Schrek?

I started a production blog for my new DigiCel class, and one of our required entries is to make note of some animations that inspire us. I thought this was an interesting topic since I tend to look for inspiration elsewhere, like movies, music, what I see in real life, etc. I like taking something that isn't animated and turning it into something of my own that is. While I do look at animated films for inspiration, I don't do it as much as I should. I need to work on that.

Having said all that, I went to youtube and looked up some examples of animations that incorporate elements I find important, whether it be storytelling or visual. Here's what I came up with:


I can't talk about animations I look to for inspiration without mentioning anime. I grew up with it, and it's influenced me more than I can say. Anime can be limited in animation, but it focuses on aesthetic and design elements, which I find very important.





Dramatic storytelling isn't something I see often in mainstream American animation. To be marketable, films tend to be family friendly, simple in plot, and humorous. While the film itself wasn't a total success in this area, I still remember the chills I got watching this scene; it was dramatic, dark, mature, and different.



And for artsy film's sake, here is a part of this year's Oscar winner:



Again, this is film has a mature, heartfelt story with a strong visual style. It was successful without necessarily conforming to the Disney formula.