Visual experiences to infinity and beyond
Animation is being used extensively by both Bollywood and Hollywood, animated movies are the highest grossing movies today.
Climax scene: “Andy is going to college. Woody, Buzz and other friends are sad. Their relation’s depth extends to infinity and beyond. They can’t forget it, because Andy is their life. But they got a new little friend. Andy introduced them to her and went. They decided to live with her and for her. Another spring begins.”
A very touching scene, isn’t it? My eyes were filled with an unknown emotion. I’m not lying, it is true. But you will be surprised to know the fact that this is the climax scene of an animation movie. Yes I am talking about the top grossing Hollywood movie in 2010: Toy Story 3. It is the third sequel of the Toy Story series produced by Pixar. Each of the three parts is equally fantastic and gained worldwide fame. Through Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) these movies create history.
Toy Story was the first movie made using CGI. The film was selected for the National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” in 2005.
The major difference of CGI Animation compared to traditional animation is that drawing is replaced by 3D modeling and experts are doing wonders with it.
The first animated feature film was El Apóstol, made in 1917 by Quirino Cristiani from Argentina. The first movie which used animation was Academy Award winning Flowers and Trees (1932) made by Disney Studios.
The perfection of these works is not only based on the technical advancement, but the level of creativity and work invested in it. In the Toy Story series, the voices of the leading characters are given by the most talented actors in Hollywood. We hear Woody (Toy Story) through Tom Hanks’ catchy voice and Shrek’s (Shrek) words through Mike Myers.
Animation has a fertile soil available in India as well. Bal Hanuman and Bal Ganesh series have created a new wave in this field. Roadside Romeo was the first 3D animation movie made in India which was produced jointly by Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures. Reports say that it performed well in the market. The sector is poised to grow at a healthy pace. As per a recent National Association of Software & Services (NASSCOM) report, the animation industry in India grossed around US$460 million in 2008 and is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 27 percent to reach US$1.16 billion by 2012. Animation movies in India are made on less than one-tenth of the budget of a similar Hollywood flick. The mainstream film industry is also increasingly using animation and special effects. Films like Drona, Taare Zameen Par, Jodha Akbar , Toonpur Ka Super hero, Robot, Magadheera, etc are some fine examples. Budget and the lack of skills, especially in high-end animation are the major constraints before the industry. In spite of these obstacles animation is emerging as a flourishing media in regional languages too for instance Swapna Malika a Malayalam movie.
2010 witnessed the triumph of animation films. Films like Toy Story 3, Shrek Forever After, How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me etc, are part of the top grossing list. Lots of new inventions and novel experiments are happening in the field of animation films. With the help of incomparable creativity and uncompromising technology they are drawing a new era of imaginative characters and stories. But the real wonder is that these people are superb in portraying emotions without living characters. In Toy Story 3 we have a romantic song and a dance sequence by Buzz Lightyear. These minute factors make these creations incredible. Apt use of songs and back ground music, beautiful visuals, everything has its role in making these creations commendable.
These movies are doing magic on silver screen in a period in which even the usual feature films fail to evoke emotions. Animation movies are not meant only for kids now; it is the new face of visual media and a new phase in the history of cinema. Now it seems like there is no need of glamorous actors and power packed fight sequences. We have technology and creativity which gives us a unique visual experience all together.
Vivek
1st yr. M.A Mass Comm
