On The Importance Of Expression

        The other day I found myself watching an episode of The Simpsons with the volume turned down, and was struck by how much of the I was able to pick up just through observing the characters' expressions. To convey a certain emotion, the animators do not rely solely of a character's face, but throw the whole body into the expression. 

Here, every aspect of Homer's body expresses amusement. 

        This is a narrative tactic that has been used since the silent film era, when actors made the most of their bodies (Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton being the masters) in order to compensate for the lack of explanatory dialogue (aside from the occasional title card). Although extreme expressions are most prevalent in cartoons, for comedic effect, exaggeration is present in all form and genres of animation. 

        Exaggeration need not be big, bold gestures like Homer's; it can be small subtle gestures such as focusing on a contracting pupil, or simply holding a pose a fraction too long. Anything to draw the audience's attention to what the animator wishes to communicate.

        It is in the brief run times of cartoons that expression really needs to be at it's most immediate and powerful. For Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry shorts, which can last just a few minutes, yet are often packed full of visual gags and slapstick comedy, each frame is precious. Consequently, skilled animators like Chuck Jones and Tex Avery imbued every frame with a strong sense of mood and purpose. In these stills from Wile E Coyote shorts, it is possible to discern what is happening (and even make an educated guess about what is going to happen) from a single frame, due to the well observed poses, facial expressions and compositions.

   

        Like the films of the silent era, neither Wile E Coyote or Tom & Jerry have the crutch of dialogue to rely on, so to compensate cartoons have developed their own form of visual language. For example, I have never felt the need to grasp my foot and hop around in agony, yet somehow watching a cartoon cat perform this action makes me take a sharp inhalation of breath.  When people fall, they aren't suspended momentarily in mid air, but this adds a sense of pathos and anticipation. When you bang a finger or toe, it doesn't immediately swell to twice its normal side a glow vibrant red, yet this is an eloquent representation of a throbbing pain the audience can identify with.

        Of course, not all animations make such bold use of expression (either facial or bodily). Often, this results in a more ambiguous tone, less clarity, and even confusion. One example that leaps to mind is Ruth Lingford's Pleasures of War. Clothed in a voluminous black gown, the only expression from Lingford's female protagonist derives from subtle clenching of her fingers and minute shifts in her roughly drawn expression from misery to anger. For the majority of the animation she is blank and unreadable. While Lingford undoubtedly wishes her film to provoke questions from the audience, rather than merely entertain, it is frustrating to spend an extended amount of time unable to understand a character's intentions. Ultimately, it makes the animation less engaging, and less enjoyable. Arguably Pleasures of War would have been more powerful if the audience could identify more with the character.

         When an animator makes masterful use of expression, it enables audiences, young and old to immediately recognise the emotions depicted, and easily comprehend and follow the narrative. With this in mind, I will take into account how effectively each keyframe I use serves the narrative, not just of the Character & Narrative animation, but all of my future projects.

        Animation is a visual medium. Although sound and dialogue can still be important, they should support the animation, rather than the other way around. Ultimately, the story should be told through action, as lengthy exposition is dull, and can make the narrative drag; wherever possible, 'show, don't tell'.