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.