Category: 1.2 Design for Animation, Narrative Structures & Film Language

In this report, I conducted a thorough analysis of Disney Princess films, encompassing both classic and contemporary productions. Additionally, relevant literature research was incorporated to provide a comprehensive understanding of the influence of Disney Princess films on women’s identity perception. The focal point of the report explores the connection between Disney princess characterizations and traditional female identity stereotypes. Through an in-depth examination of character traits, I investigate whether these portrayals reinforce or challenge societal norms. The fourth section explores the profound and lasting impact of Disney Princess films on shaping gender concepts in children and young women. The report assesses how these films shape viewers’ understanding of female identity and its potential enduring effects on perceptions and behaviors in later life.

Princesses often prioritize romantic relationships, implying that finding love is a significant goal for both princesses and young girls/women. This narrative has a profound impact on children’s and young women’s gender perceptions. Firstly, it may lead to the belief that women’s happiness and success hinge on their performance in emotional relationships, potentially negatively affecting self-perception. This connection could make them more likely to tie their worth to their relationship status. Secondly, it may influence women’s views on their roles in the workplace and society, potentially encouraging prioritization of family and emotional relationships over career success. Despite incorporating some modern elements, Disney princess films still largely perpetuate traditional female identity concepts, potentially influencing the younger generation of women. Current research emphasizes the importance of creating more diverse, powerful, and independent female figures in media to contribute to the evolution of gender perceptions.

“Deconstructing Disney Princess Films: Princess Character Personality and Traditional Female Identity” is an exploration of Disney princess films, focusing on the personality traits of princess characters and their connection to traditional female identity. The report analyzes a range of Disney princess films, such as Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Frozen, and Moana. The primary objective is to examine the portrayal of princesses and assess their impact on perceptions of traditional femininity.

The report delves into characterizations in Part III, scrutinizing whether Disney Princesses perpetuate or challenge societal norms of femininity through their personalities. The focus is on understanding the nuanced relationship between character traits and traditional gender identity stereotypes. In Part IV, the study extends to the profound influence these films have on shaping gender concepts in children and young women. It explores potential lasting impacts on viewers’ perceptions and behaviors as they grow older, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the social and cultural implications of Disney Princess films on female identity.

This report focuses on Disney princess films as case studies, including Sleeping Beauty (1959), The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), Mulan (1998), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Tangled (2010), Frozen (2013), and Moana (2016), supplemented by relevant literature studies. Emphasizing the link between Disney Princess characterizations and female identity stereotypes, our goal is to deeply examine their impact on perceptions of female identity. Part III explores princess characterizations, analyzing whether they reinforce or challenge traditional notions of femininity. In Part IV, we investigate the profound influence of Disney Princess films on shaping gender concepts in children and young women, examining potential lasting impacts on perceptions and behaviors. Our research aims to comprehensively understand the role of Disney Princess films in shaping female identity perceptions and provide insights into their social and cultural implications.

The Walt Disney Company, valued at $142.92 billion (Forbes 2014), is renowned for its fairy tale storytelling, particularly princess narratives symbolized by its iconic castle. However, the portrayal of female characters in Disney princess films has sparked controversy amid the rise of feminism and scrutiny of gender stereotypes. Debates surround the perpetuation of stereotypical ideologies, with contrasting views on sustaining gender-based stereotypes in film (Lacroix, 2004). This report examines and compares Disney Princess portrayals over time, concluding that later princesses exhibit fewer stereotypes but still face limitations. Those challenging traditional roles are depicted as self-sufficient heroes, yet the Disney Company, aiming for mainstream appeal, reinforces success by giving princesses masculine qualities.

Topic 1

Potential Topics and questions:

Different concerns of female and male animation directors in animation creation

Advantages and disadvantages of female animation directors in the production of animation

Whether the works of female animation directors have promoted the development of female consciousness

Research reasons:

Due to my personal concern for women, I find that female directors generally have some differences from male directors in animation creation, such as obvious differences in subject matter selection, story arrangement, and role characterization. Therefore, I would like to analyze the reasons that lead to the different tendencies of female and male directors in animation creation. Whether the animation created by female directors has positive significance in promoting the process of contemporary female consciousness and analyzes the advantages and limitations of female animation directors in creation.

Keywords:

Female animation director, Female consciousness, Gender, animation Character creation, Animation story creation

Examples：

Jennifer Lee – Frozen
Jennifer Yuh – Kung Fu Panda 2

Domee Shi – Turning Red, Bao

“Weird” from animation Studio Lobster Studio, is a monologue about diversity, narrated by a girl who is seen as different and doesn’t understand why others always see her as a freak, whether it’s because of her looks or because of the helmet she wears out of fear when she sleeps. Or was it that marshmallow she took with her cold drink? These seemingly insignificant personal habits have made her a target and become an anomaly in the eyes of others, so she wants to correct this weird concept, the weirdness in the eyes of others is just a personal opinion, she is not new, nor sensationalist, just want to be herself.

The animation short film connects the whole animation content through the monologue of the protagonist. The style of my animation can reflect the changes of “Weird Girl”. The narration has a mysterious sense, and the soundtrack is also very mysterious.

The animator expresses that people always judge a person to be weird because of some trivial things. Some people who are considered weird are just being themselves all the time without hiding themselves. The so-called normal people may also hide their true selves just to be like others.

Hayao Miyazaki
His unique imagination makes his plays very distinctive
Delicate painting style
The story focuses on conservation, people and nature, growth and self-discovery

Miyazaki’s all-around animator talent is revealed in “The Panda Family,” which has a lot in common with the later “My Neighbor Totoro,” in that one person did the original work, the script, the scene setting, the original painting, and the art setting.

Miyazaki Hayao introduced the layout design system into animation for the first time, that is, the split production system of storyboard, design draft, original drawing, and animation. Improve the efficiency and accuracy of animation production.

Miyazaki likes to use emotion to unfold the story, regardless of logic, so that the audience can identify with the story emotionally, rich in romance, and give the audience great pleasure in sensibility.

Through “Conan the Future Boy”, it can be seen that Miyazaki as a director does not have the ability to produce a close and excellent story of an animated series, which may be one of the reasons why he later turned to animated films.

The Valley of the Wind is the famous work of Miyazaki Hayao. In order to make the animation he wants to do, Miyazaki Hayao can achieve success in the market at the same time. It uses elements like machinery, war, science fiction, beautiful girls, and so on, and the propaganda policy at that time is also different. This is also an ability to be a good director – to balance personal artistic pursuits with market demands.

To sum up, Miyazaki Hayao is good at completing the movement performance of the space environment in movement, so he is very good at constructing the worldview. In color design, he also has Ghibli’s unique color system. Good at the use of human actions and natural performance, the characteristics of the story, and the creation of easy-to-understand, low threshold.

The barren wilderness, near and far without a trace of life. Countless men in tight black and white striped prison uniforms, dragging heavy shackles and shot puts, wandered aimlessly across the wilderness. The man tried to light a cigarette for a companion, and he raised his arm as hard as he could, only to fall short and hurt his foot with a shot put. The wounded prisoner sat down to rest, and suddenly he was attracted by the light above him. Looking for the light, the man climbed up a mysterious building. Perhaps driven by human curiosity, the man tried to climb to the end of the building where he could not see the top. The sun was hot and blinding, but he wouldn’t give up. In the middle of the climb, the two shot putts seemed to lose weight and float like balloons, and the stripes on his body seemed to float away from him.
Gravity changes, the man finds the blinding light bulb, he gets burned and falls to the other world, and the people of the other world also start to pursue the light, the men interrupt them because they know the consequences of pursuing the light bulb, he breaks the wall with his shackles, and finally finds himself in the giant shackles, at that moment, the man takes off the hood on his head, He understood that he would never reach the light.

The film is surrealistic, using live action and background composition, silent film effects, and eerie rhythm, this film shows resistance, hope, unity, the yearning for light and freedom, and human insignificance. Full of philosophy and inspiration.

People are always bound, from the outside world or the self, sometimes in search of a sudden hope, but hope is ultimately an illusion the world is bound and full of resistance but no resistance can escape the world itself.