Animation

[cupertinoCA]

just curious what you guys think of cartoon movies where animals & insects (ie antz) use human tools. isn't this kind of weird??

im trying to write an animated script but im a little hesitant about going down the same path...

[bioprofessor]

Re: Animation

just curious what you guys think of cartoon movies where animals & insects (ie antz) use human tools. isn't this kind of weird??

im trying to write an animated script but im a little hesitant about going down the same path...

Indeed! Drives my wife nuts when I lean over in the theater and point out that ants, rabbits, etc do not have opposable thumbs and cannot grasp tools. That's not to say tool use is uniquely human, of course it's not, but I draw the line when a chipmunk grabs a key (at least with its claw) and unlocks a door. Our thumbless brethren can do fantastic things with their non-grasping appendages, i.e. fly, weave nests, trap prey in nets, spear fish, tap out communication codes, etc, but no grasping please.

[cupertinoCA]

Re: Animation

i mean taking things even beyond that... i was watching Antz the other day and they had helmets & spears, etc. it's as if they were in the human world...

[bioprofessor]

Re: Animation

i mean taking things even beyond that... i was watching Antz the other day and they had helmets & spears, etc. it's as if they were in the human world...

As I'm sure you're aware, that's called anthropomorphism and is an absolute staple in drawing children and their families (read $$$) to animated stories. If you can figure out a way to avoid that and still tell a good animated story that captures kids' imagination, then you're really onto something.

[Joaneasley]

Re: Animation

There's no rule that you have to anthropomorphize animals generally or have them use tools specifically. I wrote an animated short script about an incident I'd read about -- a puppy who gets snatched into the treetops and adopted by a grieving mother monkey. I told the story in a visual way without needing the animals to talk or use tools they wouldn't normally use. That was a stylistic choice, but I have no problem with animated stories that are more imaginative and fanciful. The beauty of animation is that you can break from reality and make anything happen.