CW Uses and Target Audiences

Examples of uses for animation: 

Television programmes 
Childrens animations 
Film, across many different games 
Advertisements 
Anime and manga 
Online and viral 

Music video 

Augmented reality 

Animated Films and TV 

Traditional, animated content is associated with younger audiences. Television programmes such as Tom and Jerry and bugs bunny and Disney films from Snow White to frozen, have been largely pitched at children (though as we know from Unit 1, these films also enjoy large audiences formed of older demographics). 

Disneyfication 

The transformation (as of something real or unsettling) into carefully controlled and safe entertainment or an environment with similar qualities. The French philosopher Jean Baudrillard has called Disneyland the most real place in the US, because its not pretending to be something its not. Its a theme park to put simply. He wrote: 

"Disneyland is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe the the rest is real, when in fact all of Los Angeles and the America surrounding it are no longer real, but of the order of the hyper-real and of simulation" 

Disney Pixar is a good example of a Disney Subsidiary that appeals to a wide demographic, with films like 'Up' and 'Wall-e' appealing to all age groups. 

British televisions - Puppetry and stop motion 

Animation was popular for children in the UK during the 1960s and the 1970s. 

A number of children's shows featured puppetry and stop motion. 

Shows included Bagpuss, Clangers, Button moon, The magic roundabout and Postman Pat. Bagpuss seemed to delight and terrify viewers in equal measure. 

The Simpsons and Family Guy 

It could be argued that The Simpsons paved the way for shows like Family Guy, due to the adult jokes embedded throughout the series. 

When it was first devised, Bart was the main focal point for the series, with his recognisable catchphrase (eat my shorts; don't have a cow, man; cowabunga). The creators even went as far as releasing a single. 

Matt Groening and the other writers of the show realised that Homer should become the focal point, and that the target audience for the show was not children, even though that they might have been the original aesthetic. 

In a sense - alongside manga - The Simpsons did much to change the landscape of animation inspiring a new wave of adult animation. 

The rise and fall of anime in the west

EXAMPLE: Ukiyo-e (Floating world) 

Japan has a long history of erotic and violent art, dating back at least as far as the Edo period (1603-1868)

Graphic Novels and Comics 

Its common to see people (mainly men) reading graphic novels in Japan, rather than novels. These are often very violent, erotic or contain sexualised violence. This has given rise to the term 'hentai', referring to the overtly sexualised characters and sexually explicit themes and images. 

Manga vs anime 

Manga is a Japanese word that roughly translates as 'comic' - the term generally refers to books and comics. Films and moving image are commonly referred to as anime, though many people erroneously use these interchangeably 

Confusingly, DVD and VHS covers often feature the word 'manga' 

The rise in popularity of manga and anime in the West has meant that perceptions of animation as a medium have shifted. Once the exclusive domain of children's content, animation now has a much broader appeal, depending on the technique and genre.Increasingly, animation features adult content. 

One of the first big anime hits was Akira (1988), set in post-apocalyptic Tokyo 

EXAMPLE: AKIA

Gender - More predominantly a male (all the characters were male and the female was in distress to be saved, Akira uses big guns and motorcycles) 

Race - Japanese and a lot of Western audiences because it is has a lot of 'marvel like themes' but westernised.

Age - 15 - 25

Class - Working class and middle class. 

Ethnicity - South East Asian / Western (UK/USA) 

Following hot on Akira's heels was Urotsukidoji: Legend of the overfiend (1989), a Japanese import that took animated depravity to new heights. 

Influence on Television 

At the same time, Japanese and American animators started working together in the 1980s to produce some hugely popular television shows for children. 

Titles included Transformers, He-Man, Thundercats and Ulysses 31. These are fondly remembered by children of the '80s. The influence of Japanese artists is clearly evident. 

Studio Ghibli 

Japanese anime isn't all hentai sex and violence, though. 

Perhaps the best known animation studio outside of Disney is Studio Ghibli, a Japanese company known for beautifully-drawn feature films with underlying messages, such as critiques of environmental pollution and the Japanese sex industry (both found in Spirited Away, a popular film amongst a wide range of audiences including children). 

Advertising: 

Animation is often used in advertising 

Nick Park's creature Comforts for example, were used to advertise hearing, while cereal products often use animated characters, such as Tony the tiger. 

Online and Viral 

VoD services such as YouTube and Dailymotion have become hubs upon which online and viral animation shorts and webisode comics can be found. 

These are produced by amateurs who use such distribution channels to showcase their talents. 

Short animated gifs can also be found on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. 

Cyanide and happiness 

What do you think has contributed to the popularity and success of Cyanide & Happiness? 

What future possibilities are there are for the brand as an animated product? 

Video Games 

During the production of video games, as with animation in 3D films, actors wear motion capture equipment, which chart their movements. 

It could be argued that video games are one of the largest platforms for animations. 

EXAMPLE: Pong - (1972)

EXAMPLE: Super Mario Bros (1985) 

EXAMPLE: Grand Theft Auto (1997)