“Uncle Walt’s Dream”: The Rise and Continued Domination of Disney Animation

Matt Jones

Post Seven

“Uncle Walt’s Dream”: The Rise and Continued Domination of Disney Animation

Although credited for the first feature length cel-animated film, it was the business decisions made by Walt Disney and his successors that made The Walt Disney Company an entertainment juggernaut. 

A)           When one thinks of animation, the name of Walt Disney is often at the forefront of the discussion.  And while there were many individuals who contributed to the process and development of animation, Disney’s saturation of the market deserves recognition.  Although born in Chicago, IL, Disney’s family moved to Kansas City, MO as a child and it was there that Disney began his journey in animation by working at the Kansas City Film Ad Service, creating short animated films which he called “Neuman Laugh-O-Grams” for a local theater chain.

                Soon after, Disney moved to California and began a business relationship with Margaret Winkler, a successful animation distributor in New York City.  Winkler was fond of Disney’s series of “Alice” films, which featured a combination of live-action and animation.  Winkler was very fond of keeping the animated films heavy on gags, and light on plot development.  However, Disney felt he was capable of creating more complex films.  Eventually the “Alice” series began to lose steam, and Disney introduced a new character, the fully animated Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, now described as a combination of Julius, the animated cat in the “Alice” films and what would become Mickey Mouse.  Eventually, after Margaret Winkler married Charles Mintz, Disney was edged out of the company and away from the character that he created, yet did not hold the rights to. 

                Ousted out of the lucrative character that he had created, Disney along with his brother Roy, Composer Carl Stalling, and Ub Iwerks created the animated short Steamboat Willie featuring the new character that would become famous as Mickey Mouse.  While Disney partially recycled the appearance of Steamboat Willie, as well as some of the gags contained in the short, the film was a rousing success.  Away from Mintz and Winkler, Disney was free to structure his film in any manner he wished.  This of course allowed him to further explore narratives.  This alone helped ensure Disney’s dominance in entertainment.  As the sheer novelty of the animated film was waning, along with the preponderance of simplistic sight gags in silent cinema, the rise of the sound cinema meant that the audience expected more in the way of a narrative structure and a comedy based in the spoken word. 

                This success led Disney to produce the first feature-length cel-animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937.  The film was groundbreaking on several levels, not only being the first feature length cel-animated film, but also going to great lengths to realistically capturing movement in its animation.  Stand-ins were used for the dwarfs and a ballet dancer was used to animate Snow White’s movements.  The results were astonishing and the film became an immensely popular and profitable film, allowing Disney to set the groundwork for what would become one of the top media conglomerates of all time.  Disney continued his model of basing stories on folktales, fables, myths, and legends until present time. 

                Disney, despite his success was not immune from the production code that swept through Hollywood in the 1930s.  Cartoon characters were forbidden from spitting, animals were not allowed to be seen relieving themselves, and the villain was not allowed to escape without punishment.  In response to his combination live-action/animated film Song of the South (1946), Joseph Breen suggested that Disney “take counsel with some responsible Negro authorities...As I have already presumed to suggest to you, our Negro friends appear to be a bit critical of all motion picture stories which depict their people, and it may be that they will find in this story some material which may not be acceptable to them.”  (120)  To me, this statement is at the same time hilarious and sad.  It is hilarious that someone could actually believe that African-American’s at the time simply took offense at their depiction in cinema simply to be contrary.  And unfortunately, it is sad for the exact same reason. 

                During the Great Depression, Disney’s success allowed for a great number of people to be employed, however, as the economy regained strength however, tensions between the company and its labor intensified.  Disney fired a number of the union organizers before any actual picketing occurred; however as a result, Disney lost a great deal of talented artists. 

                Despite their success in the feature length animated film, Disney began producing live-action films and later fully adopted the process by the end of the 1940s. Their success in film production allowed the studio to open a theme park, forever changing the business of media manufacture and marketing. 

Despite Disney’s expansion as a business entity, concerns still existed regarding their representation of women.  The country as a whole was changing during the 1970s and 1980s and the definition of what was considered a “respectable woman”.  Between 1989 and 2005, Disney produced eighteen feature length animated films, six of the films featured primarily non-human characters, and thus issues of female representations could not be adequately evaluate.  However, the remaining twelve films presented three categories for female characters: The Princess, The Good Daughter, and the Tough Gal. 

The Princess is evidenced in characters such as Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Jasmine in Aladdin.  In most cases the princess is presented as having no mother and is often an only child. 

The Good daughter is evidenced in the characters of Belle in Beauty and the Beast and the eponymous character in Mulan. 

The Tough Gal is evidenced in the characters of Esmerelda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Meg in Hercules.

While the expansion of roles and differentiations in character presentation provided better female representation than was seen in the past, there were still problems.  Ariel for example was convinced that a fork was actually a tool called a dinglehopper and was used for combing hair.  Despite all evidence that this information was in fact wrong, Ariel continued to believe it.  Whether this was simply for comedic effect, or if it was a true issue in representation is very much up for debate. 

B.)          Given the reading for this week I decided to view a Disney animated short: The Art of Skiing (1943) featuring the character of Goofy. 

This is an example of orthodox animation and serves as how-to video with Goofy’s ineptitude as a skier providing much of the humor.  However, the evolution from mere sight gags is shown in this short animated film, as the conflict between the narrator’s dialogue and the actions of Goofy.  The nature of the instructional video (a well-known convention) and the failure of Goofy to be instructed by it allows for a great display of comedy.  The fluidity of Disney’s animation is also evident in this short film, providing for more humor.

C)            I have had the chance to speak to several SIU faculty members about the study of intertextuality and how it relates to The Simpsons.  I feel that these discussions are almost as valuable as journal articles and book sections as it provides me the opportunity of gaining instant feedback.   

Matt Jones

Post Six

 “Drawn Conclusions: Race, Gender, and Sexuality Representations in Animations”

Much like live-action cinema, the history of animation is rife with representations of race, gender, and sexuality that typify the prevalent stereotypes of the time.

A)           With the air of political correctness so prevalent in modern society it is shocking to look back on early examples of media and see such blatantly racist, sexist, and homophobic imagery.  Particularly in the United States where the tradition of the minstrel show continued throughout the 1900s.  White actors performing incredibly racist caricatures of African Americans have the sad distinction of being one of the few distinctly American forms of theatre.  This tradition continued throughout cinema, both live-action as well as the animated film.  Stereotypical blackface caricature was used to depict African Americans, or African natives in popular animated films up until the 1950s. 

                Negative issues regarding representation are not limited to race however, gender roles are defined through animated film.  Male representations, for example is shown through two Fleischer brother animated series: Popeye and Superman.  Popeye, the blue collar hero who exemplifies a moral character based in a common ethos.  Popeye’s moral character was often secondary to his physical strength (although aided by spinach) in the face of adversity.  His brute strength was typified by his physical transformation into machinery as he brutalized his foe.  Popeye, the idealized man (provided he has a can of spinach handy) transcends flesh and blood and becomes a creature of steel and strength.  While not created in the animated form, Superman (the man of steel) also exemplifies the American male image: Strong, Moral, and unflinchingly patriotic.  In the example given by Wells, Superman rescues Lois Lane from the nefarious Nazis, who are so lost in savagery that they are reveling in the idea and the practice of human sacrifice.  It is not uncommon to demonize the enemy during war (although, admittedly it is not terribly hard to demonize the Nazis) and the strength of a man of steel is the only way to defend American values.

The sexuality of cartoon characters are shown in two distinct ways.  Male characters are depicted in the way in which they act and the dominance they show, whereas female characters are distinguished by their appearance.  And the common occurance of a animated character dressing in the opposite gender’s clothing for the purposes of either deception or comedy only further muddles the issue of sexuality.

B.)          Given the reading for this week I decided to examine a video that showcases the racist stereotypes prevelant in animation.

This short features Bugs Bunny dancing and extolling upon the audience to support the war effort by purchasing war bonds.  However, the patriotism gives way to a blackface performance of a minstrel song by Bugs Bunny.  The animation is orthodox in its style and sadly, very racist in its presentation.  

C)            I have found a few more articles concerning intertexuality across media so, I hope to integrate them into my current research.   

“Abstract Animation: Symphony of Motion”

Matt Jones

Post Five

 “Abstract Animation: Symphony of Motion”

Abstract animation relies on the relaxation of certain parts of the brain and the openness of viewer to interpretation of the images.

A)           In doing the readings for this week, I felt that two concepts leapt to the forefront.  The first being the need for the relaxation of the logic-centric left hemisphere of the brain to allow the right hemisphere to open up and take in the images presented.  The second is the importance of music in abstract animation. 

                The first concept is based on the theory that the left hemisphere of the brain controls logic and is useful when watching a typical narrative film.  This cause-and-effect, linear method of presentation fits with this area of the brain which controls such logical thought.  However it can be difficult when watching a piece of abstract animation.  The shutting down of the left hemisphere and the opening up is most present when sleeping and dreaming.  Because of this, the right hemisphere-centric abstract animation is able to operate “thematically, rather than literally”. (Furniss, 250)  By offering nothing concrete for the left-hemisphere to rationalize, abstract animation can cause an uninitiated viewer a feeling of anxiety or immense confusion.  However, if the viewer is able to allow themselves to be put in the right (pun slightly intended) frame of mind, they may be able escape into the film where interpretations are free to be made in the mind of the viewer.

                The subject of mandalas also ties into this relaxing of the left hemisphere.  Mandalas are symmetrical, often circular images that “have symbolic meaning...and often are used to assist concentration and meditation”.  (Furniss, 253)  Mandalas are thought to work on two levels: one, allowing those viewing them to ease into a meditative state and two, as they appear as a recognizable symbol of the subconscious that structures the experience of meditation.  Abstract animation works in a very similar manner, particularly Opus No. 1 by Walter Ruttman, which will be covered in greater detail. 

                Music in the abstract animated film is an incredibly important ingredient.  Many films use known pieces of music to aid the viewer in the accessing the right-hemisphere of the brain and the meditative state that it can produce.  The music also acts as a companion to the animation, often in a synchronized manner.  The combination of the visual and the aural senses was studied by Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras.  Although famous for his eponymous mathematical theorem, his efforts were conducted to find a connecting the essence of all matter and life.  This search for connectivity exists in the melding of the abstract animated film and the music or soundtrack that accompanies it. 

B.)          After reading the Moritz essay I became intrigued and sought out Walter Ruttman’s Opus, No. 1: 

                A full description of the video would be pointless and would do a great disservice to the work.  It exists as a hypnotic series of shapes dancing across the screen.  The images exist in a patternless pattern consisting of circular shapes, spectral brushstroke-like images, and blobs of color crawling along the bottom of the screen.  All shapes are accompanied by a string quartet.  The pace becomes more frenetic as the soft, sometimes amorphous shapes are replaced by a sharp-angled, triangular shapes penetrating into the screen.  Later, rectangular shapes swipe through the side of the frame, resembling meat cleavers.  This work is incredible to watch in that it is very hypnotic, yet never grows boring.

C)            As discussed in my second assignment, due to a lack of research on the material, I have switched my final project slightly.  Now I am writing about the intertextuality found in The Simpsons.  There is a wealth of information on this topic and I believe I may have found a new angle to the idea of intertextuality as it relates to The Simpsons.   

Early Animation: Influences and Innovators

Matt Jones

Post Three

 “Early Animation: Influences and Innovators”

In order to understand the history of animation, one must consider all the innovations that came at the outset, as well as those who innovated and were largely forgotten.

A)           In the second chapter of his book Before Mickey: The Animated Film 1898-1928, Donald Crafton examines some of the precursors to the animated film and the influences they may have had on the evolution of the animated film.  He gives an example of how the western film was influenced by several forms of media which predate the invention of the film (“Dime Novels” and “Gaslight Melodrama” for instance).  Crafton is quick to point out that while the assumption may be that early films borrowed their narrative structure from comic strips, he declares this assumption to be a false one.  Instead he posits that early films borrowed their narrative structure from vaudevillian theatre in their approach to storytelling.  The stationary camera prevented excessive movement from the frame, and the application of cross-cutting in editing had yet to be implemented, therefore early films primarily consisted of staged actors or subjects and a camera capturing their movements on a small stage-like frame.  In much the same way as a vaudeville show would perform their act from a single stage, the film had little room for depth and movement.  However, early cinema did borrow small gags and jokes that had previously been seen in comic book strips.  For example Arrodeur et Arose (Tables Turned on the Gardener) (Lumiere, 1895) featured a gag wherein a gardener is watering his garden with a hose when a precocious boy steps on the hose and stops the flow of water, the gardener examines the nozzle of the hose and is met with a spray of water from the now unblocked hose.  This joke had been previously seen in several newspaper comic strips.

                

          One of the pioneers in the world of trick-photography and animation was James Stuart Blackton.  Crafton brings to light his first dalliance with the motion picture industry as he was called upon to sketch the “Black Maria”, the revolving studio built by Thomas Edison to film his kinetoscope pictures.  Although Blackton is seen as a pioneer and early contributor to animation he later grew to abhor the art form he had such a great hand in revolutionizing. 

                

          Crafton also mentions a form of theatre which would soon be incorporated into motion pictures both in appearance as well as underlying theory.  The lightning sketches, a show wherein the artist would stand beside an easel and begin to narrate a story.  As the narration progressed he would draw a picture which would be added upon and become a picture of another subject.  This would continue until the image and the story had reached their conclusion.  Soon after, several films appeared some featuring Blackton himself, that featured these shows unfold before the eye of the camera.  These shows were incredibly important to the development of animation in that it showed the artist as a magician, as a controlling entity who brought these drawing to life.  This underlying theory can be found in many animated shorts such as Duck Amuck (Chuck Jones, 1953).

                The history of the animated film is filled with those who pioneered and paved a way for modern animation.  Unfortunately, while some such as Walt Disney or Chuck Jones are forever remembered for their contributions others are forgotten and relegated to the back pages of dense books.  One such luminary was Lotte Reiniger, who is the focus of William Moritz’s essay “Some Critical Perspectives on Lotte Reiniger”. 

                Reiniger was born in Berlin at the end of the Eighteenth century.  She developed a hobby of cutting silhouettes out of paper.  After deciding to become an actress she was able to help fund her tuition to Max Reinhardt’s Drama School by cutting out silhouettes of the stars of the day.  This led her to become employed by Paul Wegener to animate the titles for his films Rubezahls Hochzeit (Rumpelstilskin’s Wedding) (Paul Wegener, 1916) and Der Rattenfanger von Hammeln (Pied Piper of Hammeln) (Paul Wegener, 1918).  From this work she was given the opportunity to create several short animated films, all of which were met with critical and commercial success.  It was the success of these shorter works that convinced financeer Louis Hagan to invest in a feature length animated film Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (The Adventures of Prince Ahmed) (Lotte Reiniger, 1926) which predated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (William Cottrell & David Hand, 1937) by eleven years.    Reiniger continued to make films inspired by fairy tales and folk lore to great success. 

                Sadly, however, Reiniger has not enjoyed the mass acclaim that was afforded Walt Disney.  Moritz offers an explanation for this oversight. Unlike the films of Walt Disney, few quality copies remain of Reiniger’s films, which is unfortunate given her extensive filmography. 

B.)          After reading the Moritz essay I became intrigued and sought out some of Reiniger’s animation.  I found what appeared to be the title sequence to The Adventures of Prince Ahmed. 

 I was simply amazed.  For something so early the movement was so incredibly fluid and crisp, the silhouettes adding to the mystique of the tale.  I believe this would be considered an early example of Orthodox animation.  The short clip shows the reliance on configuration as well as a logic in the movements of the characters.  

C)            My final paper still has yet to complete itself, however I have discovered some research done regarding Clerks: The Animated Series and its subversion of the medium of television.  I have not found a wealth of information but several articles which have provided a nice start to the research.   

“Orthodox Animation, Experimental Animation, and What Lies Between”

Post Two

 “Orthodox Animation, Experimental Animation, and What Lies Between”

There are two contrasting forms of animation, Orthodox and Experimental, however there are ways in which they bleed into one another forming what is referred to as Developmental animation.

A)  In Chapter Two, “Notes Towards a Theory in Animation” in Understanding Animation, Wells describes that in beginning to form a working theory of animation it is important to divide animation into two distinct categories, Orthodox and Experimental.  However, there exists some examples of animation which blur the line between the two; this would be classified as Developmental animation.  Orthodox animation is categorized by its reliance on “configuration”, or the use of recognizable character models of people or animals.  Specific continuity and the use of a narrative form, both featuring a “logical” (in the realm of a cartoon world) cause and effect story are found in Orthodox animation.  In terms of the aesthetics of Orthodox animation, the unity of one style, i.e. two-dimensional or three-dimensional, rather than a blend of styles or formats as well as the absence of the artist and the “invisibility of its aesthetic achievement and its industrial context” (37) are prevalent in Orthodox animation.  Finally, the emphasis placed on dialogue, while not existing in every example of Orthodox animation, is a distinguishing factor between Orthodox and Experimental.  Wells described Orthodox animation “cacophonic”, full of noise and chatter.

    

     In contrast, Experimental animation often shows a reliance on music, whether through a composed or integrated musical score or simply through the very movements and beats featured throughout the piece.  As Wells states, “it may be suggested that if music could be visualized it would look like colours and shapes moving through time with differing rhythms, movements and speeds” (46).  Experimental animation does not rely of configuration, instead it focuses on abstraction, and are therefore concerned more with the concept of “rhythm and movement in their own right as opposed to the rhythm and movement of a particular character” (43).  Experimental animation also eschews the logical cause and effect continuity of Orthodox animation as well as the narrative form, in their place exists a specific non-continuity and an interpretive form, which forces the audience to interpret the work on their own.  Experimental animation is heavily reliant on its own aesthetic from the evolving method in which they have created their work to the incorporation of several styles to the inclusion of the artist as an integral role in the presentation of the animation.  Experimental animated are very personal, meaningful works of art which are meant to be viewed and discussed.

               

  In between the poles of Orthodox and experimental animation exists a third form, whose definition is nebulous at best as it can only be defined as sharing traits of the other more dynamically opposed styles: Developmental animation.  As stated by Wells, “Developmental animation, by definition, harks back to tradition aspects of the animated film but also seeks to embellish or reform these traditions with contemporary approaches” (51).  As a blending of styles, Developmental animation also works to transition from the traditional two-dimensional approach to animation and move toward a three-dimensional approach.

B.)     After completing the assigned reading for this week I was interested in viewing some of the animated films that I have seen before, at a younger age and compare them to the information from the readings.   I took advantage of the subject of the class to seek out the Disney animated short “The Art of Self-Defense" (Jack Kenny, 1941) featuring Goofy.  Although I was always a bigger fan of the Looney Tunes, this particular short was one of my favorites as a child.  It part of a thematic series for Goofy cartoons, taking the approach of documentary shorts that may have been screened at a school or before a feature film.  Several topics were covered, skiing, playing golf, fishing, etc. and all were told through the help of an invisible narrator commenting and correcting Goofy as he attempted to complete the task at hand.  In this particular short, the history of self-defense is shown, from the early clubbing of Neanderthals to the pugilism of boxers.  The short goes on to examine some training and exercise methods such as the punching bag and shadowboxing (where Goofy’s shadow becomes an overzealous training partner).  I feel this is an interesting film to discuss with regards to the readings for this week.  While it is clearly not an example of experimental animation, it does blur the lines somewhat in regards to the traditional definition of orthodox animation.  It’s aesthetic, calling to attention that it is a manufactured film, in this case acting as a documentary film even though it makes no honest attempt to convince viewers that what they are seeing is real.  However, the style acts as a vehicle to show Goofy or Goofy-like characters fighting it out to comedic results.  I feel that this aesthetic choice worked well for the material presented and the effect desired.

C)     So far my final project as not completed itself, so it appears I will have to step in and work on it.  I have decided on a subject for my final paper.  I believe I will be examining “Clerks: The Animated Series” and how it attempts to subvert the mediums of television and animation.  Should be a blast. 

Introductory Thoughts

Post One
Introductory Thoughts

My experience with animation is fairly limited.  I worked on two animated films with classmates as an undergrad.  One a short claymation piece and the other a cutout animation.  I have a small amount of experience with desktop animation software, but nothing that I would call myself well-versed in.  

My fondness for animation grows back from childhood.  As a child of the Eighties I was inundated with spectacular animated television shows such as Thundercats, He-Man, Silverhawks, GI Joe and Voltron.  Of course I included a steady diet of Looney Tunes and Disney shorts as well as the aforementioned Japanese influenced action-adventure cartoons.  However, in 1990 when I first saw The Simpsons, I became hooked on the possibilities of animation to not only showcase the extreme and spectacular, but also the banal minutia of everyday life.  Then I saw Street of Crocodiles by the Brothers Quay and I truly learned what an expressive art form animation could be.

I am looking forward to the class as it will give me the opportunity to view more animated films that  I have not seen, revisit some that I have seen with a more critical eye, and understand more about the overall theory of animation.