Analyzing Chinese Animated Films from Narrative Strategies

Talking about analyzing Chinese animated films from narrative strategy

[Keywords] Animated film, Narrative mode, Character, Chinese style

［Abstract］ Animated film combines the comprehensive characteristics of fine arts and film, attracting the majority of enthusiasts and producers with its unique form of artistic expression and aesthetic characteristics. Animation has a unique way of cultural dissemination and art form, and narrative is the core of animation movie, which is also the place that Chinese animation movie needs to learn from. This article from the animation movie selection, theme approach, role to talk about, and finally discuss how the Chinese animation movie development, put forward the problem and look forward to the Chinese animation should be how to develop.

The development of animated films has gone through a budding period, development, maturity, and today's prosperity, the form of animation has played an important role in society. Comparing the development of animation in the world, there are still some gaps in Chinese animation. In Europe, America, Japan and Korea, animation has become a mainstream culture. But the key to how a movie like the animated film "The Ring of Magic Bees" can resist "Monster Shrek" depends on its narrative strategy. Animated films should have a rational analysis, grasp the basic elements of commercial animated films, in order to give full play to the advantages of the art of animation.

First, from the selection of materials to see the narrative strategy of animated films

Animated films as a form of film art, in the selection of materials should follow the general principles of film art, but animated films due to its medium, production methods, production materials, production means and methods of the uniqueness of the film art is different from the selection of other film art. In the selection of materials we must first determine who the object of the product is, what is the meaning to be expressed. For example, both young and old, elegant and popular **** appreciation of the animation theme is the most popular, the market efficiency is also the best, because it is a wide audience, the market revenue will be more accordingly. Regarding the selection of materials for animation, there are also those focusing on childization. Some people believe that animation is for children to watch and is not suitable for showing deep subjects. Some people think that animation can show all kinds of themes, and that the era of the so-called animation for universal entertainment has come. In fact, animation is a branch of movie, and the expression of the theme must be in line with the characteristics of animation itself. The most obvious feature that distinguishes animated movies from live action movies is that animation is highly virtual. This feature determines that animation cannot be as close to the real as live action movies. In some excellent animation movie works, seldom depict the daily life truthfully, on the contrary, it tries its best to pull away from the distance of reality. Animation can tell unbelievable stories in a wild way, and no one will be faulty about why the mouse in the animated movie can defeat the cat. Secondly, the subject matter of animated movies is relatively simple. In animation, the stylized clues are simple, the conflicts are simple, and the characters' relationship is simple. For example, among the four great masterpieces of China, Journey to the West is relatively easy to be adapted into an excellent animation, while Dream of the Red Chamber is very unsuitable for animation adaptation. In "Dream of Red Mansions", the relationship between the characters alone is already very complex, plus the scenes and so on are even more complicated.

The subject matter of animation can be more adultized. Animation has long been more than just a child's monopoly, and animated films with an adult target audience now abound. This is also detrimental to the development of the animation industry in terms of the commercial value of purely considering children's audiences. Often, animated films made only for children can only be shown in cinemas in the afternoon and evening, and the state often introduces welfare policies to limit the ticket price of children's films, which also greatly reduces box office revenue. On the contrary, if the audience of animated movies is extended to the adult category, then they can be shown in the evening time and therefore have the possibility to obtain higher box office revenue. ① This is very favorable both in terms of commercial value and development value, for example, the animated film "Blue Mouse and Big Face Cat", its subsequent commercial value is still relatively high.

Second, the narrative strategy of animated films from the theme

Animated film is an art form used to express its unique theme. In the animated film is not that all must have a strict sense of narrative theme. Many artistic animated short films do not need a profound narrative theme, and their animation can be used as a purely visual image of a way of expression. A personalized artistic animated short film may only need a great idea or a fantastic visual presentation to create a great effect, and the audience will enjoy it and get a purely visual sensory experience. But this is not the case as an animated movie, which is usually a storyline to convey the state of mind that the public **** has. In the study of animated movies, we should not purely pursue the visual feast and neglect the exploration of the essence of art and the cultivation of artistic cultivation. If this type of work back to its original form, but is a kaleidoscope of children's toys. Therefore, the theme of the animated movie selection is particularly important.

The theme of the animated movie must be prominent, if an animated film has a variety of themes without primary and secondary changes. Then eventually this animated movie will lose its theme. For example, the Japanese animation "Goodbye, Firefly" is a movie that shows the tragedy of war from the perspective of a bystander. In addition to showing the tragic situation after the air raid in the opening scene, the movie does not describe the tragic situation of the war too much, but through the description of the two siblings' simple and sincere emotions, the cruelty of the war is y engraved into the audience's heart, so that the whole movie is always filled with the atmosphere of tragedy. This is the importance of the choice of theme, a good theme can be fascinating, so that the whole animation has a sense of meaning.

In the choice of theme for the animation, it should flow naturally through the picture and the plot, and the creator's point of view should be as twisted as possible. But it is not that the more twisted the better, can not let the audience confused, don't know what to do on the good. In addition, the theme of the animated film should have a high philosophical and literary thought, and should make many attempts in animation language and animation form, so that there can be a better theme to attract the audience. After choosing a good theme of the narrative, the development of the story plot more to the whole story of the beginning, development, climax and the end of the successive chronological order, around the main storyline, simple and clear, at a glance. Such a narrative structure can be watched, not only in line with people's viewing needs, but also for children this abstract thinking ability of the age of poor, this step-by-step approach is more suitable for children.

Third, from the role of the narrative strategy of animated films

When it comes to the role, we will think of ? Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck? As a commercial animated feature film, when the theme of the story and plot development is set down, the role of the setting is undoubtedly the most important. Animation is an art form that creates life and gives life to characters. Characters are the visual core of animation, and many classic animated films, after many years, the story may be forgotten by the audience, but the audience tends to remember the characters. Characters? , what can be enjoyed by everyone must also be those enduring character modeling. So in every sense, the success of an animated movie is also, to a large extent, the success of characterization. Because in animation, the characterization is not a realistic reproduction of real life, but a process of virtual exaggerated characterization. Character modeling design is not a purely visual issue, is the process of abstract re-creation, is the visualization of the literary language, a good role can give the audience reverie, can fully arouse the interest of the audience.

Animated films are an art form that allows and encourages individual creativity, in which characterization can be set up in a way that doesn't follow the constraints of real life, and can be surrealistic in its ability to override reality. In animation, animals can speak, have minds of their own, and even inanimate objects such as tables, chairs, and benches can walk and jump and so on. The images of characters in animation, no matter what type, are anthropomorphized people or things, reflecting human values and aesthetic interests. For example, the animated movie "Beauty and the Beast" in the `? Mr. Candlestick, Mr. Pendant, Mrs. Teapot, and so on. etc. But the animated characters'? hypothetical? also has its own limits, can not be unrestrained in the sky. No matter how bizarre the role of the cartoon, how absurd, it must have a reasonable internal logic, so that the audience believe and can accept. If one only emphasizes the character? bizarreness? , to the point of losing the real logical basis then, such an animated character must be unpopular with the audience, a failure. Animated characters in character should be simple and clear, distinctive and prominent artistic image, the main role of the character positioning is gradual. This is not to make the character simple and flat, but to make the character image more distinct and prominent. In the commercial animation feature film, the role is not just a simple image of animation, and in the later development of the main product also has a great role in the economic benefits.