Coraline was one of the most incredible and quite frightening stop motion animation films ever (in my opinion.) The detail and time that went into creating it was exquisite and is one of the many reasons people don’t believe its a stop motion animation; simply because its so impressive and looks so realistic. I always knew i wasn’t going to be creating anything like Coraline for my final piece as it didn’t suit the theme or idea I had for my project. The over the top elements used didn’t fit my depression theme at all. Yet I did want to gather knowledge on different directors, producers and animators to compare diverse styles of stop motion animations for help and to gain ideas. The film is supposed to be seen by young children and teenagers, yet I think this film could also appeal to young adults too.The narrative is dark and unique, as wells the technique in which its made, which makes it appeal to a wider audience. This film is trying to communicate several messages such as ‘be careful what you wish for’, as well as ‘not everyone is who they seem.’ These were important messages in the film and were constantly stressed throughout. I also wanted to apply similar tactics for my own animation. I wanted to include hidden messages within my narrative. I do not want to sugar coat my subject (Depression), i want to show that its an incredibly difficult illness to suffer with and that trying to better yourself and recover is extremely hard but possible. i also want to show the side effects of it, not as obviously, but still made clear. Such as the strain it has on family relationships, friendships, appearance etc. Coraline communicates their messages through specific dialogue as well as body movement, gestures and facial expressions (as they were done quite secretly.) I took this as advice for how to include my own messages in my animation. Coraline is such a successful animated film as it uses stop motion, which is a side of animation that appeals to wide range of audiences as everyone appreciates the detail and time that goes into it. Its also successful due to the diverse and unusual dark narrative which also makes a cartoon film appeal to an older audience. Its interesting that the animation may appeal to younger people but the narrative will draw in older audiences, its very cleverly created. I am using this tactic with my own animation. I am using a serious subject which will attract older audience but the stop motion format will attract younger audiences. This way my important messages will get across to a range of people.
Link : https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/coraline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coraline_(film)
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