Date:         Fri, 24 Jan 1992 01:36:00 CST
Reply-To:     Hayao Miyazaki Discussion Group <NAUSICAA@BROWNVM.BITNET>
Sender:       Hayao Miyazaki Discussion Group <NAUSICAA@BROWNVM.BITNET>
From:         "Bryan C. Wilkinson" <mbaron@CHINET.CHI.IL.US>
Subject:      Miscellany...
 
Hoo boy, much to catch up on.
 
Colleen Doran?  Yep, she had a display in the Animecon art room last year.
 
Anyone ever notice that the endorsement given to Nausicaa (movie) by the famous
World Wildlife Fund was revoked from "Wannabes of the Wind"?  :)  Hmmm...
 
Enrique, your comments (as well as Waichi's) on "pseudo-reality" in animation
are interesting.  For one, I myself believe someday animation will be remembered
as an early anscestor of "virtual reality", more so than film.  The whole POINT
of animation is to create an audio/visual experience out of "nothing."  Some
animators do this abstractly, trying to create something wholly original and
with no connection to our own reality.  This work is often quite good, but I
feel that this is pure "art", and not "film."  Animators usually instead try
to give us their unique perspective on their perception of reality (or parts
thereof) by portraying symbolic representations of things we can identify.
The portryal of these life-mimicking things and characters varies from
caricature to delineation, from anthropomorphic to realistic.  Since the
creation IS made from scratch, the possibilities are endless.  Anime, in general
as seen by american fans, is mostly a form of caricature that abandons western
tradition that the mouth is the key to expression, and instead focuses on
the eyes (fortunate, since "presco" pre-recorded sound sync is almost non exist-
ant in anime). Anime, like disney animation, has decided to present itself
in a form parallel to traditional film/television narrative (withe the exception
of works like rintaro's "Take the X Train"), and is most successful when the
considerations are made that parallel their live-action counterparts. I have
seen editing in Disney films that would make any live-action director wince,
and the same in anime--for example, the godawful jump-cutting of ZZ Gundam (not
trying to pick on just one show though). Anime that WORKS, as Enrique says, is
that which creates empathy--the same thing that makes good film/tv work
 (considerably
less in the latter).  Most of these also obey the correct procedures of good
filmmaking. But I'm straying---"reality" in an animated film is made deeper
depending on how much effort the director decides to concentrate on the
building of his/her setting, characters, and props, and doesn't have to do with
how effective the film itself is beyond intensifying the experience --it's
like taking a story and deciding how far to hold the magnifying glass the audi-
ence shall look thru to see that world. I would argue that AKIRA was a case of
"High Mag." but little empathy, which is why I no longer care as MUCH (not
saying I dislike it) about that film.  Honneamise, on the other hand, is a
"Highest-Mag" experience AND an empathic film at the same time.  I have
never seen world building more complete than in this film (listening, Carl
Horn?), and few animated stories more meaningful.  The technical manual is a
must for anyone who wants to see how thorough world-building can get.  On
the other hand, maybe Windaria is a good example of a "Medium Mag." setting
yet with higher empathic vibes.  I would categorize Miyazaki in the
 H-mag. category, even if his characters ARE more caricature than
 representational.
 
For that matter, it seems that the best anime has neo-realist/french new wave
as well as Japanese cinematic overtones, plus the occasional expressionist/
impressionist (the slash "/" in these cases indicates a contrast comparison)
work too.  I do not know too many non-japan animated works that attempt to
directly "compete" as films rather than "cartoon movies"  ala disney, let alone
hold that place as competent works (even AKIRA deserves this credit :). Hence
what I've coined as "Progressive Animation"--even Roger Rabbit was more a
"Cartoon Movie" then good cinema.  It's interesting to note that while Disney
was Animation's "big pioneer", it was the Fleischers that through their reckless
and often awkward experimentation yielded some of the more "realist" techniques
like the 3-d Set concept (meant to replace Disney's multi-plane system) used
most effectively in the 20-minute "Popeye and the Forty Theives", and the
intensely exexecuted Superman Cartoons, so no wonder Miyazaki has paid them
 suchtribute!
 
Anyway, I say it's no coincidence that anime's most "cinematic" director is now
the most popular director in Japan.
 
To end on a humorous speculation, I suspect the biggest new wave of anime being
digested in America will be in future interactive japanese video games, of
which we see the tip of the iceberg in popular games like Street Fighter and in
the cd rom game technology (first good example being "Ys"). But this is still
far off.  Also a possible boom with the Tim Burton Mai movie.
 
Ja, ne...
Brought to you by Bryan C. Wilkinson
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PS--
Oh, PUMA?  Now you mention it, your name sounds familiar for some reason.
What work have you done, art-wise?  Inquiring animators (well, student ones)
want to know...  What would I know you from?
 
And Steve--You like Stinz?  Yeah, Donna Barr's stuff is real fun.