The Times They Are A-Changin’

A century ago, in 1908, Emile Cohl created one of the earliest examples of moving pictures, Fantasmagorie. It required around 700 drawings, traced frame by frame on illuminated glass, a process now known as animating. The medium of animation has changed since 1908, becoming an established industry with key creators reigning supreme. Alongside the industry came different animation styles, such as stop-motion, digital 2D, hand-drawn, 3D, claymation, and more. After transitioning from silent to sound, we had people voice these characters who gained notoriety for their voice work. So much has evolved after 116 years since Fantasmagorie. You would think public perception of animation also followed years of change. However, it has devolved.

Today, corporations have focused tests on animation projects, with animated features seen as products for kids. Animation is also often neglected in big award shows, especially the Oscars, as it has been 14 years since an animated movie was nominated for Best Picture. That’s not even mentioning our current animation crisis with the Animation Guild trying to fight back against AI and secure better pay. There hasn’t been such a period of disrespect for the medium until now. Yet, what’s behind these preconceptions and misfortunes?

A Medium Perceived As Childish

The assumption that animated films and shows are for kids stems from the perspective of the Western world. The Golden Age of animation seemed mainly targeted to children, with many characters being cartoonish animals, such as Disney’s Mickey being a mouse and Warner Bros’ Bugs being a bunny. So, when Disney came around with groundbreaking films, they primarily adapted children’s fairy tales. The Western Golden Age established a reputation that animation is mainly for kids. 

The same connotation of animation being childish couldn’t be said for Japanese animation. Japan’s Golden Age in the 80s was more diverse with its catalog of titles. Akira defined the animation industry with its iconic imagery and adult themes. Dragon Ball quickly took over the country with fans of all ages, alongside Studio Ghibli’s ever-growing catalog of films capturing the hearts of kids and their parents. There’s something for anyone looking to get into animation. The medium is well respected. However, we share a commonality: we don’t appreciate the people.

Disrespect From All Fronts

Animating isn’t easy—it’s rather tiresome. The process is incredibly time-consuming and repetitive. Although animators may earn praise for their works in the public, they receive next to none from their corporate overlords. A recent example is the people within Pixar during the making of Inside Out 2. The sequel may have outperformed the first installment and become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, but many artists won’t be reaping the benefits. Pixar laid off 17% of its employees earlier in the year amidst a long series of financial failures. Those unfortunate enough to escape the wrath of unemployment faced nightmarish amounts of crunch to produce something that could save them from their losing streak.

Award season is no different for animation, especially regarding the Academy Awards. The Oscars committee may have sent out honorary awards to movies that broke ground on what animation can be. Despite that, it took until the 74th Academy Awards show in 2002 to give animation its own category. Since creating Best Animated Feature, Disney/Pixar has dominated the awards with 15 total wins, several of which only won because the voters only watched films their kids saw with them. On the other hand, after 2022, the award show has chosen two films outside of Disney for awards, yet who’s to say it’ll remain that way?

Animation Isn’t A Genre

The notion that animation is a mere genre undermines all who work on or appreciate the films in this medium. Referring to animation as a genre solidifies it as nothing more than kid’s entertainment, as the Western world has always perceived. Animation isn’t a genre; it’s an art form, a medium. It is an art form that can tell numerous stories and showcase environments incapable of being achieved in live action. An animated film can be a crime thriller, a historical retelling, or a gory slasher. Animation can do all and be all.

The future may look ever-dire, with Disney recently announcing an AI business unit that could set an example for other studios to follow suit, but it isn’t over. The fight for respect for animation and its people rages on, with the Animation Workers Ignited group continuing to platform and organize voices together. Although the fear of the future remains, our hope remains. The time ahead is uncertain, but we’re the ones that bridge that road together.

Read More From The Able Show Contributors.

Works Cited

Amidi, Amid. “Proof That Oscar Voters Are Clueless About Animation.” Cartoon Brew, 22 February 2015, https://www.cartoonbrew.com/award-season-focus/proof-that-oscar-voters-are-clueless-about-animation-109456.html. Accessed 12 November 2024.

Chmielewski, Dawn, and Katie Paul. “Exclusive: Walt Disney forms business unit to coordinate use of AI, augmented reality.” Reuters, 1 November 2024, https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/walt-disney-forms-business-unit-coordinate-use-ai-augmented-reality-2024-11-01/. Accessed 15 November 2024.

Ciric, Rastko. “Emile Cohl – Fantasmagorie 1908.” YouTube, 3 November 2006, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEAObel8yIE. Accessed 4 November 2024.

Stedman, Alex. “Inside Out 2 Was the Hit Pixar Needed, but the Laid-Off Employees Who Crunched on It Are Still Hurting.” IGN, 16 September 2024, https://www.ign.com/articles/inside-out-2-was-the-hit-pixar-needed-but-the-laid-off-employees-who-crunched-on-it-are-still-hurting. Accessed 12 November 2024.

Takahata, Isao, and Hayao Miyazaki. “Japanese Animation – Film and Media Studies.” LibGuides, 23 October 2024, https://eac.libguides.com/c.php?g=723550&p=5215189. Accessed 8 November 2024.

“Why is Animation Considered Childish?” Business of Animation, https://businessofanimation.com/why-is-animation-considered-childish/. Accessed 8 November 2024.