COP - Questions 1 and 2 - 10/10/19

Question 1 - CG, VR, AR, MR, AM...How has new technology been influencing our expectations of style in 21st century animation?

Question 2 - Manipulation, aesthetic choice, lack of identity...How is the concept of nostalgia utilised by creators of animated content?

While I found both lectures interesting, question 1 was definitely my favourite and had me thinking about the multitude of topics I could explore as I'm really interested in the technology behind animation. Question 2 was definitely more discussable, however there wasn't anything about it that intrigued me further than the general understanding behind why nostalgia is used so much as a manipulation device in animation.

Within question 1, the following topics interested me the most:

• The use of CG in television. Can handdrawn/ traditional animation compete with 2D CG in western television? I also found out that while western TV is predominantly CG, japanese/french is hand drawn. Why is this the case, what makes CG so popular in the west OR why is handdrawn still the most popular in Japan/France? Has the use of handdrawn animation in Japan contributed to its popularity in the west?
• Can stop-motion compete against 3D CG animation? With the advancements in technology meaning that 3D animation can recreate the stop motion style without the costs involved (lego movies, south park etc.), will stop-motion animation phase out?
• The big boom in 3D animation created the desire to go back to 2D styles (Paperman), so will this translate into TV, with 2D CG shows becoming predominantly hand drawn again?
• Can AR animations be utilised on a commercial scale (watching films in the real world, advertisements, google glass etc.)?
• 360 degrees animation. Can it become mainstream? What are the benefits of it? I was really interested in this particular topic due to how it changes the experience on both the audiences' and director's side of things. Also how the technology open doors for multiple plotlines in a narrative as well as interactive animations.