Why Animation Is Way More Than Just Cartoons
AUSTRALIA’S LEADING DESIGN SCHOOL SINCE 1987
There’s nothing funnier than cartoons. Ask any eight-year-old with a bowl of cereal on a Saturday morning or a millennial on their 39th viewing of The Simpsons.
But the world of animation goes way beyond your standard kids’ fare. Some of the best adult shows are animated, and it plays a subtle role in everything from superhero movies to video games and even reality TV.
It’s actually pretty crazy just how much of our favourite entertainment benefits from a dash of animation, which makes it a great career option if you’re interested in storytelling. To find out more, we spoke to two amazing animators who got their start at Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University, which was awarded Top 10 Animation School by Animation Career Australasia 2019 and 2020, and is home to a suite of digital media design courses.
They told us why animation works so well for comedy, how it packs an emotional punch, and a few sneaky ways it’s used that most people don’t even think of.
Why Is Animation So Funny?
Besides the fact they can be cute and colourful and the main characters can literally be horses, there’s a simple reason so many of our favourite comedies are animated: facial expressions, sound effects, and character tropes can be wildly exaggerated when they’re animated, and that’s funny.
Sebastien Phillips, who graduated Billy Blue with a Bachelor of 3D Design & Animation and now runs his own video production company, says a great example of this is when Homer Simpson has a conversation with his brain, or we see exactly what he’s thinking play out in a thought bubble above his head.
Daniel Pierri, who’s currently studying a Bachelor of Game Design and Development at Billy Blue, adds that animation gives comedy the freedom to be anything.
Image: Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash
It’s Not Just For Comedy
Animation’s having a moment in the spotlight recently, with cartoons like Rick & Morty, Bojack Horseman, and Big Mouth telling complex, sometimes gut-wrenching stories that resonate with adults.
“Animation can open a route for serious stories to be told … in a fun and appealing way,” says Daniel.
In real life and live action, we can’t process serious situations with fun art styles, sound effects, exaggerated character tropes, or a banger soundtrack – but animation can make these themes more accessible.
Image: Cristofer Jeschke / Unsplash
It’s More Than Movies & Television
When Sebastien isn’t running his own company (or working with us to advocate for plastic free beaches), he’s working in the graphics department at Channel 9. Part of that involves creating animated infographics for the news, which he says can help communicate complex information.
“It’s good to say how many COVID cases a country has today and remark that it’s lower than last month,” he says, “but it’s better understood when you have an animated graph accurately showing the total cases per month with an average curve showing that.”
Even big budget movies and video games use animation to give their stories a little boost. Live action productions use animation “more than most would care to notice, especially … 3D animation with greenscreen VFX” says Sebastien, who explains that these subtle animations are all added to immerse the audience within the scene.
That’s the same with games, which he says are “animations in real time” that activate when the player interacts with the environment – all with the intention of making them feel like they’re a part of the story.
Image: Hello I’m Nik / Unsplash
Get Involved
Animation is the ultimate storyteller – whether it’s a straight-up cartoon, a heavy-hitting story that makes us question the world around us, or a sneaky little detail that our brains perceive as real.
If you want to kickstart a career in animation, Sebastien says the most important first step is to identify why you like it. “I was always so emotionally moved and inspired by just watching a movie and playing video games. I loved how I could almost be transported to a new world and be completely immersed.”
“Learn to love knowing more about it, become an enthusiastic expert in the field, and surround yourself with people who share the same vision. Have fun.”
—
Create your own animated world with a 12-month online Diploma of Digital Media Design at Billy Blue. Specialise in 3D Design & Animation, Film & Video Design, or Interaction & UX Design.
—
(Lead image: Balázs Kétyi / Unsplash)