Understanding Animations and Films Through a Deeper Cultural Understanding

Choose one the following:

1. An animation scene that has the original language used with English subtitles and with a version with English language recorded or dubbed over. Compare and contrast the mood, emotions, and character’s thoughts between the languages used.

2. Choose a film where a different language other then English is spoken. Interpret the mood, emotions, and character’s thoughts. Research of cultural values of language used will be needed to compare and contrast the cultural mood and emotions and evaluate how much of it is universal

Purpose:  Understand the making of animations or filmmaker’s intentions further, which includes understanding the culture and language that an animator and filmmaker uses. As animations, particularly ones used in Japanese, and foreign films are becoming universally popular, the foundation of how these videos or films are made are important to understand for anyone looking to take on any role in the film industry. This allows any professional in the film industry to be more culturally aware of people outside of customs they are used to, and to see the comparisons and contrasts. For production purposes, a deeper understanding of the foundation can aid with audio production for recording and film directing.

Doing some research of the culture and the cultural values in a language will be necessary to do the assignment. You will need to find what is idiosyncratic to a culture and common cultural themes used in animations and/or films for a particular culture and language.  You will also need to be very observant in analyzing a group with an identity and how it relates to their own.