Saturday 3 March 2018

Essay Anylazing

Essay Body Analysis no. 1
Paragraph Three, Four, Five and Six
Analyzing Harry M. Benshoff's, Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, Is Disney High or Low? From Silly Cartoons to Postmodern Politics
http://www.animationjournal.com/abstrats/essays/Benshoff/html 

Paragraph Three
Define
Aesthetic: The look of something's outer appearance including the different details and styles.

Realist impulse: The desire to create a real looking image.

Modernist: The person who likes to be modern.

Live-action: Real living people/animals acting out/posing for reference for artist to recreate in their work.

Popular culture: The most popular actions/beliefs done by the public/country.

Abstract: Taking reality and changing it into a different, unique prospective/view/idea. It doesn't have to make scene.

Pictorial realism: Art that looks real and shows real things/objects.

Questions
1) Describe in your own words what the key to Disney's success in according to Benshoff.
They were really good at appealing to the large masses of views from all over the world.

2) What according to Benshoff has become the popular measure of the quality of all commercial animation and why?
the "Disney style" This was because Disney was the monopoly of all animation and because of Disney's study with realistic movements with people and animals. The stranded's were high.

3) On what is the Disney style dependent according to Benshoff?
The very good representation of the realistic movement seen in their animations. This was from live people and animals to reference from.

4) What influences emerged in the 1940s and 50s and how does this fit into Benshoff's "high/low art" argument?
Modernism and abstractness. Disney was trying to be "high art".

5) What examples does Benshoff use to support his argument that a less realist, more abstract style of animation was being created? Explain how these examples are aesthetically "less realist" and more "abstract".
The example was McMoing-Boing and Mr Mcgoo. This style is less on realistic proportions and more on a exaggerated/unexaggerated features. This was when the head measure was coming into play like the three head measure. 

6) Describe how Fantasia, 1940 demonstrates Disney's "flirtation" with the idea of bringing "high art" into animation.
In Fantasia, Disney used a very high classical music-score and also a very famous conductor called Leopold. Disney tried to use abstractness to capture the audience.


Paragraph Four
Define
High-low dichotomy: Dichotomy means two different ideas. This means that this the two different ideas of both either high art or low art.

Musical score: It is the piece or paper that has all the different types of instruments on it.

Folksy ease: This is the music that the folk listen to. It is usually easy to listen to with a calm chill vibe to it.

High brow: This is the music that the high class men listen to. It is usually fancy and intense music.

Questions
1) Describe in what way the high-low dichotomy is evident in the classical musical score in Fantasia.
Classical music was very "high" music, along with Leopold to make it "high art". The folk music was condurered the "low" music, along with Deems Taylor making it even more like "low art".

2) According to Benshoff, what was the thinking behind the combination of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Deems Taylor?
The Philadelphia Orchestra's were the "high art" in the animation and Deems Taylor was to narrate the music so people had an idea on what was going on. Making Fantasia easier to understand. 

3) In what way does the experience of Oskar Fischinger illustrate the project's inherent problem?
He believed that "high art" music was not good in Disney studio's. And that Disney was going to be always "low art".

4) Why do you think Fischinger "disowned" the possibility of combining "high art" with Disney cartoon?
Fischinger didn't want his name to be associated with a "low art" failure project. He wanted to remain high art with nothing that could bring him down.

5) Explain what you think Fischinger means when he says "no true work of art can be made with that procedure used in Disney Studio".
I think that he didn't think that Disney's style and ways of production could meet the "high art" slandered's of an original piece of artworks and one true create.


Paragraph Five
Define
Burlesqued: A dark, forlorn, despicable voice exaggerated to be very dark.

Musical idioms: Musical idioms refer to the writings, parts and performing things.

Good Neighbor Policy: It was a foreign policy that mean that the other country was to not be interfered with but was to be included in different activities.

Appropriated: This is past tense for appropriate.

Questions
1) Why do you think Fantasia was a financial failure and why do you think this caused Disney to shy away from "high art" artists?
Fantasia didn't appeal to the mass public because there was no story, boring, and it was hard to understand. Disney's shy away from "high art"artists because if the hardship that came from working Fischinger. They didn't want a repeat to damage their name again.

2) In what way does Benshoff reinforce his statement that there was still artistic experimentation happening in Disney studios in the 1940s?
His examples were the short films between Bambi and Cinderella. One being the bumble boggie.

3) In what way can the examples discussed be characterized as abstract?
The visual abstractness. With the bumble boggie, it was with the blast of colour as the horns blasted a loud sound. This was seen as abstractness.

4) Why do you think voice over narration was employed to "temper" the use of classical music (as in "Peter & the Wolf")?
It was to tune down the intense music. It made it friendlier and calmer. Easier to watch and understand.

5) Why do you think contemporary vocalists were used "in lieu" of Beethoven and Bach in the "Ballade Ballet"?
The same idea as question four, to tune down the intense music and make it easier to watch and understand.

6) Describe in your own words why you think South American musical idioms were appropriated--What did this have to do with the Good Neighbor Policy?
To not be rude. It was include to Good Neighbor Policy and appeal to the other viewer down below. The Good Neighbor Policy was to include the different cultures and countries.



Paragraph Six
Define
Theoretical: The theory behind different ideas/practices.

Reified: This means it is more real, repeatable.

Conformist: Going with what everyone else wants. Going with the flow.

Questions
1) Benshoff says Disney films incorporated a modernist tendency in response the American popular culture as a whole-- explain what you think he means by this. What was this modernist tendency and in what way/s was it demonstrated in American popular culture as a whole?
He is thinking that Disney could be conformist. That Disney changed to appeal more to the masses. Is is shown through Disney experimenting with the new abstract style and the music for the folks. Also with their realizum in the animations appealing to the masses.

2) Benshoff states that Disney's films can be considered as more than a reflection of popular aesthetics-- what are the questions he suggests would be worthy of further analysis?
Are Disney ultimately reified and conformist for the public? Or has the masses changed and excepted the Disney style as time goes by?

3) Who is Theodor Adorno and why is his name used in the context of Benshoff's argument?
Theodor Adorno wrote stuff about sociology, psychology, and musicology. 

4) Do you think that Disney's productions are "ultimately conformist" because of their status as a mass produced artifact? What do you see as the relationship between mass production and conformity?
I don't view Disney as conformist. But, if they did conform, Disney would appeal more to the masses easier.

5) In paragraphs three to six titled The High and Low of It identify and explain how the author has: presented a logical development of ideas and included quotation or other sources to support/illustrate him argument.
He has shown many different ideas and point of views to contrast new and also different examples. Benshoff has shown the progress of Disney going though high and low art stages. Disney learnt that "high art" was a bust but "low art" was a go.

No comments:

Post a Comment