Katy Wang’s Earth Day animation is created using 2D animation, with like the soft and flowy visuals and this painterly style that gives the animation the handmade feel. Katy is a London-based animator known for creating emotional, thoughtful work that often focuses on nature and human connection. She pursued an art foundation course and later earned a BA in Illumination Animation from Kingston School of Art. After graduating in 2017, she begun building her portfolio with freelance commissions and was seen signed by Partizan, a production company, which helped her transient into directing. In the piece, she brings to life The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry, a poet and environmentalist who writes abut finding comfort in the natural world. His poem is about stepping away from stressed and fear, instead turning into to the quiet and calm of nature, which was his message for Earth Day. Berry wrote the poem to express how even if life can feel so chaotic, nature continues to calm offer a space to breathe and reset. The animation was made in collaboration with illustrator Charlotte Ager and commissioned by the On Being Project.
Author: Charlie Zuo (Page 1 of 3)
I chose Castlevania for this assignment because its a great example of both “Sell Adapted Property” and “Built-in Audience”, since it takes a classic video game series and turns it into something way deeper and more cinematic. The original games were all about hunting vampires and fighting monsters, but the Netflix show gives the characters real personalities and emotional weight to them. In Symphony of the Night, when Alucard enters Dracula’s Castle, the scene is quiet and ominous. He’s completely alone, surrounded by gothic ruins and facing off against demons with nothing just his sword. The game doesn’t use dialogue or flashy cutscene, instead, it tells the story through atmosphere, music, and gameplay. You feel the weight of being alone in a. massive, cursed place. In comparison, Trevor and Sypha’s battle against the hell demons in Season 3 of Castlevania show is loud, fastpaced, and full of energy. They fight side by side using magic and weapons in a wild, coordinated battle that feels more like a blockbuster action scene. there’s explosions, and constant movement, making the scene feel very urgent.
My favorite adaptation is obviously arcane, the show tops everything I’ve seen. I was not let down in any of the episodes, it’s visually stunning, every frame looks like a painting, the characters are just so real and like it actually surprises me. Also it doesn’t rely on fan service, which it is lowly rare to come by . And there one I really didn’t enjoy was Death Note, they changed the setting, characters, like light became more of a panicky teen than a genius mastermind. Also some of the animation of him was just so like embarrassing, just eh way he was animated. Also the adaptation was totally rushed and failed to capture the tension of the anime.
In Persepolis, there’s a tense scene where Marjane is stopped by the morality police for wearing sneakers, a denim jacket with a “punk is not ded” printed on the back, and a headscarf that isn’t “proper” enough. Though her outfit may seem harmless, under Iran’s strict regime however, it is seen as a threat to social order. The officers accuse her of dressing like a punk, how it’s too Western and that she’s tempting men with her appearance, which reinforces the idea that women are responsible for maintaining “morality.” She realizes that she’s in great danger since women have been arrested, beaten , or even killed for breaking dress codes, even for something as simple as sneakers. Marjane does eventually manage to escape, but in moments like this shows the suffocating control the government has over women. Similarly, in The Breadwinner, Parvenu faces an even harsher reality under Taliban rule, where women cannot leave home without a male escort, which is crazy. And to survive, she cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy, allowing her to move freely and provide for her family. Unlike Marjane, who faces oppression but still has some freedom for rebellion, Parvana’s situation is even more dire, since her only option for survival is to literally erase her identity entirely.
Both scenes show the way repressive regimes control women’s bodies, choices, and freedoms. Marjane and Parvana, though in different countries and circumstances, are both forced to navigate societies in constant fear and uncertainty. Whether it’s the morality police enforcing dress codes or the Taliban banning women from public spaces, the message is that the same-woman’s autonomy is dangerous.
The women and families in Persepolis and The Breadwinner cope with oppression differently, but do often overlap in ways. Examples in Persepolis, despite knowing the dangers, Marjane’s parents secretly listen to banned Western music, host underground parties, and support or even encourage their daughter to think critically, even if it means putting their lives on the line. They refuse to fully conform, even as they publicly obey the rules. And likewise, Parvana’s family, especially her mother, refuse to accept the Taliban’s restrictions, attempting to seek help from an official despite the danger. Another character is Shauzia, like Parvena, copes by transforming herself into a boy, but unlike Parvenu, who remains deeply tied to her family, Shauzia dreams of leaving Afghanistan entirely, leaving everything behind. She constantly talks about running away to France, where she imagines herself living by the sea. In a world that constantly limits her, holding onto this vision allows her to mentally escape.
Marcin Podolec is a filmmaker, animator, and comic artist known for his creative use of animation to tell personal and emotional stories. Born in 1991, he studied at the Lodz Film School and has gained recognition for blending documentary style storytelling with animation. One of his well-known works is A Documentary Film(2015), tells a story of the filmmaker’s close relationship with his mentor, Miroslaw Skrzydlo. Mira was Podolec’s high school teacher who gave him a lasting impact. The film uses a combination of real recorded interviews and traditional hand-drawn animation. The film helped to push the boundaries of documentary filmmaking, this approach challenged traditional documentary format, where real footage os typically used. Through conversations and animated scenes, it captures his personality and the influence he had on young people.
Colaolic is a film that explores themes of personal addiction and self-destructive behavior through a surreal narrative. The film follows the story of an individual who is caught in a cycle of compulsive habits, its a visually striking, using abstract and exaggerated forms to depict the protagonists struggles. The film doesn’t just focus on addiction in a lateral sense, but also metaphorically examines feeling of being trapped in cycles of excess ad dependency, whether its emotional, psychological, or social.
Marcin Podolec’s most recent work is the short animated film Potatos(2024), exploring the dynamics between a father and his son, highlighting ho the father’s high expectations can unintentionally stifle the child’s individuality. The film’s stye is minimalist, using simple black and white animation to emphasize the emotional depth and the underlying themes of control, freedom and self-realization. This piece is definitely seems to be a personal reflection, as it captures the significance of growing up in an environment where external pressures clash with personal desires.
Bob Clampett (1913-1984) was an American animator and director, producer, and puppeteer renowned for his influential work during the golden age of American animation. Joining Warner Bros.’ animation division in 1931, he played a pivotal role in designing and developing some of the studio’s most iconic characters. Notably, he created Porky Pig, Warner Bros’ first major animated star, and was instrumental in shaping the personas like Daffy Duck and Tweety Bird. Daffy Duck, was known for his unpredictable personality, contrasting sharply with more traditional cartoon characters of his time . Clampett’s direction emphasized Daffy’s hyperactive and eccentric traits, making him one of the most famous characters from Warner Bros’. Also my favorite character too. His direction of 84 cartoons, including acclaimed works like “Porky in Wackyland” (1938) and “The Great Piggy Bank Robbery” (1946), showcased his amazing surreal humor and dynamic storytelling. Clampett also ventured into television, creating the puppet show Time for Beany in 1949. This series later evolved into the animated program Beany and Cecil, which debuted in 1962. Beanie and Cecil is recognized as one of the first creator-driven television series, reflecting Clampett’s commitment to artistic control and innovation in his projects.
Bob Clampett’s works at Warner Bros. Cartoons stood out for its energetic, surreal, and boundary pushing style, setting him apart from his colleagues. His animations were characterized by exaggerated character movements, elastic linework, and a willingness to explore the absurd. This makes his works be easy to separate with like Chuck Jones, who mostly favored more structured narratives and subtle humor.