Animation vs. Live action

[Click_Stick]

What think you?

What are the pros and cons of doing a film in the style of an animation or live action? Are they two seemingly totally unrelated styles or do they each share some common features? What can you do with one that you cannot do with the other?

Etc.



I have many ideas/beliefs of my own, but I would like to read some alternate views.

[Sqoon]

With animation, you're expected to pull rabbits out of your hats and blow confetti out of your ears every five minutes. There have been a few animated movies that are strictly normal (nothing fantastical or spectacular happens, like some kind of live-action domestic drama) and they're boring as hell. Animation is inviting, but if you're not trying to constantly pull the viewer's attention, it can be pretty limiting.

[Rumpy]

I expect different things from animation. It's a medium that lends itself to creativity, where you're not bounded by the limits of real life (special effects, physics etc.) Gotta make the most of what you're using.

[bbobb]

Originally posted by Sqoon
With animation, you're expected to pull rabbits out of your hats and blow confetti out of your ears every five minutes. There have been a few animated movies that are strictly normal (nothing fantastical or spectacular happens, like some kind of live-action domestic drama) and they're boring as hell. Animation is inviting, but if you're not trying to constantly pull the viewer's attention, it can be pretty limiting.

I think you need to see Grave of the Fireflies and Perfect Blue then. Both do not involve anything fantastical and neither are boring at all. Perfect Blue is a great Hitchcockian style story and Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most moving war films ever made.

[Lhadatt]

Animation doesn't have to be all flash and style -- look at stuff like Maison Ikkoku. Sure, it could be told in live action, but I don't think it would be half as interesting as it is animated.

[Sqoon]

I think you need to see Grave of the Fireflies and Perfect Blue then. Both do not involve anything fantastical and neither are boring at all. Perfect Blue is a great Hitchcockian style story and Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most moving war films ever made.

I've seen Grave of the Fireflies (give me a little credit here) and wasn't what I had in mind when I made the post. I'm talking about Bergman-esque dramas or chamber pieces that would work live-action but be dull and an enormous waste as animation. I supposed it could work in the right hands but even Grave of the Fireflies and Perfect Blue (I'm assuming; it is R for nudity and violence) have a lot of thematic elements that keep the action going.

[Sync]

When a movie about a video game or cartoon/anime comes out in a live action format, everything seems really cheesy to me. For instance..Street Fighter: The Movie.

Although it doesn't happen alot, animation always seems to do an amazing job on titles that were once live action movies.

An artist doesn't have any limits most of the time, while an actor does.

[Mr-K]

It all depends. Live action movies and animation can both pull off the same things. It's just that usually with the really fantastic scenes, animation pulls it off better. Also, action scenes can be more hardcore in animation as well. Animation just has a lot more potential.

BUT

Live Action is always a solid medium that will forever be in everyones heart.

It really just depends, something could work as in live action and not animation and the other could work as animation instead of live action.

[Rumpy]

How about this: Can an animated film be scary? Do you need to suspend your disbelief enough to be scared? Does animation not look "real" enough to make a scary film/series?

[Jeremy]

An animated film can be scary as long as the medium is used correctly. Using proper shadowing can enhance a mood quite a bit. Shadowing can help to create a scary mood, as can using a deep, rich color scheme. It is possible to create suspenseful animation, which can lead right into some nice, scary animation.