Pixar’s “Wall-E” instantly became a children’s classic after its release in 2008, with its quirky protagonist, a recycling robot of whom the movie title is given. The intricacies of this film- from the plot’s heavy-handedness on the effects of materialism, to the economic and environmental destruction of the earth- gives us an idea of how hopeless life becomes if we don’t pay attentive mind to our actions. 10 years later, we as students are tasked with pulling apart the movie, not for educational value in terms of historical context and effect, but instead as a hearty swing into the properties of animation. Here we will evaluate 6 of the 12 present principles outlined.
I found the staging of this film to be amazing at pointing out different moods and emotions, as well as dealing with how the audience may or may not react to these situations.
Such is shown in the opening scene, as we pan across a barren wasteland we are quick to discover is Earth. Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class) is the last of his robo-kind on Earth, and due to this, he’s developed a sensible loneliness. The beginning scenes portray the desolation left due to human carelessness, and yet when we enter Wall-E’s home, he’s portrayed as beyond optimistic, playing 1950’s era films, nearly a century in the past, seeing what Earth was like back then. Before he was needed. When he meets EVE, they fiddle with a lighter, and the flame from it represents the emerging relationship between them. The staging and composition of this movie is beyond professional, as it accurately and effortlessly portrays emotions simply through utilizing the psychological effects of color and spacing.
The property of Follow-through and Overlapping animation is imperative to creating organic motion, and this movie nails it with small and big details throughout its runtime. When Wall-E wakes up, it’s clear that he’s tired due to how his arms dangle on the ground, following his body as the main motion. When EVE locks up after scanning the plant, she is dragged by the string of lights Wall-E has, and EVE is following through as she’s hovering, being pulled along.
Exaggeration is extremely important to any film or animation, as, without it, it’s left bland and emotionless. This exaggeration is conveyed through the characters designs, with EVE being more simple yet expressionate, and Wall-E having big, puppylike eyes, making him seem more trustworthy. This ties into appeal as well, but that’s for another paragraph. The quick-draw emotion showed by EVE when whipping out her gun at the slightest sound also lets us know she isn’t keen to annoyance and acts on impulse. The exaggeration of the Axiom passengers’ obesity also shows how the underlying tones of materialism and simplicity of this movie play into its core message.
Solid drawing is crucial in the way it aids in making your animations look organic. The way things move in this film makes it easier for the viewer to believe and enjoy the content being presented. The plantlife sways when moved, the Captain moving around in interest, Wall-E’s head tilts and EVE’s worry and frantics, asymmetrical human postures, EVE’s gun, and the fire extinguisher in space are all good examples of solid drawing.
Events and dialogue are timed well enough here to give the viewer just enough sense of danger, sadness, reconciliation or empathy to relate to the scene at hand. Some examples include the first dust storm, when Wall-E enters his humble abode seconds before impact, leaving us with a climax of worry and anticipation, and when the passengers of the Axiom slowly realized their current situation and surroundings and planned accordingly with their actions. The captain’s rebellion against Auto and his line of “I wanna live!” convey strong will and passion, leading the viewers to side with the captain.
Arcs also help in avoiding rigidity while animating, and they’re employed constantly throughout the movie. Some examples include the Captain jumping on Auto during the short yet successful rebellion, EVE’s movements, and the cleaner’s freedom from the lines in order to clean the foreign contaminant.
All in all, The principles of animation are the building blocks to a concise finished product, and the strike of appeal they bring helps give it a nice shine and some character. Use these in harmony with color, shape and line, and you’ll have a masterpiece in no time.
If you’ve heard of Film Theory, here’s a video done by Matthew Patrick on the morality of the food quality on the Axiom.
Beautiful layout :)
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