I apologize for not posting earlier. The site kept telling me I wasn't a team member and therefore could not post. I do not know if it was because I was switching back and forth between this and MA133. It's working now... obviously.

Memo

Hello Class,

Good job everyone!
I'm still missing feedback comments from some of you. Make sure to post them as soon as possible. For those of you who are done have a great break!

Cheers!
Prof. Ruiz

Make Up Class_Adam Schartup_Winter 2011

Make Up Class_Adam Schartup_Winter 2011
The Incredibles (2004)

1. Why did you choose this feature? Explain.
The Incredibles was the first Pixar movie that truly blew me away. I had enjoyed most of their movies prior and since, however their plots and characters simply do not interest me in the same way the The Incredibles did. The fast paced, intricately constructed, and beautifully rendered actions (special note to Dash running across the water), makes it a film that I can sit through over and over again.

2. Create a possible premise from your chosen animated feature.
Superheroes have been deemed unnecessary by humanity and forced into hiding. Bob Parr, aka Mr. Incredible, makes an unhappy living as an insurance salesman whose boss enjoys ripping off the needy. When Bob is given another chance to put on his super outfit and fight crime again, he jumps at the opportunity, but keeps it hidden from his family. However, when a villain with a grudge shows up and things take an ugly turn, Helen and the kids, Dash and Violet, rush to help Bob. Together and ready for action, they must team up as a family to take down this new sinister enemy Syndrome.

3. How would you describe the feature in high-concept?
A super powered family must ban together to take down a powerful villain while maintaining their cover as ordinary.

4. Describe the format.
The Incredibles is a 3D animated feature length action/adventure film that focuses on the relationship between a close-knit family of superheroes in a world that does not want, but needs saviors.

5. What is the target audience?
Like all of Pixar’s films, The Incredibles targets a crossover audience.

6. How did the feature approach its intended audience?
The characters are amusingly drawn, there are several humors gags, and the action is fun. The film also deals with real life relationships between family members, and more closely, a husband and wife and how they cope with unfulfilled lives, honesty, and safety.

7. Describes the needs and wants of the main character (be specific).
Mr. Incredible (Bob) wants to be a hero again. He wants to use his gifts to defeat larger than life villains and to be needed by society once again. He certainly does not want to continue living his mundane existence hidden behind a tie and a briefcase.
He needs to trust that his wife and children will be at his side no matter what lifestyle he chooses, and to learn that keeping them in the dark will only cause more problems.

8. Excluding the main character, mention three characters and describe their motivations, goals, and unique way of looking and life.

Elastigirl (Helen): Like her husband, Helen longs for the days when she could go out and fight crime as a superhero. However, she realizes the importance of staying hidden and does everything she can to keep her family safe by not standing out. Her goal is to keep the family together whether in seclusion or as heroes.

Dash: Dash is an ordinary young boy - full of uncontrollable excitement. Only his ADD comes through in his super powers. He wants to be able to be himself and excel in sports, but has to follow his parents rules and keep them hidden. When he is able to unleash his powers on the island, he has the time of his life. Back in the regular world, he must find a balance between being himself and keeping his identity a secret.

Violet: Violet is concerned with fitting in. Going through her awkward teen years, she is incredibly shy and unhappy with herself. She pines over one of the boys at her school, but uses her invisibility every time he is near. Her insecurity comes through with her powers as she is unable to help the family out during dire situations. It is only when she is able to believe in herself that she can fill her role as a superhero and pursue the boy at school.

9. How does the feature approach characters’ backstory?
The prologue of the film offers a complete backstory to the world of superheroes and to our main couple, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl.

10. Make a list describe briefly three funny gags throughout the story.
1. When Bob cannot stand his boss anymore and punches him through a dozen walls, we get our first funny gag of the film. If it were one wall, it would have still been funny, but showing wall after wall just makes the scene over-the-top.
2. When Bob Parr unleashes his frustration on his tiny car only to notice the neighborhood kid at the last second is priceless. The child’s face does a great job of relating to the audience of how crazy it would be to see a seemingly ordinary person perform such extraordinary feats. And when that is coupled with his appearance at the end after seeing Syndrome’s demise makes for a great gag.
3. Jack-Jack’s entire interaction with Kari the babysitter is one funny gag after another. The introduction of his slew of powers make for entertaining slapstick and visual gags.

11. How would you describe the world?
The world of The Incredibles is based on 1950s America in present day. Clothing, automobiles, and character models are angular and stylized, but still look very modern, especially in the buildings. Early on in the movie, the city is very bland with muted colors, but once Mr. Incredible moves to the island, the colors become vivid and bright. The contrasting worlds come together when the action is brought to the city, and the colors and fast paced movement liven the place up.

12. If you had the opportunity, what would you change about the story? Explain.
I am not a fan of Violet’s character. Firstly, the combination of invisibility and a force field does not make any sense. I know that Marvel’s Invisible Woman (Susan Storm) has the exact same powers, but she is an awful character too. Why would invisibility give you the power to bend particles around you to create an impenetrable shield? Or visa versa? Secondly, her shy, quiet character, although necessary to counteract Dash’s loud and in-your-face character, is boring. Perhaps her characteristics are needed, and the power of invisibility suits those characteristics, but I would have changed her completely.

13. Do you think this feature can be made into an animated series? Explain.
Absolutely. The show would inevitably lose some of the heart that the feature length had, and would probably have to be geared solely towards children, but there is never any shortage of superheroes and villains. Every week, a new villain could enter the city bent on world domination and the Incredibles would have to defeat them. Dash and Violet could also be explored further, and might even become the main focus seeing as how children are the target audience. They personal growth and how they deal with “normal” situations and relationships could be very entertaining.

Make up class_Kit Russ_Winter 2011

Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Writing for Animation Assignment Presented by Kit Russ

1. Why did you choose such feature? Explain.

I chose The Hunchback of Notre Dame because it is simply one of my favorite movies done by Disney. The music is rich and beautiful, especially the scores written by Alan Menken, who used Latin verses borrowed from Mozart’s Requiem; the chorus repeating the phrase “Kyrie Eleison” (Lord have Mercy) at the most powerful moments in the film. To me, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of Disney’s most powerful films due to the hidden message it sends out about how God is the only righteous Judge and that even the Church itself falls short of His glory. At least that's my personal interpretation.

2. Create a possible premise from your chosen animated feature.

Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge Paris of gypsy scum. One night he tries to arrest a woman only to accidentally kill her when he wrestles a bundle from her arms. As it turns out, that bundle was a misshapen child. The Archdeacon of Notre Dame stops Frollo from casting the baby into a well and guilts him into raising it as his own. Frollo reluctantly agrees.

Twenty years later, the child, having been named Quasimodo (half-formed), is the stir-crazy bell ringer of Notre Dame who merely wants to attend the Festival of Fools. This year, however, Quasi’s three gargoyle friends goad him into sneaking out. Once there, he enjoys the celebration and takes part in the various activities where he meets Esmeralda, a beautiful and spirited gyspy woman, who ends up saving him from the cruelty of the peasants.

Now Frollo is after Esmeralda, determined to make her his or she will burn at the stake. Meanwhile, Quasi is struggling to deal with his feelings for Esmeralda even though she is in love with Phoebus, the heroic and honorable captain of the guard. Eventually Frollo’s fanatical obsession with Esmeralda has led him to declare war on Notre Dame itself, leaving Quasi, Esmeralda, and Phoebus having to team up in order to defeat him and save Paris.

3. How would you describe the feature in high-concept?

It is 1482 in Paris, France where being different was a sin. There, a misshapen man is taken in by a self-righteous judge and must fight against him in order to save his gypsy friend and all of Paris from his fanatical devotion.

4. Describe the Format.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 2D action/adventure/romantic/drama that is about 91 minutes in length. It teaches us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that even a so called “monster” can be a hero.

5. What is the target audience?

Like most Disney films, it is a crossover designed to target both children and adults.

6. How did the feature approach its intended audience?

The three gargoyles—Victor, Hugo, and Laverne—as well as Esmeralda’s goat Djali appeal to the kiddies as wise-cracking gag animals whereas Frollo’s lusting after Esmeralda just floats on over their heads, but is picked up by the older audience.

7. Describe the needs and wants of the Main Character (be specific).

Quasimodo wants to be accepted and not feared by everyone in Paris, but in order to achieve this goal; he needs to save Paris itself from Frollo’s righteously fanatical reign.

8. Excluding the main character. Mention three characters and describe their motivations, goals and unique way of looking at life.

Esmeralda: Esmeralda is a free-spirited gypsy and Quasimodo’s first friend outside of Notre Dame. She doesn’t look at people based on appearance, but rather character and for that, she becomes the object of Quasimodo’s affections, even if she only thinks about him platonically. Her goal is to make the people realize that it’s wrong to judge people based upon their appearance.

Frollo: Quasimodo’s caretaker. Frollo is a hyper-righteous man obsessed with wiping out sin, but he forgets to look at his own crimes. He falls in lust with Esmeralda and wants to kill her because he is appalled by his feelings for a gypsy “witch.” This drives him to not only burn down most of Paris, but lay siege upon Notre Dame itself.

Phoebus: The heroic captain of the guard. He is very honorable, disobeying orders from Frollo when he was told to burn the house of an innocent family to the ground. Like Quasimodo, he is also in love with Esmeralda, and it becomes his goal to help her and Quasi defeat Frollo.

9. How does this feature approach characters' backstory?

It shows where Quasimodo came from and what happened to his mother; however, no other character is given much backstory. This was illustrated in the very beginning of the movie with epic music and dynamic action.

10. Make a list describing briefly three funny gags throughout the story.

1. There is this old man who appears two times in the movie. The first time he is in a cage at the festival of fools. He’s freed as the cage breaks through sheer luck, but as he celebrates with a cheer of “I’m free! I’m free!” he trips and falls in the stocks, which slam shut and trap him to which he yells “dang it!” The second time is during the final battle at Notre Dame. While Phoebus and a guard are fighting, the lock on the stocks breaks and man is freed. However, as he is celebrating he falls into the sewer and once again yells “dang it!”

2. During the Final battle at Notre Dame, Laverne the gargoyle, who is always being followed by pigeons, sends all of the birds after the guards to chase them as he says, “Fly my pretties! Fly!” This is a parody of the Wizard of Oz.

3. During the final battle, Hugo, the fat gargoyle, eats a bunch of flint and rocks, and flies in a circle making airplane noises before shooting the rocks out of his mouth like a Gatling gun at the soldiers trying to storm the cathedral. This is funny because neither of those inventions existed until much later.

11. How would you describe the World?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame takes place in 15^th Century (1482 to be precise) Paris, France, back when it was part of the Holy Roman Empire. At the time, Paris was nothing more than a medieval city so most of the architecture, technology, and fashion reflect that.

12. If you had the opportunity, what would you change about the story? Explain.

I could never bring myself to change anything about the story in a sense that it is a precious childhood memory for me. Even if it isn’t totally faithful to the book, that’s alright with me too because the book was filled with a lot of sexual content with a minor (the Esmeralda in the book was only fourteen.) I think the way Disney handled it was highly appropriate and I wouldn’t change a thing.

13. Do you think this feature can be made into an animated series? Explain.

Not in a million years would it be a series. There is a clear beginning, middle, and end to this story, which is the perfect format for a movie. It’s bad enough they made a sequel.

Make up class_Claudia Medrano_Winter 2011

Dante’s Inferno (2010)

1.     Why did you choose such feature? Explain.

I chose this animated feature because I just like the history and religious background. It’s based on a classic divine comedy poem written by Dante Alighieri. It deals with a hero going thru Hell to save his beloved, but to do so he has to deal with the 9 circles of Hell. The irony behind the 9 circles and the different animations to illustrate the animation is just beautifully well done and the character, Dante, going through the obstacles and the different villains is just well played out. Dante’s inferno really makes you think.

2.     Create a possible premise from your chosen animated feature. 

Dante comes back from the crusades and finds his family slaughtered. He finds his wife to be, Beatrice and must rescue her soul from the fallen angel, Lucifer. But to do so Dante must go through the 9 circles of hell to save her. Vergil a soul helps guide Dante thru Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. These aren’t places one should walk in especially when you don’t belong there in the first place. Each circle has their demons and Dante has to confront them till he reaches the last demon, Lucifer.

3.     How would you describe the feature in high-concept?

Dante must rescue his beloved Beatrice from Hell and goes through the 9 treacherous circles of hell to reach the King of the damned, Lucifer. Along with a guide, Vergil, Dante is driven to free Beatrice from the Hell hole.

4.     Describe the Format.

Dante’s Inferno is 2d animation. Its action/adventure mixed with drama and a bit of horror. The feature shows the horrors of hell and the different levels of sins that one can fall under do to the way they lived when they were alive. It makes one think of how we are living our lives.

5.     What is the target audience?

The target audience would be late teens and adulthood. It’s not for a younger audience. There is violence and gore.

6.     How did the feature approached its intended audience?

The deep morals along with the violence and gore reach the intended audience. The way the story shows the different sins and how the souls suffer in the afterlife really makes the audience sit and wonder.

7.     Describe the needs and wants of the Main Character (be specific).

Dante needs to confront his sins and cleanse himself from them, even though he wishes to set Beatrice free. He has to go through the nine circles of hell to find what he really needs to do and ask for Beatrice’s forgiveness as well.

8.     Excluding the main character. Mention three characters and describe their motivations, goals and unique way of looking at life. 

Vergil: Once was a poet when he was alive. He helps Dante by guiding him through the circles of hell and points out the different sins that the souls have to suffer for all eternity. He only wishes to help Dante with his ordeal since Dante is still alive he still has a chance to redeem himself and save his love, Beatrice.

Beatrice: Dante’s lover and wife to be ends up tricked by Lucifer and is captured and taken to Hell to lure Dante into the hell hole. She wants to know the truth about what Dante did during the crusades and wants to forgive him, but the persuasive Lucifer has other plans.

Lucifer: The king of persuasion wants to entrap Dante’s soul in his kingdom. He will do what he must to try and achieve this and find a way out of Hell and spread chaos beyond the boundaries.

9.     How does this feature approaches characters' backstory? 

The feature show’s Dante’s and Beatrice’s back stories by having flash backs into their pasts. Especially with Dante, every time they enter another level of Hell he is reminded of his past and his sins that he regrets and tries to make peace with them.

10.  Make a list describing briefly three funny gags throughout the story.

I only could find one brief gag. It’s not that hilarious, but it was a flashback of Dante speaking with Beatrice’s brother and how the brother said that he wanted for Dante to take care of Beatrice or else, he jokes. Another possible gag is finding historic leaders and other people we’ve read about in history be in the different levels of hell.

11.  How would you describe the World?

Dante’s world is full of tragedy and love. He fights through the different levels of Hell to try and reach Beatrice and fight with Lucifer. The nine levels are each unique with the different sins that the souls have committed. The different demons he confronts and the souls of the damned. Hell isn’t portrayed as only being a land of fire and ash, there are different environments from hurricane winds to ice cold labyrinth.

12.  If you had the opportunity, what would you change about the story? Explain.

I don’t think I would change the story. I think it’s good as it is. There’s so much detail and the theory behind the nine circles of hell categorized as describing nine major sins is just beyond my imagination. The plot is just enriched with what the hero has to go through and the details behind the horrors of Hell are brilliant. I wouldn’t change anything. It’s a classic.

13.  Do you think this feature can be made into an animated series? Explain.  

No, I don’t think this movie could be turned into a series. I think it would lose its authenticity and not have much more to go into detail. A movie series maybe, because the divine comedy is in three parts: The Inferno, the Purgatorio, and Paradiso because at the end of Dante’s Inferno there is happiness, but evil quickly follows along their footsteps.

Make up class_Claudia Medrano_Winter 2011

Dante’s Inferno (2010)

1.     Why did you choose such feature? Explain.

I chose this animated feature because I just like the history and religious background. It’s based on a classic divine comedy poem written by Dante Alighieri. It deals with a hero going thru Hell to save his beloved, but to do so he has to deal with the 9 circles of Hell. The irony behind the 9 circles and the different animations to illustrate the animation is just beautifully well done and the character, Dante, going through the obstacles and the different villains is just well played out. Dante’s inferno really makes you think.

2.     Create a possible premise from your chosen animated feature. 

Dante comes back from the crusades and finds his family slaughtered. He finds his wife to be, Beatrice and must rescue her soul from the fallen angel, Lucifer. But to do so Dante must go through the 9 circles of hell to save her. Vergil a soul helps guide Dante thru Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. These aren’t places one should walk in especially when you don’t belong there in the first place. Each circle has their demons and Dante has to confront them till he reaches the last demon, Lucifer.

3.     How would you describe the feature in high-concept?

Dante must rescue his beloved Beatrice from Hell and goes through the 9 treacherous circles of hell to reach the King of the damned, Lucifer. Along with a guide, Vergil, Dante is driven to free Beatrice from the Hell hole.

4.     Describe the Format.

Dante’s Inferno is 2d animation. Its action/adventure mixed with drama and a bit of horror. The feature shows the horrors of hell and the different levels of sins that one can fall under do to the way they lived when they were alive. It makes one think of how we are living our lives.

5.     What is the target audience?

The target audience would be late teens and adulthood. It’s not for a younger audience. There is violence and gore.

6.     How did the feature approached its intended audience?

The deep morals along with the violence and gore reach the intended audience. The way the story shows the different sins and how the souls suffer in the afterlife really makes the audience sit and wonder.

7.     Describe the needs and wants of the Main Character (be specific).

Dante needs to confront his sins and cleanse himself from them, even though he wishes to set Beatrice free. He has to go through the nine circles of hell to find what he really needs to do and ask for Beatrice’s forgiveness as well.

8.     Excluding the main character. Mention three characters and describe their motivations, goals and unique way of looking at life. 

Vergil: Once was a poet when he was alive. He helps Dante by guiding him through the circles of hell and points out the different sins that the souls have to suffer for all eternity. He only wishes to help Dante with his ordeal since Dante is still alive he still has a chance to redeem himself and save his love, Beatrice.

Beatrice: Dante’s lover and wife to be ends up tricked by Lucifer and is captured and taken to Hell to lure Dante into the hell hole. She wants to know the truth about what Dante did during the crusades and wants to forgive him, but the persuasive Lucifer has other plans.

Lucifer: The king of persuasion wants to entrap Dante’s soul in his kingdom. He will do what he must to try and achieve this and find a way out of Hell and spread chaos beyond the boundaries.

9.     How does this feature approaches characters' backstory? 

The feature show’s Dante’s and Beatrice’s back stories by having flash backs into their pasts. Especially with Dante, every time they enter another level of Hell he is reminded of his past and his sins that he regrets and tries to make peace with them.

10.  Make a list describing briefly three funny gags throughout the story.

I only could find one brief gag. It’s not that hilarious, but it was a flashback of Dante speaking with Beatrice’s brother and how the brother said that he wanted for Dante to take care of Beatrice or else, he jokes. Another possible gag is finding historic leaders and other people we’ve read about in history be in the different levels of hell.

11.  How would you describe the World?

Dante’s world is full of tragedy and love. He fights through the different levels of Hell to try and reach Beatrice and fight with Lucifer. The nine levels are each unique with the different sins that the souls have committed. The different demons he confronts and the souls of the damned. Hell isn’t portrayed as only being a land of fire and ash, there are different environments from hurricane winds to ice cold labyrinth.

12.  If you had the opportunity, what would you change about the story? Explain.

I don’t think I would change the story. I think it’s good as it is. There’s so much detail and the theory behind the nine circles of hell categorized as describing nine major sins is just beyond my imagination. The plot is just enriched with what the hero has to go through and the details behind the horrors of Hell are brilliant. I wouldn’t change anything. It’s a classic.

13.  Do you think this feature can be made into an animated series? Explain.  

No, I don’t think this movie could be turned into a series. I think it would lose its authenticity and not have much more to go into detail. A movie series maybe, because the divine comedy is in three parts: The Inferno, the Purgatorio, and Paradiso because at the end of Dante’s Inferno there is happiness, but evil quickly follows along their footsteps.

Make Up Class_Ben Morse_Winter 2011

WALL•E (2008)

1. Why did you choose such feature? Explain.
I chose this feature because there is so little dialog. The movie’s main characters barely speak at all, and when they do speak, their vocabulary is limited to about three words, so all of the story telling must be very visual. Plus, the characters are stylized robots that don’t have human faces or bodies to help communicate their thoughts. This gave the animators the added challenge of expressing thoughts and emotions in interesting ways, and I felt that would make this film more interesting to analyze.

2. Create a possible premise from your chosen animated feature.
Human beings have abandoned planet Earth after pollution has made the world unlivable. Left behind as a trash cleaning robot, forever collecting garbage and compressing it into small cubes, Wall-E spends his days loyally continuing his task, entertained only by a pet cockroach and the interesting objects he finds.

Eventually, a mysterious craft lands on the planet, and a sleek, feminine robot, Eve, appears. After meeting, the two eventually fall in love. However, when Eve discovers a green plant finally growing on Earth, her programming takes over, forcing her into a hibernation state until her craft returns, launching her back into space. Not wanting the love of his life leave him forever, Wall-E grabs the rocket and follows.

This event leads Wall-E to a large ship carrying some of Earth’s survivors, flying through space, occasionally sending probes to Earth to see if it has become habitable again, planning to return only when plant-life is found. This plan is hindered by the ship’s computer Auto, who has been ordered never to return to Earth. Can Wall-E somehow reconnect with Eve while escaping the evil computer and protecting the plant all at the same time?


3. How would you describe the feature in high-concept?
A lonely robot on a future, deserted planet Earth, travels into space to find love with a robot he meets during its brief stay on the planet.


4. Describe the Format.
Wall-E is a 3D animated, adventure/comedy movie approximately 98 minutes in length. The movie helps show there are many ways to express love, while offering a subtle nod to the more current problem of world pollution and ecological concern.


5. What is the target audience?
Wall-E targets a crossover audience, appealing to a wide range of age groups.


6. How did the feature approached its intended audience?
The movie targets the younger audience with silly characters, like the pet cockroach, and visual humor, mostly told through Wall-E’s occasionally clumsiness, but appeals to an older audience with the simple love story and hints at current, global concerns. Of course, sight gags work on an older audience as well.


7. Describe the needs and wants of the Main Character (be specific).
I found this difficult to answer since Wall-E is a robot performing very specific, routine tasks, and offers no significant dialog to display his thoughts. I believe his NEEDS can be seen as self-maintenance, ensuring his robot body is always in working order and he allows himself to recharge his batteries as necessary. His WANTS involve satisfying his curiosity, by collecting odd items, and finding love and companionship with Eve.


8. Excluding the main character. Mention three characters and describe their motivations, goals and unique way of looking at life.
EVE: A robot probe sent to Earth to find evidence of plant-life, Eve’s goal is to find a plant on Earth, then return it to the ship so they can return to the planet. She eventually finds love with Wall-E, but her programming forces her to comply with her mission of returning the plant, often at the expense of expressing her love.

AUTO: The Auto-Pilot, or Auto, is the ship’s computer that has steadily been charged with controlling the ship as humans participate less and less in the world around them. Per his programming, Auto has been ordered never to return the ship to Earth, and knowing a confirmed plant specimen from Earth will cause that to happen automatically, his primary goal is to find and destroy the plant Eve brought to the ship.

CAPTAIN: The Captain is concerned about the ship’s day-to-day routine. He has authority over the entire ship, but has adjusted to a routine of allowing the ship to handle all important matters, and only goes through the motions of exerting his authority by checking the ship status and performing daily announcements. Eventually, his goal’s change as he learns more about the planet his ancestors left behind and wishes to return, knowing he must find and protect the plant Eve brought back in order to do so.


9. How does this feature approach characters' backstory?
The movie shows Wall-E’s backstory very early by showing the ragged conditions of Earth, indicating he has been on the planet for a very long time. Similar versions of Wall-E show he was part of a large, clean-up crew designed to remove the junk from the planet surface, but over time, they have broken down and Wall-E is the last functioning robot of his type.

The movie then explores Wall-E’s personality by showing the collection of interesting items he’s found during his clean-up duties, indicating he is very curious and interested in unusual objects.


10. Make a list describing briefly three funny gags throughout the story.
Wall-E is shown to be somewhat clumsy, or frequently unlucky, in his interaction with the world, providing many opportunities for gags. One example occurs when Wall-E is showing Eve the inside of a Buy-N-Large store, and several shopping carts begin rolling down a ramp in Wall-E’s direction. He runs away, but they continue rolling toward him until eventually trapping him against a wall and crashing into him in a large pile. Another example is when Eve has shut down, waiting for her ship to return, and Wall-E feels the need to protect her. During a rain storm, Wall-E holds an umbrella over her, but is repeatedly struck by lightning, reacting in a very cartoony fashion as he pops into the air and is surrounded by electricity. Multiple examples can also be seen during a montage of Wall-E’s time alone on Earth as he finds items during his cleanup duties, such as placing a bra over his face, throwing away a diamond ring to keep the ring box, and spraying himself in the face with a fire extinguisher.


11. How would you describe the World?
The world could be described as a depressing future for mankind. Not only is the Earth unlivable, ruined by pollution, but the surviving humans in space have become a lazy, obese society only concerned with the satisfaction of its immediate desires and wants. This is punctuated by robotic characters offering more dedication, initiative, and emotion than the humans in the story.


12. If you had the opportunity, what would you change about the story? Explain.
I would remove the brief appearances of live-action humans. Although a real human appears only a few times, and only in short recordings that lasts only a few moments, the fantasy of this animated world is destroyed as a result.


13. Do you think this feature can be made into an animated series? Explain.
I think this movie could very easily be turned into a series. One option could explore the adventures of Wall-E on planet Earth before the movie begins. It could takes place during a time when other robots were still active, and the planet had more robotic activity. This would allow for may story lines surrounding their interaction and duties.

Another option could begin the series after humans return to Earth. This offers a more human drama as mankind struggles to return to a life that, while difficult, is more rewarding. Plus, robots like Wall-E offer more opportunities for a variety of characters that have proven to display interesting personalities.

Make up Class

Hi Class,

For our next assignment we will be doing an analysis paper applying what we have learned in class to your favorite animated feature.

Assignment Check List:

1. Why did you choose such feature? Explain.
2. Create a possible premise from your chosen animated feature. 
3. How would you describe the feature in high-concept?
4. Describe the Format.
5. What is the target audience?
6. How did the feature approached its intended audience?
7. Describe the needs and wants of the Main Character (be specific).
8. Excluding the main character. Mention three characters and describe their motivations, goals and unique way of looking at life. 
9. How does this feature approaches characters' backstory? 
10. Make a list describing briefly three funny gags throughout the story.
11. How would you describe the World?
12. If you had the opportunity, what would you change about the story? Explain.
13. Do you think this feature can be made into an animated series? Explain.  

Note:
 Make sure to answer every question to the best of your knowledge. Once you're done post your paper and title it: "Make up Class_Name LastName_Quarter Year". For example:

Title: Make up Class_Camilo Ruiz_Winter 2011

As a header write the title and year of your selected animated feature as such "Movie Title"(Year) followed by class assignment and your name. For Example:

"Finding Nemo" (2003) 

Writing for Animation Assignment Presented by Camilo Ruiz

Make sure to centralized titles and to answer each question in a paragraph format. Also keep in mind that you must leave at least five feedback comments under each post for each of your classmates. 

Homework Due: March 23, 2011 at Midnight. 

Feedback Due: March 24, 2011 at Noon.

Please let me know if any questions or doubts.
Cheers!
Prof. Ruiz

Welcome Letter

Welcome to the Writing for Animation Blog. 

Here we'll be able to make class discussions and critiques. Keep in mind that is your responsibility to upload and comment on your classmate's work. Each homework will have a timed deadline. A minimum of five feedback comments are required for each student per work. Not participating or leaving comments on time will count against attendance and participation grade.

Please comment if you read and understood class rules.
Thank you! 

Cheers! 
Prof. Ruiz
caruiz@aii.edu