6000-9000 word written dissertation
I have decided to focus my dissertation on the art of the animated music video. I have always found the use of animation and music together a very expressive art form and would like to look further into it.
I will be looking into the history of the animated music video and discussing how the development of technology has aided the many different styles of animated music videos over the years.
I will also be discussing topics such as the 'virtual band' which conspires of physical musicians with completely animated members fronting the band and how they have created their very own genre of music over the years.
Shorter chapters will include the discussion of the opportunities of the animated music videos along with some success stories of amateur animators creating well known animated music videos and what potential animated music videos will have in the future.
Practical
For my practical, I will be making an existing band into a virtual band. At this moment in time I am not 100% sure on which band/artist I will choose to animate, but whichever it may be, I will attempt to keep the animation style in accordance with the image of the band.
Friday, 18 September 2015
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Animation
The practical side of COP for me is making an animation discussing some points of my essay.
The idea is to have a talking blob (so it is neutral) discussing the points written on the scene.
To create the animation, I used a software called Paint Tool SAI.
I will admit that this animation is very rushed. I was misinformed that we had an extra week on top of the deadline to complete the practical so was led to have a false sense of time. I know I shouldn't believe everything I hear and I know I need a better approach to time management so I apologise for the quality of it. It was very last minute.
The idea is to have a talking blob (so it is neutral) discussing the points written on the scene.
To create the animation, I used a software called Paint Tool SAI.
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Globalisaton, Sustainability and the Media contextualisation
- Globalisation in Animation.
Disney.
Globalised animation. The spread of Disney to the rest of the world.
Has Globalisation/ Americanisation helped the animation world?
Does Disney ruin Grimms fairytales? It makes them all pretty and perfect and happy instead of the original story. Better for modern children.
Westernisation - Characters etc. become more westernised when done in America? Does culture get lost? Good that other cultures are used, but not always true to reality. Facial characteristics are often Americanised or stereotyped.
Sometimes other cultures use american things to influence their animation. Sometimes Japanese animation has american themes, sometimes American animation has Japanese themes such as Studio Ghibli.
TV and Film as well as animation influence the world- eastern cultures (India etc) sell skin lightening cream because of the idea that western culture is better- White skin is everywhere on TV and people start to believe that white skin = happiness and sucess.
The media decides what people know about. Supports the idea that western culture is better, people are richer.
National identity in Animation?
American animation is very similar
British animation looks very different from different studios, but interchangeable.
Americanisation has stereotyped British culture to the rest of the world. Patriotism- The Queen brings in tourism and money. The media presents the Royal Family to the rest of the world, but a large amount of the British public don't think the Queen does much for the country/ doesn't know what she does.
Cultural differences in different animations? How animation has changed in cultures before and after americanisation. Has americanisation affected the world of animation?
Disney.
Globalised animation. The spread of Disney to the rest of the world.
Has Globalisation/ Americanisation helped the animation world?
Does Disney ruin Grimms fairytales? It makes them all pretty and perfect and happy instead of the original story. Better for modern children.
Westernisation - Characters etc. become more westernised when done in America? Does culture get lost? Good that other cultures are used, but not always true to reality. Facial characteristics are often Americanised or stereotyped.
Sometimes other cultures use american things to influence their animation. Sometimes Japanese animation has american themes, sometimes American animation has Japanese themes such as Studio Ghibli.
TV and Film as well as animation influence the world- eastern cultures (India etc) sell skin lightening cream because of the idea that western culture is better- White skin is everywhere on TV and people start to believe that white skin = happiness and sucess.
The media decides what people know about. Supports the idea that western culture is better, people are richer.
National identity in Animation?
American animation is very similar
British animation looks very different from different studios, but interchangeable.
Americanisation has stereotyped British culture to the rest of the world. Patriotism- The Queen brings in tourism and money. The media presents the Royal Family to the rest of the world, but a large amount of the British public don't think the Queen does much for the country/ doesn't know what she does.
Cultural differences in different animations? How animation has changed in cultures before and after americanisation. Has americanisation affected the world of animation?
Monday, 19 January 2015
Globalisation, Sustainability and the Media
Definitions of Globalisation
-Socialist:
Transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones. The people of the world are united into a single society and function together.
-Capitalist:
Elimination of state- enforced restrictions on exchanges across borders and the integrated and complex global system of production and exchange.
Process of economic liberalisation.
-Freeing up of the market.
Local and national boundaries collapsing to unify the world as one.
McDonalidization- coined by George Ritzer
-Wide ranging sociocultural processes by which the principles of fast-food restaurants are coming to dominate America and the world.
Principles of fast food
- low skilled, unimportant jobs with low salaries, high profit and no chance of moving up in the job.
Marshall McLuhan- Understanding Media. 1964.
With radio we hear more of the rest of the world and with TV we can see more from the rest of the world.
Increased humanity of the world.
'As electrically contracted, the globe is no more than a village'
-everyone knows each other and empathises.
'The electronic age has healed the entire human family into a single global tribe.' 1968
unfortunately this hasn't happened. Thought businesses would work together.
Centripetal forces- bringing the world together in uniform global society.
Centrifugal forces- tearing the world apart into tribes.
Problems of Globalisation:
-Sovereignty- challenges to the idea of the nation/ state.
-Accountability- transnational forces and organisation- who controls them? no one.
Multi-national companies moving base to avoid legislation that would stop them doing what they're doing.
If the 'global village' is run with a certain set of values then it would not be so much an integrated community as an assimilated one.
Media Conglomerates operate as Oligopolies. American culture spreads to the whole world. Apparently America controls the world...
News corporations divide the world into 'territories' of descending 'market importance.'
Not a global free market, a globalized marked that entirely focusses on America.
Big Brother- global.
India- selling a lot of skin lightening cream- possible because they're constantly surrounded by western images presenting that to be successful or beautiful is to be white.
Chomsky and Herman (1998)
Propaganda Model. 5 basic filters.
-Ownership
-Funding
-Sourcing
-Flak
-Ideology (eg. Anti-Islam)
Ownership- Rupert Murdoch owns
-News of the World (defunked for criminal activity)
-The Sun
-The Sunday times
-The Times
-Fox TV
-BSkyB etc
He knows his influence and takes advantage of that.
The Sun has the influence to persuade people who they should vote for in elections.
- Sourcing
The news is only as good as the access you have to the source. If you do get to interview the important people, you have to present it how they want you to or you'll be out of a job and blackballed so if you tell the truth, no one believes you.
- Funding
Corporations have control over the media because they have money.
They Sun, known for lazily stereotyping people and places to sell/ market to people. brings an idea of us vs them.
Gives people someone to blame for poverty and unemployment other than the government -> 'Blame immigrants'
Flak
-Organised body of people who lobby against organisations and ideas of the world. Global Climate Coalition created by fuel companies with money to lobby against the idea of climate change. It aimed to convince people that climate change wasn't real. Arguing against politicians.
Al Gore 'An inconvenient truth' -suggests global warming is a moral issue, not a political issue. Raising awareness- glaciers melting etc.
Flak groups decided to fight against it because they refused to believe it. Decided it was propaganda and a hoax because they didnt want to lose money by being environmentally friendly. "CO2 is life, not a pollutant"
- Sustainability
-Mass production of anything sustainable is impossible. The two contradict each other.
"Most things are not designed for the needs of the people, but for the needs of the manufacturers."
The story of stuff 2007. Free Range Studios/ Annie Lennard - Animation
Been shown in over 200 countries. 12 million people have seen it.
Very influential, low budget. We can change the world.
-Socialist:
Transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones. The people of the world are united into a single society and function together.
-Capitalist:
Elimination of state- enforced restrictions on exchanges across borders and the integrated and complex global system of production and exchange.
Process of economic liberalisation.
-Freeing up of the market.
Local and national boundaries collapsing to unify the world as one.
McDonalidization- coined by George Ritzer
-Wide ranging sociocultural processes by which the principles of fast-food restaurants are coming to dominate America and the world.
Principles of fast food
- low skilled, unimportant jobs with low salaries, high profit and no chance of moving up in the job.
Marshall McLuhan- Understanding Media. 1964.
With radio we hear more of the rest of the world and with TV we can see more from the rest of the world.
Increased humanity of the world.
'As electrically contracted, the globe is no more than a village'
-everyone knows each other and empathises.
'The electronic age has healed the entire human family into a single global tribe.' 1968
unfortunately this hasn't happened. Thought businesses would work together.
Centripetal forces- bringing the world together in uniform global society.
Centrifugal forces- tearing the world apart into tribes.
Problems of Globalisation:
-Sovereignty- challenges to the idea of the nation/ state.
-Accountability- transnational forces and organisation- who controls them? no one.
Multi-national companies moving base to avoid legislation that would stop them doing what they're doing.
If the 'global village' is run with a certain set of values then it would not be so much an integrated community as an assimilated one.
Media Conglomerates operate as Oligopolies. American culture spreads to the whole world. Apparently America controls the world...
News corporations divide the world into 'territories' of descending 'market importance.'
Not a global free market, a globalized marked that entirely focusses on America.
Big Brother- global.
India- selling a lot of skin lightening cream- possible because they're constantly surrounded by western images presenting that to be successful or beautiful is to be white.
Chomsky and Herman (1998)
Propaganda Model. 5 basic filters.
-Ownership
-Funding
-Sourcing
-Flak
-Ideology (eg. Anti-Islam)
Ownership- Rupert Murdoch owns
-News of the World (defunked for criminal activity)
-The Sun
-The Sunday times
-The Times
-Fox TV
-BSkyB etc
He knows his influence and takes advantage of that.
The Sun has the influence to persuade people who they should vote for in elections.
- Sourcing
The news is only as good as the access you have to the source. If you do get to interview the important people, you have to present it how they want you to or you'll be out of a job and blackballed so if you tell the truth, no one believes you.
- Funding
Corporations have control over the media because they have money.
They Sun, known for lazily stereotyping people and places to sell/ market to people. brings an idea of us vs them.
Gives people someone to blame for poverty and unemployment other than the government -> 'Blame immigrants'
Flak
-Organised body of people who lobby against organisations and ideas of the world. Global Climate Coalition created by fuel companies with money to lobby against the idea of climate change. It aimed to convince people that climate change wasn't real. Arguing against politicians.
Al Gore 'An inconvenient truth' -suggests global warming is a moral issue, not a political issue. Raising awareness- glaciers melting etc.
Flak groups decided to fight against it because they refused to believe it. Decided it was propaganda and a hoax because they didnt want to lose money by being environmentally friendly. "CO2 is life, not a pollutant"
- Sustainability
-Mass production of anything sustainable is impossible. The two contradict each other.
"Most things are not designed for the needs of the people, but for the needs of the manufacturers."
The story of stuff 2007. Free Range Studios/ Annie Lennard - Animation
Been shown in over 200 countries. 12 million people have seen it.
Very influential, low budget. We can change the world.
Subculture Contextualisation
- Many animations poke fun at subcultures.
- Subcultures are trying to be different to the larger culture. They disagree with the things the larger culture believes in.
Trying to be different but in a group of like minded people.
- Daria - is she part of her own subculture? She doesn't really want to fit in. Her friends fit the goth subculture style.
- Films that focus on subcultures often stereotype that subculture.
- There are subcultures still around but they're a bit harder to pin point different subcultures.
We have the freedom to dress and look how we want, so seeing people dress differently isn't as shocking to this generation.
- Animations that might fit a subcultures.
- If you are trying to represent a subculture in animation, do you have to stereotype the subcultures so that people understand what you're representing?
When subcultures become mainstream the clothes appear on the high street and suddenly everyone is wearing it. Makes it hard to know who likes something and who is just dressed like that because it's 'cool' without knowing anything about it. Ramones merchandise from shops such as Primark is a key example of this.
Can be considered potential offensive to people who really like it, even though it makes it readily available to them.
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Cities and Film
- The city in Modernism
- The possibility of an urban sociology
- The city as public and private space
- The city in Postmodernism
- The relation of the individual to the crowd in the city
The first person to attempt urban sociology was Georg Simmel (1858- 1918)
Author of Metropolis and Mental Life in 1903
German sociologist, he reflects on the individual.
This is the time when fraud wrote his lectures on psychoanalysis
At this time the growth of the city was exponential, it was new and different.
Get the idea of the vulnerability of the city - people had to learn new things i.e. traffic lights and other such inventions.
Architect Louis Sullivan (1856-1924)
- Organised into 4 zones
- Contains mechanical, utility area, public area, office space, no decorative elements.
Terminating zone.
- The possibility of an urban sociology
- The city as public and private space
- The city in Postmodernism
- The relation of the individual to the crowd in the city
The first person to attempt urban sociology was Georg Simmel (1858- 1918)
Author of Metropolis and Mental Life in 1903
German sociologist, he reflects on the individual.
This is the time when fraud wrote his lectures on psychoanalysis
At this time the growth of the city was exponential, it was new and different.
Get the idea of the vulnerability of the city - people had to learn new things i.e. traffic lights and other such inventions.
Architect Louis Sullivan (1856-1924)
- Organised into 4 zones
- Contains mechanical, utility area, public area, office space, no decorative elements.
Terminating zone.
- Responsible for the redesign of the skyline in Chicago.
Manhatta (1921) Paul Strand and Charles Scheeler (Film)
- City of Manhattan
- Melting pot of immigration, idea that all races are here.
- Proud, passionate city.
- Celebration of transport and build environment.
- Contains a detached view of the city
Ford Motor Company's plant at River Rouge, Detroit (1927)
- Notion of Fordism - repetitive nature of the production mine almost turns the worker into the machine.
The idea that people go to work in this industry but only earn enough to buy the product themselves.
Friday, 2 January 2015
Identity
- The subject of identity is seen as a controversial issue, especially in the past.
- Essentialism is the theory that everything has a set of characteristics that makes it what it is. The same goes for people - it is believed that you are born a certain way, but each has different characteristics so you can tell the difference between, for example, a man and a woman.
- Everybody has an identity; supposedly we can be whoever we want to be and we shouldn't be judged for it, but that's not necessarily the case within society.
- In the past there was an extremely contorted version of the ideal identity; that if you didn't look or act a certain way then you weren't deemed intelligent or beautiful. This borders on racism and sexism suggesting that white men are smarter and generally better then black men or women in general.
- Essentialism is the theory that everything has a set of characteristics that makes it what it is. The same goes for people - it is believed that you are born a certain way, but each has different characteristics so you can tell the difference between, for example, a man and a woman.
- Everybody has an identity; supposedly we can be whoever we want to be and we shouldn't be judged for it, but that's not necessarily the case within society.
- In the past there was an extremely contorted version of the ideal identity; that if you didn't look or act a certain way then you weren't deemed intelligent or beautiful. This borders on racism and sexism suggesting that white men are smarter and generally better then black men or women in general.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)