarterly, 95(1), pp. 49–75.

Wu H-C, Jeng W-D, Chen L-S, Ho C-C. Developing the NLP-QFD Model to Discover Key Success Factors of Short Videos on Social Media. Applied Sciences. 2024; 14(11):4870. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114870

Choi1, B. et al. (no date) Seeking mental health support among college students in video-based social media: Content and statistical analysis of YouTube videos, JMIR Formative Research. Available at: https://formative.jmir.org/2021/11/e31944/ (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Ha, L. (2022) Global Content Creation and Consumption Transformation by Short Video Apps. Online Media and Global Communication, Vol. 1 (Issue 2), pp. 243-246. https://doi.org/10.1515/omgc-2022-0044

Violot, C. et al. (2024) Shorts vs. regular videos on YouTube: A comparative analysis of user engagement and content creation trends: Proceedings of the 16th ACM web science conference, ACM Conferences. Available at: https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3614419.3644023 (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

backbench_animations (no date) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iiQyHa5osjI (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Cartoonbox (no date) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/i2PIquRZAQI?feature=share (Accessed: 06 January 2025).

Cartoonbox (2024) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZR7g9DlhOU (Accessed: 06 January 2025).