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.