Paul Wells suggests that ‘Animation as a form has predominantly been understood as a ‘cartoon’ medium, and largely defined by the presence, and performance of Disney Animation from 1928 to the present day. lt may be argued, therefore, that all other forms of animation may be addressed through the ways they relate to or differ from the Disney model. Many animation studios across the world have sought to imitate Disney aesthetically, industrially, technologically, and commercially, while others have resisted this approach, viewing it as something which may misrepresent their own engagement with the medium’ (2002,2).
Can you think of any animation studios/forms of animation/animators who have imitated or been influenced by Disney’s hyperreal animation aesthetic in their editing? How do they do this? Include animation in its myriad forms in your consideration of your answer.
Can you think of any animation studios/forms of animation/animators who resist this aesthetic? How do they do this? Include animation in its myriad forms in your consideration of your answer.
As a giant in the animation industry, Disney has really set the benchmark in terms of aesthetics, industry, technology and business. This hyper-real animation aesthetic is accepted by most audiences. This also means that more practitioners are looking to replicate Disney’s success. But there are also many studios that will stick to their own style of animation.
Firstly, many animation studios have been influenced by the surreal aesthetic of Disney. For example, China’s COLOROOM studio and France’s Le Gaumont et Compagnie. Their productions such as Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child and Ballerina can be seen in Disney’s shadow in terms of character design, character acting, scene-setting and prop settings and business model. It’s a smart way to get audiences to buy into their work, as long as it’s not too bad.
There are also many studios that reject or even resist the Disney style. Examples include Studio Ghibli’s many works Howl’s Moving Castle, Valley of the Wind and Studio Asmik Ace’s Tekkonkinkreet. The Japanese style of animation is unique. Although it is inevitably influenced by the Disney style in the face of globalisation, the audience can clearly feel the difference. Firstly, most Japanese animation studios still stick to 2D animation. Secondly, their character designs are relatively realistic. A comparison of BEASTARS and Zootopia reveals a significant disparity in character design between the two countries. Secondly, Japanese anime is mainly based on the adaptation of manga into animated episodes. This is also different from the commercial process of Disney’s original animated films.