Gender In Howl's Moving Castle

As any cliché artist would say, “I started drawing a lot when I was younger;” but not me –I can’t remember when I started to enjoy the arts. I have always been driven to create and express myself. I painted scenery to calm my nerves, draw intricate objects to focus on details, and draw dynamic poses to allow development of my eye. The mountain of used sketchbooks fills its’ own bookcase, dating back to early elementary years when I would create little stories much like a comic book. Despite my deep love for the arts, I always loved animation much more. Animation is the perfect blend of drawing and creating visual aid, while elaborately designing a storyline and plot to engage the audience –animation lets the average audience member to feel

In many people’s opinions, animation means funny and humor and designed for children. The content of the animation is nothing more than fairy tales, legends, fables, etc. Animation even becomes a symbol of Disney cartoon. However, if we re-examine the animation from another point of view, we will find that it has grown out of a single commercial mode constraints. Some of the animations are complicated, obscure and abstract. Variety kinds of visual images in it stimulate the audience's optic nerves. This is the salient features of experimental animation. Experimental animation belongs to the field which between film and pure art. Innovation is the soul of it. In the production process, the

For decades animation has been a pinnacle for entertainment, but most of the content created since the dawn of animated entertainment have contained excruciatingly problematic aspects

What images come to mind as you reflect on your childhood? Playgrounds, blackboards, and soccer balls may be among the warmest of memories. Yet for many mermaids swim their thoughts, princesses get swept of their feet, and lions roar to their loyal place in the animal kingdom. There is no doubt that today’s entertainment has most of its touch using classical influences. Walt Disney has produced animated films that have captured the heart and imagination of audiences of all ages around the world through the magic of storytelling and imagery. Many of us appreciate the imagination and magic that Disney puts into its animations with out knowing they are based off of classical and traditional storylines

Aside from basic two dimensional art, I have always been fascinated with the unique stories told through film. The way that a picture is painted through film is something that one cannot find in just any art form. Film is unique and fascinating, so I sought to find a way to unite the two worlds of film and the 2D art that I enjoy so much. My findings were that digital animation combined the artistic style that I love and the storytelling of film in a way that intrigued me beyond any other career I had researched.

Women are regarded as being second to man in the society, and this is significantly challenged by the modern woman. She believes in enjoying equal rights as those of men, and they demand inclusion in every matter whether political, scientific or military. In the novel Dracula by Stoker, the cultural difference between men and women is drawn by the characters used in the Victorian era. Bram Stoker wrote the novel Dracula in the 19th century, and it was composed in the style of letters, newspaper articles, journal entries and telegrams to convey a realistic story to the reader. The major theme found in the novel is gender roles in the 19th century, primarily referred to as the Victorian Era. During this period, women struggled to attain gender equality through challenging traditional roles that defined them. These women, as perceived in the novel, do not want to be domestic and act as caretakers of their children, nor obey the demands of their husbands but to remain impassive (Kunz 34). The women strived to become a modern woman, who is liberated, intelligent and who can openly express her ideas without fear of intimidation. Throughout the novel, Stoker portrays females as being inferior to men, as seen from the characteristics of Dracula’s victims; showing that gender roles in patriarchal societies are strict and restrict both women and men with the ladies being viewed as the distressed gender while the male is expected to be heroes who should be dependent upon.

The author of Animating Revolt and Revolting Animation, Judith Halberstam, uses rhetorical strategies to speak to her point that animated movies can be used to reach a wide ranging audience to convey deep underlying messages in a way that is entertaining for all. The author points out how Pixar movies brings non-traditional characters to life and faces them against real life struggles but does so in a happy ending manor that captivates audiences. This is accomplished by the author introducing a plot line from a Pixar movie that illustrates a struggle or classic battle and then describes the characters that are in the struggle and how they live through it. The author then describes an actual real life struggle and relates it back to the animated movie.

In the early 1900’s silent films amazed audiences with images, later talkies impressed with sound, today we have 3D. As technology continues to evolve so too will film genres. Genres, while having some shared characteristics, also differ in terms of stylistic devices used. For instance, the dramatic film “The Notebook” effectively uses color to reinforce theme and has plausible performers as the two main protagonists.

The director Miyazaki utilizes both physical and visual elements as represented by the characters, in order to communicate and individualize unique character traits and contrasting personalities. Miyazaki’s placing emphasis on character development is a significant aspect of not only the narrative, but also asserts how each gender is represented in a different way.

In recent years, animated programs have dominated the world of film and TV in both America and Japan. These programs, known as cartoons and anime, are some of the most popular forms of entertainment today. Anime and cartoon shows, such as One Piece and Family Guy, have been running for decades and are very well known among society. Animated films such as Disney’s The Lion King and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away have also thrived and even surpassed animated television shows in some instances. Both American and Japanese animation industries have flourished, and their cartoons and animes continue to grow in popularity. However, similarities and differences between the two soon arise when compared closely; these observations are often what lead fans to prefer one style over the other as well as shape pop culture.

Animation; an art form with the ability to tell a story and convey a multitude of emotions along with information. Animation can be found almost everywhere in media from commercials, to movies, to games. Every single animation need an animator or a team of animators to create it. There are many kinds of animation: 2D, 3D, motion graphics, visual effects. Each of these categories may have multiple people working on them using their own special skills to produce the final product. The reason for researching this occupation is because of my fascination and respect for the craft. I admire the art of storytelling immensely and the creativity that goes into it.

Hayao Miyazaki is an ingenious Japanese animator and film director, and has created many beloved masterpieces that are both visually enchanting and rich in meaning. Also known as the ‘Japanese Walt Disney’, Miyazaki has won numerous awards, for films including Spirited Away, Laputa: Castle In The Sky and My Neighbour Totoro. Each of his movies have messages integrated into the storyline that delve into deeper issues relating to the current world and society. Princess Mononoke is no exception and the intentions, choices and influences of Miyazaki are instrumental to understanding his creation.

In a world where technology is rapidly developing and evolving, it is sometimes hard to keep up with the changes that are made. When looking back on changes that are made it is particularly interesting to look at the development of animation over history. Today when one thinks about animation it is impossible not to think of Disney and their major motion pictures. The Shreck films, Finding Nemo, and Happy Feet, to name just some of the dozens of animated films Disney has produced, raked in million upon millions of dollars at the box office, and have been hit films with people in all age groups.

Henry Jenkins describes convergence as ‘a situation where multiple media systems coexist and where media content flows fluidly across them’ (2006: 282). An important part of the information transferred across platforms are the techniques utilised in creation. Digital technologies have no doubt had a large impact on moving images and how they are developed and produced in the modern world. There has been the introduction of inexpensive consumer digital recording devices, and the ability to create a video with mobile phones rather than needing a separate dedicated device. This has led to growth in the creation of amateur moving images on platforms such as YouTube in a variety of forms. As well as inspiring the creation of new areas of production, digital advances have enabled further evolution in more traditional areas. Early cinematic pioneers dabbled with in-camera trickery in order to create fantastical scenes and amaze viewers, and this principle carries forward to today. Matt Reeve’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) is a good example of the intriguing applications of digital technology in order to achieve these old goals in a potentially better way. As with the introduction of any new way to achieve a goal, the opportunities available to content creators have multiplied with the growth in the variety of digital techniques. The power particular innovations in technology can have in their contribution is perhaps underlined by the impact they have had in less revered

(96) Virtual reality (VR) is define as a cybernetic simulation of 3D surroundings which can be interactive through auditory, sensory and visually stimulating equipment, i.e. gloves, headgear or headphones. VR is an incredibly recent development in technology and such has much room to progress with, I believe that VR is the future of animation as the key aim is to transport the viewer into the world we have created, VR being the next logical step as it creates this suspension of belief as well as activating all of the senses we use to perceive the real world.