• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.51
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• pp.129-158
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• 2018

China has had many excellent Chinese-style animation since the 1950s. These animations are of distinctive Chinese national characteristics. They have won many awards both at home and abroad, such as "Feelings of Mountains and Waters", "Uproar In Heaven", "Why is the Crow Black-Coated" and so on. But nowadays, Chinese animations that mimics Japanese and American animation are very often, and there are few animation works with rich traditional Chinese culture. There are some works in the name of Chinese style, but they have not been fully accepted by the audiences. If one wants to create animated works of Chinese style, the author must have an in-depth understanding of Chinese traditional and folk art. Animation can not be designed only on the surface. This paper mainly studies the traditional five color concept in China and its application in animation. The purpose is to provide some references to differentiate Chinese animation from other countries in terms of style and color. The main content of this paper is to understand the concept and history of Chinese traditional five color views, and to know that this color system has reflected the ancestors' concept of nature and society. On the basis of five monochromatic colors, red, yellow, green, white and black, it is a kind of complex color concept that has been developed and perfected continuously after a long period of accumulation and precipitation in the practice of life. It is the theoretical basis of Chinese traditional color system and a complete set of historical, cultural, philosophical and religious theories. Finally, this paper analyzes the colors and their symbolic meanings of the main roles in "Uproar In Heaven", a color long animation produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio, including Sun Wukong, the Jade Emperor and Na Zha. Color is the first visual language. The use of color symbols to express the inner feelings, status, good and evil of the characters will affect the audience's emotions, behaviors and opinions imperceptibly. The traditional Chinese five color concept has gone through such a long history, and its symbolic meaning has a more profound impact on Chinese people. Applying the color concept and symbolic meaning of Chinese traditional five color concept will further highlight the personalities and emotions of the roles in Chinese style animations. This paper takes the five-color view as the theoretical basis, and through the analysis of cartoons with traditional Chinese color, the author finds ways to flexibly use traditional Chinese culture.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.45
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• pp.367-396
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• 2016

As an animation educator at Mahidol University International College, Bangkok, for eight years I have been in a privileged position to be educating a small section of a new generation of Thai animators. Thailand has had little animation experimentation of their own and pre-internet had limited access to such diversity so I have attempted to bring some of the wealth of animation history, in particular British and European, as this is my background, into the classroom. In particular my teaching aim has been to introduce various possibilities to the choices of medium, styles and textual narratives that early (and current) experimental and independent animators have explored. Since the release of the first commercial feature film, Khun Kluay 2006, the Thai animation industry has gone through various highs and lows in the commercial sector, building a skilled workforce, many of whom trained and worked abroad then returned. Now there is strong evidence of an independent animation starting to emerge. In a continuation to my research on Thai Animation this paper will analyze selected independent works in more detail, exploring the themes, style and technology used. Whilst also acknowledging the possible mis- interpretation as that this is coming from the perspective of an outsider whose cultural language and interpretation may transcend the creators' given experiences and add alternative interpretation. The aim will be to contextualize the content, ideas and cultural perspective and bring more Thai works into the gaze of animation studies academics

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.13
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• pp.83-96
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• 2008

Digital production method in animation has enabled us to reconstruction the real world in the way we had sought in visual all. However, spectator's visual desire is not satisfied with mere photographic visual reconstruction. It demands traditional picturesque qualify with involves a great deal of contingencies and errors. Naturally, Digital film technology has also sometimes tried to simulate analogue technique such as hand drawing so on. This is not caused by nostalgia, but by recursive instinct. The spectator's visual desire for media doesn't remain only precision of real world but require mental demand on successive visual and perceptive errors while repealing ripeness of new media and going through perception and recognition. This spectator's desire and visual art technology pursuits variously its visual perfection in history.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.44
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• pp.211-233
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• 2016

Fairy tales starting with the phrase 'Once upon a time' have been told throughout generations to generations. These stories of the past started with the history of mankind, and are constantly recreated under the names of legends, fables and myths. Through understanding the archetypes frequently occurring in legends and story telling techniques used to visualize them, the possibility of better recreation of stories and animations are sought. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the original form of archetypical Jeju epic dance lyrics are adjusted accordingly to meet the author's intention as it transforms into the modern animation 'Oneuli' By this comparative analysis, the utilization of archetypes and mythic motifs in the creation of animation are expected to enhance the interactions with the audiences beyond the border and age.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.60-67
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• 2014

In the history of ancient art, the form harmonizing Text and Image is founded in many genres of art. especially Buddhist art Image, which is used as important tool as the text to spread Buddhist ideas. This original literary form have switched the visual communication systems, patterns of speculation is another reason to have a symbolic system. The switch between Text and Image is very important on interpreting the aesthetic concept of the modern interpretation of visual media. Therefore, This research has investigated and compared the Wall paintings in Dunhuang to Animation 's Image Narrative. The original story of is based on the Buddhist Jataka tale of the same name, which were discovered as wall paintings made by unknown artists at the Dunhuang Mogao Caves.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.17
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• pp.133-146
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• 2009

In modern days, the iconic symbolicity of animal characters functions as a sign by the social promise after being made with voluntary intentions. Representing a public organization or corporation, an animal character is put to active use as a symbol. Today illusionary animal characters serve as important icons, and product developers incessantly put out animal contents. This study set out to examine the applications of animal characters in modern times according to media development by integrating animal characters into animation, which was the beginning of animal characters, based on the theoretical background of "symbolicity" in the aesthetics history. It also analyzed the symbolicity of "Haechi," which is Seoul's animal character and one of the good examples of utilization of a promotional animal character by a corporation or public organization.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.34
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• pp.129-165
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• 2014

K-pop performances are in the center of the contemporary popular arts and cultural industry, and implicitly reveal the way that our society views the body and the time-space. This paper explores the motif of automaton in the K-pop idol group ShiNee's stage performance of 'Everybody' and the song's music video. At the same time, the paper relates the motif with the automaton of the digital era-that is, the sense of time-space in digital animations. The motif of the automaton has its origins in the mythical forms related to the animation, and is related to the human desire to create humanlike forms. Also, this motif is closely linked to the aesthetical meaning of the animation, being played in different variations since the beginning of the animation. This paper explores the tradition of automaton motif in culture and the arts, and look into the cases in which the history of the relationship between the media and body performance harboring the automaton motif has been displayed in 19th century ballet or modern body expressional arts. In addition, this paper will compare and analyze representative contemporary works that reveal digital viewpoint and the choreography of 'Everybody', and compare other works that stand in similar aesthetic tradition, investigating the influence of digital animation reflected in the K-pop idol and its aesthetic and social undertones.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.24
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• pp.199-222
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• 2011

While Korea has actively discussed the fields of comics and animation, with an aim toward public art and publicity for cultural welfare, research on public cultural content for the underprivileged and their regions is in fact lacking. The Korean government has also tried to improve Korea's cultural welfare, but its benefits have failed to be evenly given to the underprivileged. Therefore, we need to take greater interest in the underprivileged and their regions. Korea should work to correct the unbalance among regions in the field of cultural welfare (cultural differences between the capital area and other regions, and between new towns and old), as well as improve the living environments of isolated areas. For this reason, such a public art project should be conducted from two directions. First, the underprivileged living in poor conditions should be allowed to live in clean and cultural environments. And second, public art, comics, and storytelling through animation should be formed with an eye on urban culture. This project aims to focus on improving "the quality of citizens' lives" through creating the unique characteristics and landscape of the city. It will be presented through the use of public art, which presents the elements of the city with charm and vitality. The two directions stated above are our urgent tasks. Public art, comics, and animation storytelling regarding the history, culture, and natural resources of the region will develop with the affection and pride of the citizens, and public art will help create an environment that allows people to discuss their issues. In addition, it will be cultural environments that will allow all citizens to enjoy beautiful streets and events. This project will be an opportunity to realize cultural democracy by pursuing social values such as publicity, communication, equality, and participation.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.33
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• pp.31-53
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• 2013

In the early twentieth century, history of animation began by modern artists, they produced various experimental images with the newly invented film and cameras. Artists in the field of movie, photography, paintings and others manipulated images in motion. But as some animated movies won industrial success and popularity, they became the trend but experimental style of early animation preserved by so-called non-mainstreamers or experimental animators, counteracting commercialism. Disney animation also followed the trend by applying realistic Hollywood film style, the worse critics placed a low value on the animation and it tarnished the image, although it was profitable investment from a business standpoint. To make images realistic, they opened a drawing class that animators developed skills to imitate motions and forms from subjects in real life. Also some techniques and gizmos were used to mimic and simulate three dimensional objects and spaces, multiplane camera and compositing 3D CG images with 2D drawings. Moreover, they brought animation stories from fairly tales or folk tales, and Walt's personal interest in live-action movies, they applied Hollywood-film-like narratives and realistic visual, and harsh criticism ensued. On the surface early disney animations' potential seems to be weakened, but in reality it still exists by simplifying and exaggerating forms and color as modern arts. Disney animation employs concepts of the modernism paintings such as simplified shapes and colors to a character design, when their characters are placed together in a scene, that visual elements cause mental reaction. This modification gives a new internal experience to audiences. As conceptual colors in abstract paintings make images appeared to be flat, coloring characters with no shading make them look flat and comparing to them, background images are also appeared to be flat. On top of that, multi-perspective at background images recalls modernist paintings. This essay goes in details with the animation pioneers' works and how Disney animation developed its techniques to emulate real life and analyses color schemes, forms, and spaces in Disney animation compared with modern artists' works, in that the visual language of Disney animation reminds of impression from abstract paintings in the beginning of the twentieth centuries.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.649-657
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• 2017

Hayao Miyazaki provides pleasure which go beyond the barrier of culture and language through realizing pan-cultural and mythical space which can communicate with the audience through unique, aesthetic expression. In his animation storytelling, diverse tangible and intangible symbolic elements based on the traditional culture inherent to Japan are actively utilized, and he provides the audience with the aesthetic pleasure of arbitrary interpretation and contemplation by composing the system of connotative signification through such symbols. In this process, he creates the value of the system of meaning which clearly conveys the mythical message of connotative meaning of the work through the aesthetic form based on the universal experience of confrontation and coexistence. It can be said that this is the communicative value of animation storytelling pursued by Hayao.