First Published in 1998. Understanding Animation is a comprehensive introduction to animated film, from cartoons to computer animation. Paul Wells' insightful account of a critically neglected but increasingly popular medium:
* explains the defining characteristics of animation as a cinematic form
* outlines different models and methods which can be used to interpret and evaluate animated films
* traces the development of animated film around the world, from
Betty Boop
to
Wallace and Gromit
.
Part history, part theory, and part celebration,
Understanding Animation
includes:
* notes towards a theory of animation
* an explanation of animation's narrative strategies
* an analyis of how comic events are constructed
* a discussion of representation, focusing on gender and race
* primary research on animation and audiences.
Paul Wells' argument is illustrated with case studies, including Daffy Duck in Chuck Jones'
Duck Amuck
, Jan Svankmajer's
Jabberwocky
, Tex Avery's
Little Rural Riding Hood
and
King Size Canary
', and Nick Park's
Creature Comforts
. Understanding Animation demonstrates that the animated film has much to tell us about ourselves, the cultures we live in, and our view of art and society.