WWTW Interview: Animation expert Ellen Besen

Animation is anything but kid’s play today.

Ellen Besen, author of “Animation Unleashed: 100 Principles Every Animator, Comic Book Writer, Filmmaker, Video Artist and Game Developer Should Know,” sees the genre as playing an increasingly larger role in the film industry.

WWTW reached out to Besen, a longtime animation instructor with 35-plus years in the business, for her thoughts on modern movie animation and how animators coax a reaction from younger viewers.

WWTW: What are your thoughts on this summer’s wave of animated films, from the “Ice Age” sequel to “Up” and “Monsters vs. Aliens?”

EB: I have to say that overall, I’m disappointed. The big studios have all created (and are sticking to) their rather narrow recipes for success and as a consequence, the films are suffering.

Pixar always has flashes of brilliance but doesn’t have the story chops to follow through. “Up,” though the strongest of the three, featured the magic of the house held aloft by that enormous bunch of balloons but lacked a solid theme to tether it to. It was busy, stretched credibility (having established Carl as a very old man, for example, the filmmakers then proceeded to put him through a physical rigmarole that would have been challenging for a Marine), had too many characters and relied too heavily on action sequences (a sure sign that your story is failing you).

I really wonder how well it engages its younger audience. Certainly my inner child was quite bored.

The “Ice Age” franchise hold the middle ground – it’s formulas are the most predictable – making it reliable family fare but nothing more. And “Monsters vs. Aliens” seems pretty generic as well.

WWTW: You’re critical of how animated films can be used to sell products to children. Is it ever appropriate to tie an animated feature with merchandise aimed at kids?

EB: A lot depends on the underlying intentions of the producers. A situation in which the film comes first and derives from a real passion and the tie-ins are done with quality and some degree of restraint and, very importantly, the approach to marketing actually considers the best interests of the children is quite different from one which is totally driven by the toy.

The tie-ins generated in the first circumstance not only may turn out to be decent toys but they may also become keepsakes of a favorite production.

I think there is a place for the overtly commercial, toy-driven production and the toys which come with it – sometimes both the toys and the shows are fun. In the bigger picture, it is really a matter of balance: a world which has room for both approaches is likely a pretty healthy one but the more the commercially driven model takes over the market, the greater the problems it generates. And yet, for the alert parent, even the worst cases create talking points for educating your children.

WWTW: What should parents look for when assessing if an animated film is appropriate for their children?

EB: First, the old assumption that if it is animated it’s automatically for children no longer holds true – as a programmer of short animated film compilations, I still get parents turning up with kids in tow despite much advertising clearly defining the content as adult. So make sure you carefully read the synopsis and reviews before you head out.

Second, know your own child, especially your preschoolers and kindergarten aged kids – a lot of animated family features have dramatic and/or scary moments – which may be fine for one 5-year-old and traumatic for the next.

Overall, I think creators of family features take their role seriously – you don’t often hear of hordes of outraged parents in regards to a particular feature – but you should watch out for adult themes creeping into family features – the best family films have several layers of storytelling which work equally well for the various age groups but studios sometimes lose their way and end up with movies which leave kids interests behind.

WWTW: What do you think of films like “Monsters vs. Aliens” which include veiled swipes at the military? is that a fair story element to introduce to young audiences, or are children not mentally ready to consider complex satire like that?

EB: Children can certainly deal with satiric handling of big issues. In fact, satire can be an excellent way to engage kids in some surprising discussions. I used to enjoy reading the Sunday comics to my daughter and found that in order for her to get the jokes we had to talk about all kinds of interesting things from Biblical references to current
affairs.

So a young kid’s interest in knowing why everyone is laughing can actually lay the foundation for thinking about culture, politics, art, etc. It is important for the filmmakers to not take the satire too far, of course and equally important for parents to follow up – where their kids are showing interest or confusion – with discussion which presents the issues in an age appropriate manner.

A lot here depends on the individual child’s level of sophistication. If, on discussion, you find that your child was laughing just because the man in the uniform fell into a bucket of mud, that may be as far as the conversation needs to go. But if the child is beginning to wonder what the uniform means and why that seemed to make the gag funnier for the adults, that may be the door opening for a more detailed discussion.

WWTW: Which modern animated films have you found to be the most impressive, artistically, and why?

EB: My two favorite modern animated features are “Toy Story” and “Spirited Away.” Both are build on strong, coherent themes which speak to children and adults. Both discovered unique, unexpected yet accurate vehicles for developing those themes resulting in films which are fresh and original.  Both create very clear, believable fantasy worlds and are very disciplined about how they work within those worlds.  And both are truly character driven- an attribute which gets bandied around a lot but without real commitment.

The beginning of “Spirited Away” looks almost like an imitation of live action but a close reading reveals an extreme level of control over every element on the screen, so beautifully chosen it all seems utterly naturally yet so perfectly controlled you can stop on virtually any frame and find evidence of absolutely precise visual storytelling. Then when the story shifts into fantasy, the imagery becomes magical yet emotionally real and very powerful.

WWTW: Computer technology is making it possible for animation to replicate reality in stunning detail. Is there a downsize to this tech revolution? And where do you see animation going in the next 5-10 years?

EB: CG’s growing ability to replicate real life has a good and not so good side. In our present interim phase, you often see settings so realistic that they might as well be live action. But these are frequently paired with rather cartoony characters (for example, in “Finding Nemo”) creating a disconnect between character and location. This combination works in the intentionally absurd context of Sponge Bob but undermines the necessary seamlessness of a fantasy based narrative. Meanwhile, truly realistic CG humans remain elusive. But the closer they get without actually nailing it, the creepier the overall effect becomes – welcome to Uncanny Valley!

As for the future, the hybridization of live action and animation into a new form is promising, at least in the hands of live action director who understands animation, like Jeunet (Amelie). In less talented hands, the results can feel discombulated or forced, as in Benjamin Button.

Fully animated CG with believably realistic human characters is also coming our way. Directors like Chris Landreth (Ryan) are showing the path on this one- using the realism as a base on which to build a new kind of fantasy. Such works will undoubtedly open new doors for storytelling. But there is also a strong likelihood of a more mundane application of this technology to create blockbuster actioners where the acting tends to be wooden anyway.

One way or the other, animation is poised to move up from junior partner status to major player in the film world.

(Photo: Animation expert Ellen Besen)

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