What " Looney Tunes " can teach us about film making .
When I was a kid the only channel which was there on the T.V for kids was Cartoon Network. I am thankful for what Cartoon Network has given me, I really created a firm foundation for my creativity. Looney Tunes was one of my favorites. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Pepe Le Pew all of them made me and millions of kids laugh. But, we all grow up and thing fade away.
Only, after a decade later when I was surfing the internet I came across a video called " One Froggy Evening ". I remembered watching it when I was a kid. Its probably one of the funniest things you'll watch in your life. Then I started to watched a few more Looney Tunes, a few more and a few more. I laughed like I laughed ten years ago, there was something in these animations which made them ever green.
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A lot of these animations were directed by Chuck .M Jones. You might remember, his name usually pops up at almost all the Looney Tunes animations. Soon, I realized that this man is like one of the founding fathers of modern animation. Walt Disney started it, but Jones made it with his own style. He created Road runner, Wile. E. Coyote, The three bears and my favorite Michigan J. frog
In this post I'll tell you some of the important things I learnt from some of the animations. I'll also put the videos with the some of the posts so you can easily understand what I am telling. Sadly, most of the animations couldn't be found easily and the videos I found on YouTube are of low quality. Let's begin
The flaws are the most beautiful things in a character:
All the characters in Looney tunes have flaws. Bugs bunny is hyperactive, Daffy duck is the greedy, Elmer Fudd has anger issues and Michigan J. frog cannot sing in front of the agents. In many of films I watch, the writer or the director most of the times neglect the flaws of the characters. Like, for example Christian Grey in 50 shades of Grey doesn't have flaws. He is rich, handsome, has deep voice, masculine, but where are the flaws? That's why I did't like the movie that much. I know many of the people have like the film, but this is my personal opinion.
Looney tunes thought me that, whenever we are creating a good character we shouldn't ignore their flaws. One of the best example is John McClane from Die Hard. We all know he is the hero, he shoots the bad guys and looks sexy even if though he is bald. But, his marriage is a total disaster. His wife hates him and he can't do anything about it. I personally think its the most beautiful part of John McClanes character.
The use of the backgrounds to heighten the scene:
The Aristo-Cat is a 1943 animation short created by Chuck M. Jones and his team. Its about a cat who hasn't seen the outside world. You can watch it below. But, before you watch I want you to pay attention to the backgrounds and walls. Because, it plays a major role here.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2yxsa0
(sorry, not able to embed)
If you have watched the video you may have noticed that almost all the frames uses its background. Especially at 2:20 when the cat is going crazy you can see the background adding to the effect. The mice always stand in front of zig-zag patters which shows their state of mind. The scene where the cat chases the mice also use the background to increase the tension.
Many film makers forget about the backgrounds, but from this we can learn how backgrounds can be used. Though live actions films are not as flexible as animations. But, we can get the same effect with a little bit of creativity. Look at these shot from Coen brother's no country for old man. They tell us all about the character by placing them at a certain background.
So, next time you watch a movie or an animation. Look at the background.
The most important thing is the story:
Every year we come see big budget movies getting tanked in the box office. They have the best actors, a ton of money and the best crew. But, they underestimate the importance of the story. You don't need a set, you don't need a explosions, the only thing you need is your imagination.
One of my favorite animations from Chuck M. Jones is "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics". Here with minimal use of animation a nice story is told. One of the things Jones was known for was minimalism, he avoided doing things that were commercially viable. He broke the stereotype and created pieces of immortal art.\
Here's "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics"
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We'll that's the end of this post. I thought I would put a "That's all folks" photo at the end, but that's too obvious.
There is a video by Every frame a painting about Chuck Jones that you can watch. It has very good information also. Thank you for reading. Cheers.
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STOPAmazing post, really insipiring, followed and upvoted!
Thank buddy @film-trial , loved your post about dunkirk. I followed you too. May be we can collaborate some day :)
Yeah, thank you!, sure,we can collabote soon!
Looney Tunes are a fave with me, especially the singing frog! When you consider this animation studio began in a converted gardening shed way back in the day, it's amazing to consider their accomplishments.