Blog # 5

In reading the Seeing the Brick and Cameraless Animation, I have expanded my view on animation. Initially I always had the idea that animation was merely a method of entertaining others by using vibrant colors and comically drawn characters. My experience is from Japanese animation or anime. I had watch anime since as long as I can remember. Those that I watched where usually comical and adventurous. I have watched other animations other than anime. Almost immediately when I watched an animation that wasn’t Japanese I noticed extinct differences in the artistic styles. One of the most noticeable differences was the emphasis on facials expressions and feelings. In anime, expressions would be over exaggerated and simplified. This is called chibi and it amplifies the feelings that are shown. Although I enjoyed watching anime, I never actually thought about what made these animations enjoyable or whether it had a purpose other than entertainment. In the Animated Films section of Seeing the Brick and Cameraless Animation, it mentions how animated films started to expand the world of animation. Fine art and graphics where experimented upon and what ever developed became a new invention. However, with animated films, realism was manipulated. Some animated films utilized realism mainly to augment the film however, too much realism in an animated work would interfere with animation. Animation is a bridge between realism and imagination. If there were to be too much realism, the animation would feel out of place and awkward. Realism should be a supporting factor in animation whereas imagination should take priority. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any chibi or overly exaggerated facial expressions to enjoy.