• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.840-849
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• 2020

Walt Disney Feature Animation released high quality films such as 'Frozen', 'Big Hero 6', 'Wreck-it Ralph', 'Zootopia', 'Moana', 'Frozen 2' and not only got high score in box office but showed great CG and visuals. However, making feature animation requires a lot of time, money, and efforts so it is very important to support studios' artists to finish each show within limited budget and time. This paper shows artists' training program such as 'Short Circuit' and 'Bootcamp' that walt disney feature animation provides their artists to improve their creativity and do their jobs artistically and efficiently. Disney's training program not only provides artists various training classes but gives them chances to work on short animation which enhances artistic skills and enable them to work in different departments and experience different tasks. This paper also explains some training cases of CG studios in South Korea and Disney Animations' in-house tools.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.35
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• pp.67-88
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• 2014

Internationally, the Korean feature-length animation is not making a successful box office hit. Being a box office hit all around the world is related with entertainment and laughter cannot be excluded as a element that gives such enjoyment. Although the humor would be playing an important role in globalization of Korean animation, studies that analyzed humor in Korean and U.S. animation are still lacking. Recently, there are cases that several Korean animations aim at overseas market entrust pre-production of scenario or storyboard. This paper examines the humor embedded in stories of feature-length animations that had the most differences by analyzing frequency and contents, and through interviews. It also proposes ways to improve the humor embedded in stories of Korean animations.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.701-710
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• 2014

The analysis on the characteristics of the signification system of Japanese feature-length animations that this essay centrally deals with eventually examines the characteristics of representation and communication in Japanese feature-length animations. In general, most animation works focusing on characters and stories contain the signification systems related to 'denotation' and connotation.' However, tendency of the aesthetic representation and communication that appears differently, depending on the characteristics of the signification system that each animation work pursues. From this point of view, Japanese feature-length animation emphasizes connotative signification system and aesthetic representation, unlike Disney animation that strongly shows the tendency that makes the audience directly immersed in the theme and message of the work conveyed further in the myths by pursuing denotative signification system. And, in the case of Japanese feature-length animation, the 'dissenting and arbitrary interpretation' of the theme, the message that the animation work intends to convey and myths pursued is bound to appear diversely, depending on the audience's experiences and cultural and social backgrounds.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.804-814
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• 2009

In this paper, a novel system for avatar motion controlling by tracking face is presented. The system is composed of three main parts: firstly, LCS (Local Cluster Searching) method based face feature detection algorithm, secondly, HMM based feature points recognition algorithm, and finally, avatar controlling and animation generation algorithm. In LCS method, face region can be divided into many small piece regions in horizontal and vertical direction. Then the method will judge each cross point that if it is an object point, edge point or the background point. The HMM method will distinguish the mouth, eyes, nose etc. from these feature points. Based on the detected facial feature points, the 3D avatar is controlled by two ways: avatar orientation and animation, the avatar orientation controlling information can be acquired by analyzing facial geometric information; avatar animation can be generated from the face feature points smoothly. And finally for evaluating performance of the developed system, we implement the system on Window XP OS, the results show that the system can have an excellent performance.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
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• v.18B no.6
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• pp.375-384
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• 2011

This paper suggests a method to recognize facial expressions of animation characters by means of dominant colors and feature points. The proposed method defines a simplified mesh model adequate for the animation character and detects its face and facial components by using dominant colors. It also extracts edge-based feature points for each facial component. It then classifies the feature points into corresponding AUs(action units) through neural network, and finally recognizes character facial expressions with the suggested AU specification. Experimental results show that the suggested method can recognize facial expressions of animation characters reliably.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.29
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• pp.61-75
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• 2012

The essay explores the narrative structure of the classical Chinese feature animation, (a.k.a. Da Nao Tian Gong, 1964). The film is presented with a modular structure which is quite unique compared with the storytelling in feature animated films from other cultures, but could be connected with the tradition narrative structure in Chinese Zhanghui style novels in Ming and Qing Dynasty. By relating the original text of the story, the 16th century novel Journey to the West (a.k.a. Xi You Ji), with the film , the essay addresses the question of how the narrative tradition in Chinese classical literature influenced the Uproar in Heave for its segment narrative structure, character driven storytelling strategy and mirrored repetitive 2 plot lines. The subject of this essay is even more significant after the restored 3D version of was re-released in the spring of 2012 and became one of the best-selling animated feature film in the history of the country.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.391-400
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• 2007

The ways of expression are infinite to make animated film. When we compare to live action film, that fact is the actual power that animation only has and is one of the big weapons to appeal to the audience. Nonetheless, techniques to be chosen are monolithic like drawing, 3D computer, and clay when animation maker makes feature animation to screen in movie theatre. It's probably because feature animation must have popularity of visual style and they need to standardize technique about side of making. But popularity in expression does not mean monolithic visual style and making technique. It should be understood about side of artistic value to fascinate public audience. Audience is always eager for new subject, new directing style and new visual style. Monotonous and boring animation cannot but turn away from the audience. So if production does not have artistic value, we cannot expect commercial value and success also even it plans and makes for the feature animation. To create new visual style fnr animation is not only limited to artwork itself but also creation, which is included story and tone of the film and acting style about character. Also making process must be calculated and experimented to actualize that visual style about side of making.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.26
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• pp.57-78
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• 2012

This article deals with the change of disney feature-length drawn animation since using digital technology. The spread of digital technology in the territory of traditional animation brought a massive transformation. Analogue production system for disney drawn animation was gradually replaced by digital production system and in the process, the overall quality of disney drawn animation was improved, although drawn animation industry had declined considerably due to the success of 3D computer animation. Currently, disney drawn animations not only just adopt digital technology but also use it for expressing the distinctive sensibility of the drawn animation.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.37
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• pp.491-508
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• 2014

As number of making 3D feature animation films is increasing, 3D production pipeline become more complicated and more artists are needed than before. Major studios in foreign countries, in burden of producing high quality films with limited amount of budget and time, have been handling such difficulties by hiring technical directors in each department such as animation, rigging, cloth hair, and effect. Technical director is new occupation which appears after trend of producing animation is changed from 2D to 3D. Importance of technical director is increasing in respect to studios' needs which are related to complication in production time, manpower, budget, and production pipeline. This research is based on the researcher's work experience as an animation TD at Walt Diseny Animation Studio and Sony Pictures Imageworks, interview with working professionals, and related books and thesis. It focuses on the role of animation technical director in Disney's 3D feature animation film from two perspectives, 'Designing Production Pipeline' and 'Analyzing Problem of Shot'. Animation technical directors design and test production pipeline so that they can detect and solve problems that may arise in production process as early as possible. They not only analyze numerous problems of characters or shots limited to animation department but also in other departments such as modeling, mapping, character rigging, cloth, hair, lighting, rendering, software development in order to support artists to complete their shots according to the production schedule. In accordance with recent trend of increasing number of 3D feature animation film production in South Korea and collaboration with foreign studios outside of South Korea, it is vital to train animation technical directors who can develop production pipeline, analyze various problems of shots and characters to escalate efficiency in production.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1217-1226
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• 2017

The Disney Studios have been aiming at the animation storytelling of the signification system that the contemporary audience can universally accept. And it can be said that such storytelling is aesthetic expression based on the contemporary mainstream dominant mythology. Seen from this perspective, the changes of the masculinity of male characters that are represented in the Disney feature animation Frozen are not just a simple aesthetic phenomenon but a strategy of animation storytelling that reflects the contemporary cultural and social trend. The gender identity of the male characters of Frozen is completely freed from the existing stereotypes about Disney feature animations, and it positively presents the changes of the gender roles that reflect the changes in social value and the needs of the times.