Author: Margaret Dekanyova

The weekly plan

Abstract & Acknowledgements

A short overview of the reasons for and the aims of the research.

This essay explores the issue of the animated film genre, delving into its development, significance and impact on the audience experience.
The starting point of the research is the problem that, while some groups of the arts are a relatively well-researched topic, animation received undeservedly little attention in the analysis of theorists.
At the same time, the study showed that genre phenomena are indisputable from animated films as well.
The concepts used in the thesis are mostly definitions created by the profession or not generally accepted by theorists dealing with film culture. This fact makes genre classification difficult.
This study therefore examines the genre characteristics of the media products used by motion picture culture – films and animated films.
How could many genres and subgenres, as well as mixed or hybrid versions of them, develop from this approach?
Why is genre switching so common?
Possible answers to the above questions are also dealt with in a report made by Hungarian director-animator Simon Balázs.
As can be seen from the above, the topic of the thesis connects two topics: it approaches the animated film from the perspective of genre theory. The text focuses on a topic that can be considered a highly neglected issue in the field of animation film theory and genre theory: it discusses the relationship between genres and animation.
According to the basic hypothesis of the thesis, there are no genres that can only appear in animated films, but not in live-action films. This assumption is about the relationship between live-action and animated films and points to a more general theoretical conclusion: genres in a given medium do not depend solely on technical factors.
The research examines publications dealing with the general issues of the animated film and refuted their main claims. To prove a new hypothesis, the research further examines possible animation variations of popular film genres. It focuses on the following question:
are the components that contribute to the shaping of genres hindered by animated film forms, or can we find a kind of adaptation process in which the attributes of animation and genre characteristics can work together?
The goal was to prove that the differences between animated and live-action films do not affect the genre phenomenon. This means that different practices of filmmaking do not preclude the operation of genre characteristics.

Acknowledgements

•           Acknowledgements (Optional)

You may wish to acknowledge any significant contributions to the research from others

Special thanks

I would also like to thank my lecturers at the University of the Art London, London College Communication for helping me develop my knowledge in VFX, for their encouragement, patience, and emotional support.

Words cannot express my gratitude to my professor Nigel Mars for his invaluable patience and feedback. I could not have made this journey without his support and expertise. I would never have chosen the topic of animation as the basis of my research work if I hadn’t been influenced as much by him. He explained with great enthusiasm that animation is a part of our whole life. In which he was right, as the research below reveals.

I am also grateful to my classmates for their help, and support. Thanks, should also go to the librarians, research assistants, and study participants from the university, who impacted and inspired me

Finally, a special thanks to the Hungarian director Simon Balázs, who, in addition to his background in animation and visual effects, also has the innate ability to make everything believable and cinematic. The interview with him greatly supports the research.

The weekly plan

studying and scheduling the structure of the thesis

Thesis structure

The last term began on the second week (3/10/23 Tuesday).We dealt with the possible thesis writing resources.

Paying particular attention to the five basic rules of academic referencing:

• Find the original paper or source.
• The title of the journal or book should initially be named.
• If paraphrasing, to use the exact interpretation of the author’s thought in my own words.
• Correct use of appropriate citation conventions.

We discussed the plan for scheduling the Thesis.

September/ October	Final proof reading
30/11/23	Submission

We thoroughly examined the coherence of the structure of the thesis.

Thesis structure

 

A thesis will usually contain most or all the following sections:

 

• Title page

A clear title or research question

 

• Abstract

A short overview of the reasons for and the aims of the research.

 

• Acknowledgements (Optional)

You may wish to acknowledge any significant contributions to the research from others

 

• Contents page(s)

Examples will be provided.

 

• Introduction

Here you should provide context for the study, briefly outline the methods of the study and establish the overall and specific objectives. The reader should clearly understand what they will learn.

 

• Literature review

Review all the literary materials and sources you plan to use in your research, establishing how they will provide a foundation to support the enquiry and enable the study to reach viable findings and fulfil the research objectives.

 

• Methodology

This section should review approaches and methods applied to develop findings, including any not covered in Literature review. This might include literary comparison, case studies, surveys, interviews, experiments, exhibitions and events. It should explain how these methods will generate relevant findings or results.

 

• Themed topic chapters

This will form the main part of the discussion and the number of topics /chapters will vary. Main chapter headings should be clearly labelled e.g., Chapter 1. Contexts in Animated Documentary.

Chapter subtitles should be labelled as e.g., 1.1 Enactment and Re-enactment of Documentary, 1.2 Interview and Animated Documentary

 

• Results/or Findings

This section will present findings and discuss the implications. Consider the practical value your findings will provide to practitioners, educators, and other academics in your field, any ways your work can challenge existing theories and assumptions in your field.

 

• Conclusions

Conclude the study by evaluating and reviewing the implications of the study identifying any policies that could be impacted by your findings, problems your work can potentially help to fix, or how your work might contribute to current or future research. Identify any limitations and recommendations for future research.

 

• Reference list

List all the sources cited in your thesis. Arrange your references alphabetically by author surname.

 

• Bibliography

List books that you have consulted but not cited. Arrange your references alphabetically by author surname. You may also require a filmography

 

• Image list

       For academic referencing, visuals are categorised as either:

       Illustrations (artwork, photos, screenshots, film stills, charts, graphs etc.) or,

       Tables (numbers or text in columns and rows)

 

• Appendices

Materials such as letters or relevant documents can be presented here.

The topics shown below are also covered in this lesson.

Understanding Methodology