If you’d been at DreamWorks Animation during the making of that movie, you might have heard that in the hallways–as I would excitedly start ranting about it to almost anyone who’d listen.
I worked there from 2009 to 2014 as an effects animator: about the farthest one could get from making creative decisions. And while making water break the laws of physics was creative work, I wasn’t exactly calling the shots.
But I did get to send in notes. And oh, did I send in notes.
10 comments:
I have been following the HTTYD series ever since I saw the first movie. I've watched the two TV series Cartoon Network produced and the Two spin off series Netflix has produced along with all of the holiday specials. Within the first movie Astrid is the symbol for 'violence' which is replaced by Hiccups 'intelligence' never the less she battles it out in the final scene of the first movie. Then in the four seasons of spin off series all of the characters take turns sharing the spotlight, they all get episodes focused on them and they all take turns in major/minor rolls depending on the plot. Throughout Astrid gradually rises to the same level of character relevance as Hiccup, even starting off the second Netflix series with a two part episode completely focused around her. So I was expecting this increase of importance to follow over into the second movie. Being a huge fan I adored the first few minutes of casual romance but as the movie progressed I found myself disappointed in Astrids lack of leadership or the hard-core daring and feats she is characterized by. To a certain extent her violence is removed to show how intelligence works better than violence but none the less she is still meant to be Hiccups foil. Her bravery and power to his cunning and intelligence. And honestly the second movie turned her into a pile of girly nothingness. I hope by the time the third movie comes out public opinion will have changed to allow her to hold a bigger role. Not to mention Astrid is based of Camicazi, one of the most powerful girls in the original HTTYD books, so much so that the boys accept her as one of them (the books have a lot of negative gender portrayal as well, far more than the movies). Even that wasn't enough to make Astrid as kick ass as she should be so I have my fingers crossed for 2017 (HTTYD 3).
This article does a great job illuminating the inequities of roles in film for women. I liked how she included that Astrid had fallen into the girlfriend role. No where elictly did it say that she was the girlfriend however our unconscious bias lets it seep in. Being a children's animation, I think it is vital for female roles to take hold of power and show independence. As the Cheetah Girls one said "I don't wanna be a Cinderella...wait for somebody to come and set me free". This lyric rings true here. Astrid definitely should have been kicking more butt in the movie HTTYD2. Another thing, it is very disappointing that in such a large scale collaborative community such as DreamWorks there is still hierarchical boudanries that restrict art. When "the power above" don't genuinely listen and respond to their employees, the company has failed as a collaborator. It is up to artists and creators to raise our children in the future we want them to live in.
I don't want to make it seem like a big deal that the author was a man, but I think it's a big deal that the author was a man. As a male in a male dominated industry like animation, I think it's important and really meaningful that voices like his get heard and taken seriously! All of the movies that he mentioned-- Princess Mononoke, Coraline, Spirit--- it is absolutely baffling to me that those movies didn't do very well. Those movies have been integral in my childhood and to learn that they haven't taken hold in the mainstream like that have in the lives of mine (and I'm sure many others) is really troubling. I have also seen How To Train Your Dragon and the sequel and I remember rolling my eyes at the fact Astrid couldn't even save herself despite being a complete baddie!!! It sucks to know and understand that of course, directors and producers are people with mouths to feed and that they depend on what the market wants in order to make money. However, I really applaud Jason's Rejected Princess blog because it's everything that he stands for-- building a base that reaches people and someday, will grow to be more.
In my opinion, having strong female characters in animated movies is more important than almost any other section of the entertainment industry. Why? Because animated movies are the stories we show are kids and having strong female role models is so important for young boys and girls. I don’t think we would be having so much controversy over a female candidate for president if this generation of voters had grown up watching movies where the girl DID become the viking chief at the end. We can chose to teach children to reinforce strict gender roles, we can chose to teach them to hate and fear people who are different, or we can chose to teach them to believe in diversity and in each other. We can teach them largely through the stories we tell them and the values those stories put forth. More than anywhere else, it is vital that the stories we tell to children that have strong and diverse characters so that every small kid will have a hero that they identify with and know that, because that character is valued, they are valued. If we teach them to look up to heroes of all genders, races, etc. they will learn to respect and love all of the people around them.
How interesting it is to hear from an insider feminist voice in the field of animation. I know we’ve seen a lot of articles on women in the film industry, but I think this is the first I’ve seen in the world of animation. To be perfectly honest, the entire time I was reading the article, I assumed the author was a woman, and I don’t think I was surprised to find out it was actually a man but I was definitely excited. People like Jason are integral to the feminist cause in the entertainment industry, and it’s definitely reassuring to hear that companies are trying, but are ultimately just being held back by the industry statistics in that a strong female lead movie hasn’t ever been super popular. However, I do feel like a cause of that is the way people write female characters as opposed to male characters. It is very easy for writers to get focused on emotion and other politics, and not focus on the pivotal aspects of a female’s personality that would make a male character great.
I don't have an extensive knowledge of How to Train your Dragon, unlike Claire, but I don't know what companies keep thinking when they try to press stereotypical gender roles back into female roles in their work. It's an even bigger shame to see a show that started out so strongly feminist in the creation of Astrid's role to fall behind in later seasons. I'm not sure what could have caused them to do this? Maybe it was a lack of attention on Hiccup? Maybe it truly was our social standards affecting the design? Either way, if the author is correct in her statement that Dreamworks is more likely to create changes if they get a lot of negative feedback about an issue, I hope the later seasons revert back to continue to show the badassery that Astrid showed before. In addition, it's really a shame to see how many shows, cartoons, and movies failed if they had a female protagonist.
I believe that the inevitable change to an increased rate of female protagonists in companies like Dreamworks and Disney can help diminish stereotypical gender roles in our society.
I completely agree that animated films are directed at kids, being shown to kids, and give them (and us) role model characters. I do think that Dreamworks and Disney have started creating more strong female characters and storylines with more than just chasing after a guy. But at the same time, love plotlines or subplots can be really cute, and it’s unfortunate that they can’t seem to figure out how to present the same character without falling into gender relationship roles. At the moment, it seems like the only solution is rejecting love plot lines entirely, but making it seem like love and feminism can’t mix really isn’t much better. I don’t blame Dreamworks for waiting for the audience to shift rather than making that change themselves, as the article said, they are a company.
There is an interesting discussion to be had here about the responsibilities of informed consumption and artistic corporations, but I’m actually most interested in asking why specifically “unconventional” female leads don’t sell. We certainly know that conventional female leads do (Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, etc.) There are a few titles amongst the highest grossing animated films that counter this argument – Finding Dory is the 4th highest, Inside Out the 13th and Brave the 33rd – but the great majority of highest grossing films feature male protagonists, conventional or not. So, I think it must go beyond just the standard problem that male protagonists are seen as “for” both boys and girls, but female protagonists are seen as “for” girls only. Why are unconventional female protagonists so uninteresting? Is it the children who don’t want to see these movies (who don’t get hooked on them) or the parents? Why aren’t parents jazzed about taking their children to see unconventional women or girls?
I believe that feminism and strong female characters are important not only in the general entertainment industry but especially in Animated entertainment. This is because it is what children are more exposed to early in life. The movies we as adults hold near and dear to our hearts are the ones we treasured throughout childhood. We all remember with fondness Aladdin, Mulan, Finding Nemo, and countless others. But we have to remember that these movies were not only entertainment for us, but they taught us about the world. Animated movies still do this for children, which is why it is so important to have diverse, strong, female characters. The only way we can actually have change in our society is if we teach our children, and to do that, we need to model the good behavior in any way possible. I think we have started down the right path when it comes to feminism in entertainment, but we still have a long way to go.
How To Train Your Dragon is my favorite movie of all time, with HTTYD2 following at a close second. When the inaugural feature film came out, I was still struggling through middle school and all the ups and downs that causes one's self-esteem. I fell in love with the series immediately, for two reasons. Number one, its hero (Hiccup) brought a lot of important discussion to the table about prejudice, assumption, and what it means to be strong. He may have been small and prone to accidents, but he had remained true to his own curious spirit and adventurous heart through all the years of his father not understanding him, so much so that even the perfect opportunity could not push him to kill a living creature in cold blood. As a tiny, awkward, and shy tween who preferred fashion history and writing essays to soccer, this resonated with me in way that is still difficult to put into words. My other reason, number two, was and still is Astrid. She was tough AND beautiful, intimidating AND a team-player, one of the boys AND still her own feminine self. She was better in the ring than any other dragon hunter her own age, but when it came time to fight back the prejudice of her own people she was also willing to listen and work with her friends. And once she was in Hiccup's life, he could not have done what he did to save his home without her. She wasn't just the crush or the pretty girl or even the tomboy - she was necessary. She made the story complete. And when HTTYD2 rolled around I was looking forward to watching Astrid take the lead more than ever before. I read articles about how the film's producers wanted to show her as Hiccup's grounding factor, his protector, the person he couldn't survive without - which all sounded well and good. And then I saw the movie. Don't get me wrong, I loved it - but it left me wondering: what about Astrid? Sure she was instrumental in Hiccup's actions again - but what about her own? If all the female protagonist of a movie wants is what the male protagonist wants, is she really there at all? I love Astrid as the character she is, and I never want that to change: but the way she is represented needs a serious upgrade. Not only, from a purely nerdy standpoint, is Astrid the far more qualified choice for Chief of Berk - she also has to opportunity to be an even stronger character than Hiccup. Imagine the same amount of internal conflict and contradiction as any young person struggling with their identity in a new and powerful position combined with the implications and struggles of a female narrative. The story writes itself! And now more than ever it would be relevant, for all the young women and girls wondering why we still don't have a female president even when the only alternative was a racist, sexist, orange lizard. I have very big dreams for HTTYD3, many of which I know I won't get - but Astrid is one I will have a very hard time accepting the third film without, no matter how much I love Hiccup and Toothless. Dreamworks, now is the time. Step it up or so help me I will take over this whole shebang. Just you wait.
Post a Comment