Character Animation Research Articles

“No More Translations”: Uncounting Languages in Yoko Tawada's Memoirs of a Polar Bear

AbstractFollowing recent suggestions that multilingual narratives be studied for their narratological features, this essay reads Yoko Tawada's Memoirs of a Polar Bear (2011) as one instance where narratological features are refashioned to allegorize postmonolingual translation. In lieu of relying on narrative perspectival shifts, the novel merges the voices of its animal and human characters. Examining the consequent deconstruction of numerous binaries—animal/human, speech/writing, past/present—the essay tracks the novel's disarticulation of countable languages as they have been imagined in biological, phonocentric, and genealogical terms. The uncounting of languages alongside the novel's rethinking of maternity enables a reading of Memoirs as an antinarrative that counters the linguistic family romance (as articulated by Yasemin Yildiz) encapsulated by the trope of the mother tongue. A narratological reading of Memoirs reveals the structure through which monolingualism is undermined and the emergence of a postmonolingual subject made possible.

The character image setting of 3D animation works based on Poisson equation

Abstract In order to solve the problem of Poisson equation, the author puts forward a research on the character image setting of 3D animation works. 3D animation refers to the three-dimensional virtual image produced by using computer software, also known as 3D animation, is a new technology produced with the development of computer software and hardware technology in recent years. It is the art of photography, set design, and stage lighting reasonable arrangement of various arts and techniques. At the same time, the design and production of 3D animation need more artistic foundation and creativity. A good 3D animation, it requires producers to have a better sense of space and artistic sense, there is must be a good use of all kinds of 3D animation production software. The image design of animated characters from the perspective of content, design styles and styles vary greatly from reality to non-reality. However, whether taken from nature or elsewhere, they are inseparable from their character as a vehicle for expressing human spirit and emotion. Since the birth of animation, its prominent entertainment function has become the value of the existence of this art style, and it has the possibility of development. And animated characters are more iconic than any other element of animation. The purpose of animation character design is to give appeal and vitality to each animation character art.

Twelve months old infants' evaluation of observed comforting behavior using a choice paradigm: The role of animacy cues and self-distress.

Comforting is a prosocial behavior that children start to engage in around their second year of life. There is much less known about their ability to evaluate comforting behavior of others. The current study examined whether 12months old infants, after having watched animated abstract characters comfort or ignore a third party in distress, would show a preference for the comforting character. Using a manual choice paradigm, we found that infants were more likely to choose the comforting character than the ignoring character (Experiment 1). When the characters however lacked human surface features (eyes) infants did not show a preference (Experiment 2). Furthermore, infants self-distress during the watching of the animations did not prevent infants to evaluate the behavior of the observed characters. These findings support the idea of an early presence of "moral sense" in infancy.

Retracted: Metal Cellulose Nanocomposites in Decorative Animation Character Modeling

Retracted: Metal Cellulose Nanocomposites in Decorative Animation Character Modeling

Animals in Education: Ethical Perspectives

Even for children growing up in (post-)industrial societies and wholly urban environments, animals are – in a way – everywhere. Representations of animals appear in and around many a cradle or child’s bed: teddy bears, tigers, pigs, sharks, crocodiles – there is hardly an animal species (or genus) unrepresented in toy form (Macho, 2022, pp. 63ff.). Wallpapers that decorate children’s rooms often figure animals, extant or extinct, cuddly (like puppies or kittens) or enjoyably terrifying (T. Rex and other dinosaurs). Children’s books, including explicitly educational ones, are populated by animal characters. Supermarkets sell dinosaur-shaped turkey nuggets – a marriage of animal representations and the flesh of real animals. Most children meet other animals, whether they are fully aware of it or not, in the form of meat on their plates.

Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era

Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era

DualMotion: Global-to-Local Casual Motion Design for Character Animations

Animating 3D characters using motion capture data requires basic expertise and manual labor. To support the creativity of animation design and make it easier for common users, we present a sketch-based interface DualMotion, with rough sketches as input for designing daily-life animations of characters, such as walking and jumping.Our approach enables to combine global motions of lower limbs and the local motion of the upper limbs in a database by utilizing a two-stage design strategy. Users are allowed to design a motion by starting with drawing a rough trajectory of a body/lower limb movement in the global design stage. The upper limb motions are then designed by drawing several more relative motion trajectories in the local design stage. We conduct a user study and verify the effectiveness and convenience of the proposed system in creative activities.

The Disneyfication of Animals

The Disneyfication of Animals

No Face, No Race? Racial Politics of Voice Actor Casting in Popular Animated Films1

Racial politics in animated films has long been an important topic for scholars, but racial diversity in the casting of voice actors for animated films has been understudied. This article examines patterns in voice actor casting among 850 characters from 170 animated films released from 1989 to 2019. Because characters in animated films are not bound by voice actors' physical attributes, especially given that many animated characters are not even human, we consider the concepts of color‐blind and color‐conscious casting to understand the racial politics of voice actor casting. Our findings show that racial inequality and white dominance are a categorical reality in the animated film industry and that culturally specific film settings provide opportunities for voice actors of color. However, we also find that both color‐blind and color‐conscious casting can limit the realization of diverse and inclusive casting in animated films that feature fantastical, imaginative characters.

Simulation of X-ray projections on GPU: Benchmarking gVirtualXray with clinically realistic phantoms

Background and objectives: This study provides a quantitative comparison of images created using gVirtualXray (gVXR) to both Monte Carlo (MC) and real images of clinically realistic phantoms. gVirtualXray is an open-source framework that relies on the Beer-Lambert law to simulate X-ray images in realtime on a graphics processor unit (GPU) using triangular meshes.Methods: Images are generated with gVirtualXray and compared with a corresponding ground truth image of an anthropomorphic phantom: (i) an X-ray projection generated using a Monte Carlo simulation code, (ii) real digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs), (iii) computed tomography (CT) slices, and (iv) a real radiograph acquired with a clinical X-ray imaging system. When real images are involved, the simulations are used in an image registration framework so that the two images are aligned.Results: The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between the images simulated with gVirtualXray and MC is 3.12%, the zero-mean normalised cross-correlation (ZNCC) is 99.96% and the structural similarity index (SSIM) is 0.99. The run-time is 10 days for MC and 23 ms with gVirtualXray. Images simulated using surface models segmented from a CT scan of the Lungman chest phantom were similar to (i) DRRs computed from the CT volume and (ii) an actual digital radiograph. CT slices reconstructed from images simulated with gVirtualXray were comparable to the corresponding slices of the original CT volume.Conclusions: When scattering can be ignored, accurate images that would take days using MC can be generated in milliseconds with gVirtualXray. This speed of execution enables the use of repetitive simulations with varying parameters, e.g. to generate training data for a deep-learning algorithm, and to minimise the objective function of an optimisation problem in image registration. The use of surface models enables the combination of X-ray simulation with real-time soft-tissue deformation and character animation, which can be deployed in virtual reality applications.

Development of ‘Digital Kultur Application’ toward innovative and interactive education in cultural identity strengthening through socio-technology approach

This research employing qualitative method and data collection techniques of observation, in-depth interview, and literature study, selected five Gen-Z informants with purposive sample criteria to meet research objectives. Moreover, the interview results are linked to socio-technology and multimedia learning literature. The result of this research showed that Digital Kultur app still needs to be improved in terms of visuals, features, and usage, and the learning elements to be an innovative and interactive educational application. This can be done by adding a feature that recognizes sounds, tone patterns, and motions to be interpreted as certain cultural products that subsequently will be connected directly to certain information. In addition, to making it more interactive, the various sounds, tone patterns, and motions can be matched with favorite figures of each Gen-Z, such as animation characters or "K-Pop idols" thus becoming certain elaborate tone patterns and traditional motions, but with the sounds and visuals of their favorite figures. This offers innovation in more interactive multimedia learning for cultural education.

CiteSpace를 기반으로 한 애니메이션 영화 캐릭터 문헌 계량분석 연구

This paper searched and selected 268 literatures published in key journals and CSSCI between 2001 and 2022, with the scope of research results on the subject of animated film characters at CNKI (Zhiwang, China). Using CiteSpace software, the number of published papers, publication year, author, research institute, journal, and keyword of the data sample were visualized using a knowledge graph. Through the analysis, key institutions, important journals, and keyword clustering labels in related research fields were obtained. Through an analysis of the degree of rapid increase in keywords, it was confirmed that the 'narrative structure', which rapidly increased in 2019, was a research issue in recent years. In addition, we compared and analyzed the character analysis data of animation films and the quantitative analysis data of Chinese animation-related research literature. It is hoped that the results of this study can be used as reference materials for research achievements with higher academic value by researchers in the field in the future.

Penyuluhan dan Pelatihan Membuat Media Pembelajaran Animasi Flash Kepada Guru-guru Sekolah Dasar di Kelurahan Bakaran Batu

Animation comes from the Latin word "anima" which means soul, life, spirit. Meanwhile, characters are people, animals and other real objects that are presented in the form of 2D and 3D images. So that animated characters can be interpreted as images containing objects that appear to be alive, caused by the collection of images changing regularly and alternately being displayed. Objects in images can be text, shapes, colors and special effects. The purpose of this community service is to improve the learning system and methods in learning. So that students do not feel bored in class. The result of the counseling is that the participants/teachers are able to make flash animations with this counseling and training and the participants are able to improve applying the flash animation learning method in class

Multi-Participant Identity Figures in Indonesian Animated Films

The purpose of this research is to find Indonesian multiculturalism in animated film characters. Fictional characters are human copies of the real world. Characters are positioned to live life in the world of animation. The relationship between characters is manifested when there is an attachment of cultural identity. The characterizations in Indonesian animated films show the complexity of creation. This concept refers to the view that the more complex the characters are, the more memorable the audience will be. This research uses ethnographic method, given that the characters have a cultural identity. Characters are placed as objects that have mental and motivational qualities. In addition, there is the use of cultural symbols, which indicates multiculturalism. The identity of the characters refers to the unified heuristic of Stets and Burke's theory of identity. Meanwhile, the apparent multiculturalism refers to Ricardo L. Garcia's theory of multiculturalism. The condition of Indonesia, which has been based on pluralism from the start, really understands the existence of differences. So that consciously accept the occurrence of cultural syncretism. The results of this study indicate that Indonesian animated film characters tend to show the application of multiculturalism. And, multiculturalism has become an identity. Multiculturalism is proof of acceptance of this condition, and is manifested through animated film characters.

Diversifikasi Produk Tempe Sanan Malang Melalui Pelatihan Pembuatan Model Dan Cetakan Tempe Karakter

Kampung Sanan Malang has long been known as a center for making tempeh. It has been a long time since the Sanan Malang Tempe and Tempe Chips Production Center Association was established, which has 636 tempe producers as members. Some of its members have been able to process tempeh into various types of preparations. The innovation made in 2021 is named Character Tempe, namely tempeh in the form of animal characters, or fruits. During the trial period, character tempeh was produced using plastic cake molds. The problem faced is that members of this community want to be able to produce this tempeh with a larger production volume, and a more varied product. The reason is that no craftsmen have been able to make their own character models that are more varied as desired. Craftsmen also have not been able to make their own molds. The solution offered is training: making character models using plasticine, training on printing these models using RTV food grade. At the end of this activity, the craftsmen have the ability to produce processed tempeh characters quickly and with good quality so that they become a new Sanan Malang specialty product.

Prompting vegetable purchases in the supermarket by an affordance nudge: Examining effectiveness and appreciation in a set of field experiments

The supermarket is a promising location for stimulating healthier food choices by nudging interventions. However, nudging healthy food choices in the supermarket has shown weak effects to date. The present research introduces a new nudge based on the concept of affordances – i.e., an animated character – that invites interaction with healthy food products and examines its effectiveness and appreciation in a supermarket context. We present findings of a series of three studies. In Study 1, evaluations of the new nudge were collected, revealing that the nudge was appreciated. In Studies 2 and 3, field experiments were conducted to test the nudge's effect on vegetable purchases in a real-life supermarket. Study 3 demonstrated that vegetable purchases increased significantly (up to 17%) when the affordance nudge was placed on the vegetable shelves. Furthermore, customers appreciated the nudge and its potential for implementation. Taken together, this set of studies presents compelling findings illustrating the potential of the affordance nudge for increasing healthy choices in the supermarket.

Pembuatan Video Company Profile Fakultas Teknik Dan Komputer Universitas Harapan Medan Menggunakan Metode Chroma Key

The development of technology and information is increasingly rapid, it also has an impact on promotional media which increasingly have many ways of promoting goods or services. One of them is making a company profile video for the Faculty of Engineering and Computers Harapan Medan University, which does not yet have a company profile video as a promotional medium. Making a company profile video using the croma key method aims to introduce the institution to the wider community, convey what is on campus 3, Harapan Medan University and explain what rooms and facilities are on campus 3, Harapan Medan University. Therefore, in this study, a company profile video of the Faculty of Engineering and Computers Harapan Medan University will be made using a green screen effect using adobe illustrator, adobe after effects, and adobe premiere based on multimedia in the form of animated characters as the main characters. The method used in this study is the chroma key method because it combines animation with the original video. The results of this study will make it easier to introduce the Faculty of Engineering and Computers Harapan Medan University. By conducting a study using a questionnaire, researchers can get results from a company profile video that has been made for the Faculty of Engineering and Computers.
 

Subject playing with flat images: Transmedia spreadability of anime and manga character images

Anime and manga characters are so ubiquitous in Japan that people see them anywhere, regardless of public or private. The two-dimensional flatness of line drawing allows the character images to straddle the boundaries of the worlds of works and media. The analysis of individual artworks needs to be revised to understand the transmedia spreadability of characters and our living conditions. This paper, thus, overviews the preceding discussions of anime and manga scholars on human-character relations and compares them with the theory of subject formation in film studies, whose realist tendency once emphasized the three-dimensional space and time. While psychoanalysis-influenced theories such as suture and male gaze model after one-point perspective and subordinate two-dimensionality, Thomas Lamarre formulates a de-unified perspective in relation to the multilayered image field of Japanese anime. In conjunction with the orientation of cultural and fan studies to emphasize audience agency, this article discusses the de-unified perspective on flat images which has the potential for understanding the complexity of subject formation through the interplay with two-dimensional images.

Dealing with death: The role of animal-themed literature in supporting children with grief and loss

AbstractThe way that children deal with, and develop an understanding of death has long-term effects on their development and wellbeing. Mental health practitioners regularly turn to bibliotherapy (the use of books), many of which portray non-human animals as central characters, as a therapeutic tool for bereaved children. However, the extent to which non-human animal characters are used to assist children dealing with loss and dying, nor how and why it is used, particularly in relation to available therapies, is not well understood. To explore this, we conducted an online survey of 47 Australian mental health practitioners (M= 45.55 years of age,SD= 12.81; 80.9% female) who specialise in providing grief counselling to children (average of 13.26 years +/− 10.05 of professional experience). Overall, just over half (60.0%,n= 24/40) of practitioners preferred to use animal-themed death literature. However, it was not the most frequently used, nor considered the most effective therapeutic option across all age groups. There was a clear reduction in perceived usefulness with age. Bibliotherapy with animal characters was considered most effective for children between the ages of 2 and 7, and least effective for those over 12. Thematic analyses of open-ended responses revealed three overarching themes: (1) Animal-themed bibliotherapy was viewed as helpful in creating a bridge to access children’s emotions and providing a safe space to share them. (2) Practitioners considered animal-characters helpful for developing accurate death conceptualisation in younger children due to their familiarity with animals. Familiarity helps to encourage children to apply their observations of animal life cycles to human death, children identify with animal-characters, and they generally find animals appealing. (3) Its adoption by a therapist is dependent on children’s unique characteristics, practitioners’ personal preferences and the availability of appropriate literature. Findings from this study provide insight into practitioner perceptions of the role animal-characters play in children’s understanding of death at different ages and help to inform subject-matter choice for bibliotherapy literature. Animal-themed death literature has application as an adjunct therapy tool to assist children experiencing grief related to death and dying, but also more broadly (e.g., teachers and caregivers) to foster a healthy understanding of death in children.

Lumpen utopia: money, livestreaming, and labor in emerging media worlds

ABSTRACT Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Hengdian – China’s largest film and television studio—this article engages with recent scholarship regarding converging media and payment platforms. Thousands of unemployed people travel to Hengdian to find work as background actors in the production of historical dramas. But low wages lead many to seek monetized gifts by livestreaming as broke hengpiao, or Hengdian drifters, who encourage their audience to send them gifts and move to Hengdian to work in an alternative to waged-labor. Hengpiao construct alternative experiences of work through the animation of generic historical and livestreaming characters in exchange for payment. This alternative arises from performances, payments for activity, and gift exchanges that create contrasting chronotopes of labor, or mediated conceptions of time, space, and personhood entailed by payments for work. I describe the way these experiences are constructed and monetized in relation to revenue generation schemes that fuel the expansion of the platform economy. I argue that producing experiences of place, personhood, and class plays an important role in both creating payments that generate revenue for livestreaming platforms and forming the subjectivities of those who produce the platform economy.