Literature Review 3/4- Understanding Animation

‘Understanding Animation’, 1998, By Paul Wells, Routledge

My view is that this book is also one of the key books that will help me with constructing and answering my essay. In general, the aim of Paul Wells within the book is to divert the initial view from the public that animation is for kids and that it is a cinematic art that has been overlooked.

The book in general contains a large amount of information about animation as a whole. This includes well argumented and constructed case studies (which are really engaging), theories, narrative strategies, methods of comedy, representation within animations, history and its connection with the audience.

In terms of what I require for my essay the book covers comedy in animation. ‘Comedy (in animated film) is assumed to be at the core of most animated film’ thus the book has a large chapter title ‘ways to start laughing’ as the book has a lot to discuss about comedy in animation. This chapter goes through the construction of comedy techniques such as surprising the audience by building up tension and surprising the audience to give them a shock which in turn would make the audience laugh (what make the audience laugh), theories such as the characters in animation and how their personalities is the key to success of comedy in animation ahead of the actual ‘gags’ according to two Disney animators Thomas and Johnson. Also, how ‘accidents’ (referring to slapstick comedy and using Tom and Jerry which is one of the two texts we have to refer to within the essay)create humour. Parody, Black humour, satire and other forms of comedy are also touched on meaning my essay can also explore various types of comedy in animation.