Nostalgic Animation: Analogue Sensitivities in Pixar’s Digital Animation

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the recent emergence of 2D animation techniques within the computer generated works of Pixar Animation Studios, in order to engage with recent developments of digital animation and the emergence of the predilection for an “organic look”. I will argue that the preference for a hand-drawn aesthetic highlights a “nostalgic trend” for the analogue, which characterises contemporary media.

Pixar Animation Studios has been at the forefront of cutting edge technology in computer animation for over 30 years. The phenomenal success of Toy Story (Lasseter, 1995), the world’s first computer animated feature film, saw the ‘widespread popularization of 3D computer animation technologies in both animated and live action cinema’ (Montgomery, 2011, 7). While Montgomery argues that the technology pioneered by Pixar has ‘displaced hand-drawn traditions in mainstream American animation’ (2011, 8), we are now witnessing Pixar’s experimentation with textures that are ‘imperfect and manmade’ (Casarosa, 2011).

Pixar’s cutting edge approach emerges in particular from its long-standing tradition of short films, which form the basis for the studio’s research and development. More recently however, short films such as Day & Night (Newton, 2010) and La Luna (Casarosa, 2011) and Disney’s Paperman (Kahrs, 2012) and Get a Horse! (MacMullan, 2013) demonstrate a shift away from its sleek contemporary style. My paper will analyse these short films to understand how the amalgamation of Disney and Pixar, and the blending of advanced CG technology with “traditional” 2D methods suggests a new “nostalgic aesthetic” in mainstream animation.


References
Audio Commentary: The Director. La Luna. Narr. Enrico Casarosa. Dir. Enrico Casarosa. 2011. Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2 DVD. Disney/Pixar. 2012.

Montgomery, Colleen. ‘Woody’s Roundup and Wall-E’s Wunderkammer: Technophilia and Nostalgia in Pixar Animation’. Animation Studies. 6. 7-13. 2011.

Pixar | RenderMan website: http://renderman.pixar.com/view/renderman
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2014
EventApproaching Animation: Critical Enquiries into the Art, Artists and Industry - University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
Duration: 09 Apr 2014 → …

Conference

ConferenceApproaching Animation: Critical Enquiries into the Art, Artists and Industry
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CitySt Andrews
Period09/04/2014 → …

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