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Re: animation vs. the real thing


> > > Well, I think it (animation) is superior because
>it involves
> > creating something from
> > > nothing.
>
>Does that really make it superior?  It certainly
>doesn't make it more difficult.

Creating something from nothing involves a higher degree of creativity, 
that's my point. Even the people have to be "designed", in addition to 
having a actor cast to play their role.

>There are sooooo many elements in a live action film
>that don't come in to play at all in animation.  Fer
>instance cinematography.  If you're doing animation
>and you want a certain look with shadows and whatnot,
>by doggies you just draw it in or use your computer.
>If you're Roger Deacons, you have to work with natural
>and artificial lighting and other elements that may or
>may not be easily controlled.

So it comes down to this- is drawing lighting more or less artistic than 
positioning lamps?
(That may well be a simple and unanswerable matter of opinion.)

>Theres also the acting.  Yep.  It's such a little
>thing, but a couple of films are still using it these
>days. :)
>Sure, you can talk about Robin Williams in 'Aladdin'
>or Jodi Benson in 'The Little Mermaid' or Mike Myers
>in 'Shrek' and I suppose they did okay,

I'd just like to talk about Jodi Benson period. ;-)

but only a
>live action film can give us Timothy Hutton in
>'Ordinary People' or Alfre Woodard in 'Crosscreek' or
>Geraldine Page in 'The Trip to Bountiful'.

Sadly, I don't see very many non-animated films.  Conversely, it seems you 
don't see very many quality animated ones.  What are we to do?

>Y'wanna make a cartoon character look nervous or
>happy, you do it with body motions or facial
>expressions.  If a real actor uses those it's called
>indicating and that's bad.  It means that their
>character is just played on a surface level.

Wait- real actors can't use body motions or facial expressions to convey 
emotion?!?  I know you meant to word this diffrently- perhaps to insert the 
word "eggagerated"?

You should see JIN-ROH, and I'll rent Oridinary Ppl- deal?  The characters 
in modern anime DO NOT rely on these old school, "full" animation 
techniques.  They move, speak, and act like real flesh and blood humans.  
They have knees and elbows with joints and five fingers!  Honest!  I 
wouldn't lie to you.

Conversely, numerous live-action films present 2-D, stereotypical, 
caricatures of people that are not very far removed from the types of 
characters depicted in cartoons.  Mainly "teen" flicks.  See the trend?  
Teen flicks are to live action as kid's flicks are to animation?  No?  Well, 
the character of Batman is as devepoled in one animated film as he is in 
four live-action ones.  He is 3-D in animation, and 2-D in live-action, 
again, in fact, if not reality.  The animated Batman is simply a more fully 
realized "human being".  (The Batman animated series attracts an auidence 
beyond children, fyi, though it is officially classified as "kid-vid".)

  In
>'Ordinary People' there's a scene in which the Jarrett
>Family is having dinner.  It reeks of tension and
>interpersonal conflict. Conrad's fidgeting is just an
>outpouring of what's going on internally.  Can't get
>that with a cartoon.

Why can't cartoon characters fidget?  Or is it the tension you can't get?  
I've seen some pretty  tense animation.

I prefer the term "animated" BTW, as I am addressing this particular form 
more than the caricatures you know as "cartoons".

Kelvo, allow me to appeal to the great guy I know you to be- animation is 
the underdog.  We should all support the underdog!  Don't kick it when it is 
down.  And there's more to animation than just cartoons such as "Underdog".  
(which still rocks my world.)

It makes me sad that your post devalues all the enormous talents working in 
the field on animation today.  It's like the Oscars all over again. :-(

At the end of the day its just a difference of opnion.  Your's prevails, and 
mine will never.  I once heard a song, though, that said, "If nothing else, 
I can dream".


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