: Applying film theory, semiotics, and psychoanalysis to animated works.
Wells identifies several unique "narrative strategies" that define animation and differentiate it from live-action cinema: Understanding Animation Paul Wells Pdf
| | Key term to remember | Question to ask while reading | |------------------|--------------------------|----------------------------------| | Chapter 1 – What is animation? | Ontology of animation | How does this definition exclude live-action? | | Chapter 2 – Narrative strategies | Condensation vs. displacement (psychoanalytic terms) | Why might a director choose animation over live-action for this story? | | Chapter 3 – Genre | Anime, avant-garde, orthodox | Where does Spider-Verse fit? | | Chapter 4 – Issues of representation | Anthropomorphism, race, gender | Is the use of animals for racial allegory effective or problematic? | | Chapter 5 – Audiences | The “implied viewer” | How does Looney Tunes assume child and adult viewers differently? | : Applying film theory, semiotics, and psychoanalysis to
You can download the PDF version of "Understanding Animation" by Paul Wells from [insert link here]. Enjoy your read and happy animating! | | Chapter 2 – Narrative strategies | Condensation vs
Wells begins by challenging the "orthodox" definition of animation as simply "making things move." Instead, he proposes a "heterodox" approach, recognizing animation as a practice that encompasses . He argues that animation’s true power lies not in mimicking reality but in distorting, questioning, and reimagining it.