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A Review of "Suzume" Review.

For the past couple of months i have been writing blog posts about some animations from the past and having an in depth look at them. For my Final project, i have decided to look at other people's journal articles for the same but some recently released animations and mostly to observe and learn from the people who are better critiques than me. For this, DoctorKev's article where he gives his in depth thoughts about Makoto Shinkkai's Romance movie- Suzume. The article is published on AniTay Official and is still available to read on the website. I chose this particular article to write about because i loved the movie when i saw it and wanted to learn what other people think about it and the review from DoctorKev not only talks about the movie Suzume but also anchors it to a broader view of the director Makoto Shinkai's career. This provides a deeper understanding to the people who are not that familiar with his style and giving a clearer picture of his recurring themes of teenage romance and emotional resonance.

The author's breakdown of the plot, characters and thematic depth gives a really good understanding of the film. By examining Suzume(the MC from the film), her relationships and the emotional journey she experienced during the plot of the film. He also does not fail to include the real world references in the film about the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. The film addresses this cultural trauma through its exploration of grief and healing. The credits given to Shinkai's signature hyper-realistic art and music production shows the author's appreciation but he also does not shy away from pointing out the weaknesses.  The “barely developed” romance and reliance on serendipity in plot progression are noted without diminishing the film’s overall achievements.

While i really enjoyed reading his article, and it providing a detailed review of the film, there are still some things i would hope were a little different in the article, like the extensive and really detailed recounting of Suzume's plot can be overwhelming.  While the detail is commendable, a more concise summary would help maintain the reader’s engagement without losing focus on the critical analysis.

At the end, this review is an excellent journal article even for someone who has not watched the film, they wiil surely learn alot about the film and offers an overview of  Makoto Shinkai’s strengths as a filmmaker while offering a thoughtful critique of his narrative tendencies. With a bit of refinement to streamline the structure and address broader audiences, it would stand as an exemplary piece of anime criticism.

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World Of Tomorrow (2015)

World of Tomorrow is a critically acclaimed animated short by Don Hertzfeldt that blends science fiction, dark humour and deep existential themes in a 17 minute, adventure packed film with immersive background visuals yet having the stick figure characters. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and has been enjoyed by many ever since due to Don's unique style.

Don Hertzfeldt is an independent animator and filmmaker known for his innovative storytelling, and minimalistic art specially known for creating films that explores deeper into the existential themes. He was born in Fremont, California 1976, and studied film making at University of California (UCSB). Hertzfeldt has remained fiercely independent, producing, animating, and funding his films himself. He is considered one of the most influential animators of his time showing that great stories can be shown with simple visuals. His commitment to creativity has allowed him to have a unique voice in the industry, he even voiced all the characters in World of Tomorrow(2015) except for Emily Prime, who was voiced by his 4-year old niece.

The film begins with Emily Prime, an innocent child messing around in a place, is contacted by Emily 3, a clone from the distant future through a weird looking big machine. Emily 3 describes how cloning and consciousness transfers have degraded her memories.She shares some memories through her lifetime, including falling in love with a rock, which is kind of metaphorical and preserving the consciousness of a loved one in a digital cube, where he endlessly screams. Throughout the story, Emily prime's innocence is shown as opposed to Emily 3's inhuman and more robotic nature. In the end, Emily 3’s real motive to contact Emily is reveals, she needs one of Emily Prime’s pure memories of her walking with her mother before her death. Coming to the end, Emily is returned to her usual life, unaffected by what was revealed to her.

Hertzfeldt employed a blend of traditional hand drawn animation and digital effects. He incorporated photographic textures and real-world elements to add depth and complexity. The film reflects on how memories shape our identity and relationships but can degrade over time, especially when they are neglected. The film talks about how technological advancements might impact humanity.

World of Tomorrow received widespread acclaim for its originality. Critics praised Hertzfeldt’s ability to tackle profound subjects with simplicity and emotional impact. Through the difference between simplicity of Emily Prime's nature and the complexity seen in Emily 3's, it invites us to enjoy the fading happiness of our present moments.

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Hedgehog in the Fog(1975)

A beloved Soviet animated cartoon made by Yuri Norstein, the film is considered a masterpiece of animation and has been given a lot of credits for the artistic attention to detail. The timeless appeal and success of the animation is evident by it winning numerous awards for its unique and innovative animation techniques , like First prizes in All-Union Film Festival, Tokyo Art Festival and in a poll conducted by the Tokyo Laputa Animation Festival, it was voted the best animated film in the history of cinema by over 140 animators and critics worldwide.

Unlike Western Studios like disney, Soviet animation, especially from Soyuzmultfilm Studio, Moscow, was renowned for its focus on storytelling, art and the elements of the drawings, rather than making it for the commercial use. The studio became famous for creating films with deep cultural impacts and artistic intelligence, which can be seen in Hedgehog in the fog as well.

The story begins with Hedgehog setting out one evening to visit his friend, Bear Cub. Since a very long time ago, they drink tea together and stargaze. As Hedgehog walks through the forest, he notices a mysterious white horse standing in the fog. Fascinated and sort of star struck by the horse’s beauty, he decides to go in the fog to get a closer look at it. Inside the fog, the hedgehog is awaited by a strange and creepy animals and objects, including an owl, a dog, and a bat, as well as the river, which becomes a significant moment when Hedgehog is carried away by the current. All of these, sort of interactions are very quick but are very fun to observe. Eventually, our Hedgehog makes his way out of the fog and is met with his friend, the bear cub. While they were doing their "ritual", the hedgehog started thinking about what he had seen in the mysterious, dense fog, about on the beauty of the white horse and his adventure.

The story ends with a quiet sense of awe and contemplation. The Hedgehog's decision to enter the fog symbolizes human curiosity and a weird attraction towards mystery. The white horse in my opinion, becomes like a metaphor that encourages one to step outside of their comfort zone and they might find strange yet beautiful things while the uncertainty and fear that is a part of life is represented by the fog. Another possible theme of the show could be shown through the importance of friendships and relations, the cub's constant presence and them uniting eventuality shows friendships offers comfort and stability.

Talking about the animation techniques the film primarily uses cut-outs and hand drawn elements. The fog, water ripples and the other "organic" effects were created by hand making the design looks like it was painted. Despite it being 2D, the deliberate pacing and grainy visuals gives it such a stop motion like feel and Norstein taking inspiration from Russian avant-grade art and literature, which often is very focused on minimalism, gave the whole cartoon a sense of timelessness. I think the style of Hedgehog in the fog is not just about the motion of animation being fluid, its about more storytelling and world rich with atmosphere.

Hedgehog in the fog is more than just an animated short, in my opinion i think it should be seen as a timeless exploration of curiosity, fear and wonder. Through its subtle storytelling and a really immersive world, it leaves room for interpretation, and making the story more about the viewers take on what the scene might depict. The film was first showcased at local and international film festivals, where it quickly gained recognition and was voted the best animated film in the history of cinema by over 140 animators worldwide.

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Very Manly Mucho Macho (1962)

Aired in 1962, Very Manly Mucho Macho is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. Known for its exaggerated characters, slapstick humor, and energetic pacing, the short stands as proof of the evolution of animation industry at the time.

By the early 1960's, Warner Bros. Animation faced increasing financial pressures as the industry shifted away from theatrical shorts to people watching the shorts on television more. Studios like Warner Bros. responded by cutting budgets and streamlining production processes to reduce costs. Compared to the lush and highly detailed animations like What's Opera, Doc?(1957), which is Warner Bros.' one of the most lavishly made cartoons, the fluid characters, complex staging style makes the whole design of the show so attractive. Despite these evident budget constraints and shifts in the industry, Very Manly Mucho Macho showcases the enduring appeal of the studio's storytelling and artistic craftsmanship.

The animation style of the short retains the vibrant humour and characterizations seen in many other Warner Bros. cartoons. Color usage in the short aligns with the era's stylistic preferences, using bold, flat tones to create visually appealing designs, that were enjoyed by all, even now. Backgrounds, similarly were functional and stylized providing just "enough" detail to sort of give an idea about the setting, as per the budget constraints the industry was facing. The cartoon was carried by timing, voice acting and storytelling.

The plot revolves around a hilarious rivalry between two "hyper- masculine" characters determined to one up each other in terms of strength and bravery. Each character's over the top attempts to prove their superiority leads to a series of comedic failures with clever visuals. It's a playful take on machismo, packed with the classic humour and energy of Warner Bros. cartoons.

At its core, the cartoon highlights the absurdity of inflated egos and the lengths individuals go to assert dominance. 7/10.

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Bunkers Hill Bunny (1950)

A Warner Bros. and Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Friz Freleng and written by Tedd Pierce. Released on September 23, 1950. The story revolves around Bugs bunny playing the role of an american soldier during an ongoing war with Yosemite sam taking a role of Hessian( German soldiers hired by British during the Revolutionary war(Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoon). The title "Bunker hill" refers to the Battle of Bunker hill(June 17, 1775), one of the earliest and most famous battles of the American Revolutionary War. This short was released shortly after the World War II, while the American patriotism was strong. Bugs known for being a "smooth operator" uses his nonchalant and clever tactics to defend  a cartoonish version of the improvised American soldier forts used in the Revolutionary War while Sam represents aggression and stubbornness, a dynamic seen in many of Warner Bros. cartoons pairings.

While the short was primarily created for entertainment and relate to the people's feelings of defending freedom. During the time, cultural and historical themes were often used in animation to resonate with audiences. At the time, cartoons like "Bunker Hill Bunny" served as light hearted entertainment and celebrate shared values, especially during times of tension like the Cold War.

The animation style of Bunker Hill Bunny reflects Warner Bros.' Golden Age, with hand drawn animation techniques, and exaggerated character design. Simplified backgrounds keeps the focus of the audience on dynamic poses and expressions. Freleng's direction and the use of squash and stretch brings comedy to life. Warner Bros. cartoons, including this short, were generally well- received by audiences. These shorts were shown in theatres before the main film.

In conclusion, Bunkers Hill Bunny wasn't singled out as a groundbreaking work at the time, but its humour and animation quality is what makes this short a timeless entertainment. Through its playful take on the W.W.II and rivalry between Bugs and Yosemite sam, the cartoon captures the essence of what made Looney Tunes a cultural icon.

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Working with Disney

Growing up, from the generation of baby boomers, to the Gen-Z's we all have had our fair share of consuming the Great and Legendary animation studio- Disney. From, Mickey Mouse to Snow white and hundreds of our favourite cartoon movies and shows, Disney has had hundreds of animators working for their, then, industry leading content through story telling as human or imaginative characters. For animator, securing a position at Disney is often seen as the pinnacle of a career. Some people who started as one of the hundreds of artists, people who did exceptionally well and had good relations with Walt Disney were given fantastic opportunities to work on world class projects, and even has been named as "Disney Legends".

Behind the scenes of Disney's most iconic animations, there were creative, minds whose work brought magic to life. Among these visionaries was Ollie Johnston. As we can read all about Ollie through online articles and books about Disney, Ollie was not only named as a 'Disney Legends' but was also among the Walt's famed "Nine old men of Animation", the reason i am talking about him and his interview from Don Peri's book 'Working with Disney'. He showed mind blowing work on features like Peter Pan, Sleeping beauty, The Jungle book and many more, having worked on Snow White as an assistant to Freddy Moore, where he had his career's breakthrough. He was born 1912, in Palo Alto, California. He would go to Stanford university and later be hired at Disney in 1935.

During the interview, Ollie speaks about how his journey as an art student at Stanford. He also speaks about his first impressions of Walt himself at a story discussion meeting for Snow white and discusses his shared interests with Ollie for trains, which led for Ollie and Walt to be actively engaged with Ollie by coming down to his room as soon as he would get progress on projects, things he wouldn't normally do with most employees. As animators, i think there is a great value of wisdom you could take and incorporate in your work like the part where he mentions animators are also actors but they are just observing the act, and i feel like it is very important for the animators to be in the habit of constantly observing how things around in the real world work so we can make the animation to give off more of a realistic feel and is not un natural to look at.

He also talks about the time of Strike where the studio faced a lot of challenges financially. Ollie mentions how he, along with other Disney employees still remembers the time of strike and is still an emotionally sensitive issue. He mentions walking through strikers lined up outside the Disney studio where he would even had to face some of his friends. Ollie continues to tell about how alot of the families could never get financially stable again.

From Ollie Johnston's interview and reading about him, you learn a lot about his animation philosophy but also his life and the golden age of Disney. Ollie's dedication to craft, genuine passion, and mentorship helped shape animation's path and inspired future generations.

Similar to Ollie, there was another Disney legend in Don's book, David Dodd Hand. He was born in the 1900, in Plainfield New Jersey. Hand would join the Disney studio later in his career as an animator, but it started off working for J.R. Bray Studio after his return from the Art Institute of Chicago. At Bray, he worked alongside prominent figures like Max Fleischer, working on the "Out of the inkwell' series(D23, 2023). There he also worked with Walter Lantz, co-directing and animating series such as Dinky Doodle and Unnatural History (Cartoon Research, 2023). Hand would later join the DIsney studio in 1930, working on more than 40 shorts and also began directing in 1932 with Trader Mickey and many more.

In Dave's short interview, he mentions how the new york animation studio was not as focused on quality of their content, as opposed to the work done by Walt and the other disney artists. But Dave being exceptional at his work, never had a problem with keeping up with Walt's innovations.  Hand was one of Walt’s trusted lieutenants during a crucial period at the studio, especially in the 1930s when Disney was pushing the boundaries of animation. He quit Disney for a better opportunity in England. David Dodd Hand would be named a Disney Legend in 1994 after his death in 1986, the specific cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed.

In reflecting on the journey of legendary Disney animators like Ollie and Dave, it becomes clear that their stories are more than just tales of artistic success—they’re lessons in dedication, passion, and the pursuit of innovation. As aspiring animators, we can draw inspiration from these Disney Legends to push boundaries, embrace collaboration and nurture the curiosity that drives creativity. Their stories will continue to inspire future generations to dream bigger, create bolder and animate with heart.

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The Ducktators -1943.

During World War II, propaganda was a key part of maintaining morale on the home front and encouraging support for the war effort. Films like "The Ducktator" helped to communicate these messages to the public in a light-hearted and accessible way.

The cartoon "The Ducktators" is an American animated short film produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and released by Warner Bros. in 1943, during World War II. It is part of the Looney Tunes series that depicts the play of emotions and the axis of powers during the World War II, particularly Adolf Hitler. This is all shown through satirical commentary and blends humour with a bitter but true political message during the time.

The plot of the story is set on a U.S. countryside farm, a peculiar black egg hatches, revealing a white duckling with a "Hitler-like" moustache . His first words are a shouted "Sieg Heil" and he quickly rallies the other animals with fiery speeches. His only ally is a goose named Benito Mussolini, soon joined by Hideki Tojo after Hitler tears up a peace treaty. The trio sets out to conquer the farm, but a brave Dove of Peace and a wisecracking rabbit, possibly referencing Gerardo Luigi Colonna, outsmart them. In the end, the Dove defeats the trio, urging the animals to support peace by buying state bonds. The use of Colonna’s name in The Ducktators was likely an inside joke from the Warner Bros. team, a common practice in Looney Tunes cartoons. Jerry Beck’s work, particularly in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons, acknowledges that the characters in the short are direct caricatures of Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito.

The Ducktators is a classic example of hand-drawn, 2D cell animation, a widely used technique in animation. The book "Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons" by Leonard Maltin, provides an overview of the techniques and materials used to make this animation.

The short officially aired on January 1st, 1943, in theatres mostly as a double feature or like most propaganda based short animations that were heavily encouraged to be shown before a main film by the U.S. government. As did the Office of War Information, who were heavily involved in the oversight and distribution of media that promoted anti-Axis messages.

Overall, the short was appreciated by the people at the time for it's wartime reference, even though it somehow managed its way out of the complexities of satire and dark humour especially in a sensitive historical context. 7/10

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Dizzy Dishes (1930)

Betty Boop, one of the most famous character of the early generations of animation industry and still is among the favourites of many people, made her debut with the short 6 minute cartoon, Dizzy Dishes.

The cartoon is made by Fleischer Studios, known for some brilliant and visionary cartoons which were way ahead of its time, but for this particular short, we can see a lot of Hand drawn traditional animation on specialized animation paper, using resources like pencils, and ink for drawing and outlining. The final frames were often traced and painted onto transparent cels, which were then layered over static backgrounds.. Fleischer Studio’s use of traditional animation is detailed in animation history books, such as Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin.

Fleischer Studios' own website provides background on the development and use of the Rotoscoping and Sound synchronization where soundtracks were recorded on optical soundtracks or phonograph records, which were then played in sync with the film during projection. The evolution of sound synchronization in animation is discussed in articles from The American Film Institute or the Library of Congress’s Early Sound Film Collection.

The short overall is quite good. It is about a bumbling waiter struggling to serve demanding customers in a chaotic restaurant, while being distracted by Betty Boop's musical performance. The short is light on plot, focusing on visual gags and lively music. The music is catchy and enhances the action well. There’s some cuteness and charm in the cartoon, and the waiter character is lively. However, Dizzy Dishes being the debut, or the first appearance of Betty Boop is totally recognizable as the character was still evolving, and her signature traits weren't fully developed yet, as we recognize today.

Dizzy Dishes and similar Fleischer cartoons were generally well-received for their creativity and innovation in animation. Audiences enjoyed the zany humour and the catchy, synchronized music, which were signature elements of Fleischer Studios' work and reading YouTube comments on the cartoon, where i saw it in the first place, i would say that still hasn't changed yet. People would write about how funny certain scenes from the short were and how it creates a nostalgic experience, taking the viewer back to the original place they first watched the cartoon as kids.

In summary, while it holds some kind of historical significance, there are much better Betty Boop cartoons to watch now and i would rate it a solid 7/10.

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Why I'm Passionate About Animation

Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated by the magic of bringing my thoughts to life on paper. Animation, to me, is the ultimate form of storytelling as i can bring life to those drawings. It allows you to create entire worlds, breathe life into characters, and communicate emotions that are beyond words can explain. It doesn't matter if it's a simple sketch or a complex scene, animation offers endless possibilities to explore creativity and imagination. I’m excited to share my journey, and experiences with all of you as I continue to learn and grow in the world of animation! oh and also the three animated things in terms of entertainment are adventure time(i really like the art style), Tanjiro from Demon slayers and Cars.