OUAN601 - COP3:
Disney/Pixar & Mental Health
Finding Nemo - Anterograde Amnesia
Dory. Need I say more? It is incredibly obvious that Dory's short-term memory loss is an indicator of a more serious form of amnesia. The story could be looked at as a point of optimism, especially for children who witness family members suffering from illness such as dementia and amnesia. It may teach them that their support and love regardless of a close relative's memory loss could actually help the sufferer: "I just... I remember things better with you" - Dory.
The Lion King - PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
A child having to watch the brutal death of his father would be traumatic whichever way you look at it. Simba obviously suffered from seeing his uncle put his father to death and that is practically what the first film is about. It could be said that this is simply the natural course of trauma and grief and there implying mental illness is part of this film is, well, mad! (No pun intended!) Some of the symptoms of PTSD are recurrent flashbacks, numbing of emotional events, and hyperarousal - all potential warning signs for Simba. Considering TLK was based on Hamlet, the Shakespearean play, it is very much inevitable that a character would show signs of PTSD.
Shrek - SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder)
It could be argued that Shrek has elements of social anxiety and actively shows these symptoms throughout the films. It is mentioned that "ogres have layers" and Shrek has trouble opening up to the world around him. He puts on a front with the intention of scaring those around him away so he does not have to engage in social interaction or any threatening situations. For instance, when meeting Fiona's parents for the first time, he is intimidated in a very logical way, however his urge to avoid this situation could be down to his anxiety of rejection and judgement due to appearance and is so strong that he wishes to leave the event and makes a fuss about it.
Frozen - BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder)
Emotional instability, outbursts of anger, intense efforts to avoid real or perceived abandonment, and unstable interpersonal relationships. Sounds like Elsa. A lot, right? Affecting a whopping 1.6% of adults according to many articles, it can be a hard and horrible rollercoaster of emotional dysregulation, suicide, and self-harm. Although self-harm and suicide aren't tackled in this film (for obvious reasons), Elsa does engage in self-destructive behaviour, a clear pointer towards BPD.
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs - Narcissistic Personality Disorder
For all of us who have watched it, and I can't think of anyone who hasn't, we all know too well that the Evil Queen has a touch of massive-ego syndrome. Talking to a mirror every single day to ask its opinion on your appearance is a little bit on the egocentric side. She's impulsive and cruel and feels nothing of it. You could argue that most evil villains have some form of disorder and it's quite obvious that she does.
Friday, 13 November 2015
OUAN601 - COP3: LIFF - Film to Change
OUAN601 - COP3:
LIFF - Film to Change
One event that was of particular interest to me at Leeds International Film Festival was "Film to Change", a seminar/talk-type presentation led by Tom Bailey of Leeds Arts and Minds Network, and Gary Morris, a psychology lecturer a Leeds University.
The talk featured amateur film created by students and volunteers regarding the subject of mental health and what film can do to tackle and approach this whilst raising awareness, being informative, and engaging with a wide audience. Some of the short films were a little bit disappointing albeit a really good attempt. Some of them felt a little bit unfinished and flighty, with no real story or motive behind them. It was later said that some of the films had been created for company briefs, which was unusual as I didn't feel they were "complete" and professional enough to be used in a public setting.
I didn't mean to be so critical however, seeing some of the work students at my college can produce just made me think that the participants of a film festival could've been a little more ambitious as that standard wasn't as polished as some of the work I've seen amongst fellow LCoA students.
Gary Morris talked about mental health in international film and how that has influenced a greater understanding amongst poorer and less education-orientated cultures such as those in India, some South-East Asian cultures, and African communities. He spoke in depth about how some minorities, especially communities in West Africa, still believe very heavily in religion and spiritual healing rather than science and logical reason. This had an impact on how they thought of the mentally ill, and what treatment they prescribed their sufferers. Often this type of lifestyle inflicted great prejudice as it is believed in some cultures that evil spirits are responsible for mental health issues - especially in places where psychotic disorders and hallucinations are prevalent (which has been shown to be very high in the black population).
I have contacted Tom Bailey with request for him to send me the presentation that was shown so that I can gather some of the sources of information for my dissertation and research some of the facts and figures more thoroughly for my own knowledge. I am incredibly interested to find out how animation and film are used internationally to portray mental health, and how much of an impact they have on certain cultures.
With kind permission from the writer of the presentation and speaker at Film to Change, Gary Morris, here is a preview of the presentation we were shown at the festival. It is incredibly useful to anyone studying mental health, film, and the international and cultural aspects surrounding it.
LIFF - Film to Change
One event that was of particular interest to me at Leeds International Film Festival was "Film to Change", a seminar/talk-type presentation led by Tom Bailey of Leeds Arts and Minds Network, and Gary Morris, a psychology lecturer a Leeds University.
The talk featured amateur film created by students and volunteers regarding the subject of mental health and what film can do to tackle and approach this whilst raising awareness, being informative, and engaging with a wide audience. Some of the short films were a little bit disappointing albeit a really good attempt. Some of them felt a little bit unfinished and flighty, with no real story or motive behind them. It was later said that some of the films had been created for company briefs, which was unusual as I didn't feel they were "complete" and professional enough to be used in a public setting.
I didn't mean to be so critical however, seeing some of the work students at my college can produce just made me think that the participants of a film festival could've been a little more ambitious as that standard wasn't as polished as some of the work I've seen amongst fellow LCoA students.
Gary Morris talked about mental health in international film and how that has influenced a greater understanding amongst poorer and less education-orientated cultures such as those in India, some South-East Asian cultures, and African communities. He spoke in depth about how some minorities, especially communities in West Africa, still believe very heavily in religion and spiritual healing rather than science and logical reason. This had an impact on how they thought of the mentally ill, and what treatment they prescribed their sufferers. Often this type of lifestyle inflicted great prejudice as it is believed in some cultures that evil spirits are responsible for mental health issues - especially in places where psychotic disorders and hallucinations are prevalent (which has been shown to be very high in the black population).
I have contacted Tom Bailey with request for him to send me the presentation that was shown so that I can gather some of the sources of information for my dissertation and research some of the facts and figures more thoroughly for my own knowledge. I am incredibly interested to find out how animation and film are used internationally to portray mental health, and how much of an impact they have on certain cultures.
With kind permission from the writer of the presentation and speaker at Film to Change, Gary Morris, here is a preview of the presentation we were shown at the festival. It is incredibly useful to anyone studying mental health, film, and the international and cultural aspects surrounding it.
OUAN601 - COP3: Mental Health Questionnaire
OUAN601 - COP3:
A rough attempt at a questionnaire online proved to be very unsuccessful in terms of the answers I was receiving and the people I was reaching out to. In an attempt to be humourous, many responded with joke answers, which was funny at first but wasn't giving me any real results. Instead of an online form, I decided it would be best to rewrite some of the questions to sound more appropriate and to the point in the form of a print-out questionnaire. I set up some points around the college with signs next to them, attracting attention and gathering quick responses.
In total I only received about thirty replies, which isn't a great deal and not from a very large audience. The online option gave the benefit of reaching a large audience, whereas the print out variation could only be accessed by people close by, unless distributed outside the college, which I didn't have the time for.
Here is the more refined printable version.
A rough attempt at a questionnaire online proved to be very unsuccessful in terms of the answers I was receiving and the people I was reaching out to. In an attempt to be humourous, many responded with joke answers, which was funny at first but wasn't giving me any real results. Instead of an online form, I decided it would be best to rewrite some of the questions to sound more appropriate and to the point in the form of a print-out questionnaire. I set up some points around the college with signs next to them, attracting attention and gathering quick responses.
In total I only received about thirty replies, which isn't a great deal and not from a very large audience. The online option gave the benefit of reaching a large audience, whereas the print out variation could only be accessed by people close by, unless distributed outside the college, which I didn't have the time for.
Here is the more refined printable version.
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
OUAN601 - COP3: Anxious Animations Review
OUAN601 - COP3:
Anxious Animation Review
To inform both my practical and dissertation, it was recommended by a friend that I watch Anxious Animations as some of the effects, subjects, and styles seemed very appropriate for what I wanted to achieve for this module. After taking it out of the library, my first impressions from reading the breakdown on the back of the case weren't at all positive. It seemed very pretentious and 'artsy' in a way that didn't seem it would make much sense in relation to mental health. The animations didn't look (at first glance) all that great. They seemed very rushed, and looked almost like a five-year-old had grabbed and crayon, chugged 10 gallons of caffeine, and gone out of control!
However, after sitting down with my partner to watch what felt like a lifetime of awful animations, we actually understood and began to even enjoy a few of the animations featured on the DVD. I have a habit of only seeing things at face value and not looking too much into things for deeper meanings. My partner on the other hand is very much connotation-wise and understood some of the morals and messages that were conveyed.
One of the animators, Jim Trainor, focused on an almost dosumentary-type genre of animation, featuring two animations - one about the life of bats, the other about a made-up creature called the "moschops". Albeit really weird, using a black and white style which I liked, but very sketchy, rough, thin-lined, and wobbly, it was really interesting to watch and was definitely something I hadn't seen before. The use of loud, uneasy sound effects like animals eating food in an overly-exaggerrated manner made my skin crawl a bit, and was a bit of a sensory overload. This could be a relevant feature for my animation as auditory sensitivity can be an issue for some people suffering with mental health issues and would be best explored.
Anxious Animation Review
To inform both my practical and dissertation, it was recommended by a friend that I watch Anxious Animations as some of the effects, subjects, and styles seemed very appropriate for what I wanted to achieve for this module. After taking it out of the library, my first impressions from reading the breakdown on the back of the case weren't at all positive. It seemed very pretentious and 'artsy' in a way that didn't seem it would make much sense in relation to mental health. The animations didn't look (at first glance) all that great. They seemed very rushed, and looked almost like a five-year-old had grabbed and crayon, chugged 10 gallons of caffeine, and gone out of control!
However, after sitting down with my partner to watch what felt like a lifetime of awful animations, we actually understood and began to even enjoy a few of the animations featured on the DVD. I have a habit of only seeing things at face value and not looking too much into things for deeper meanings. My partner on the other hand is very much connotation-wise and understood some of the morals and messages that were conveyed.
One of the animators, Jim Trainor, focused on an almost dosumentary-type genre of animation, featuring two animations - one about the life of bats, the other about a made-up creature called the "moschops". Albeit really weird, using a black and white style which I liked, but very sketchy, rough, thin-lined, and wobbly, it was really interesting to watch and was definitely something I hadn't seen before. The use of loud, uneasy sound effects like animals eating food in an overly-exaggerrated manner made my skin crawl a bit, and was a bit of a sensory overload. This could be a relevant feature for my animation as auditory sensitivity can be an issue for some people suffering with mental health issues and would be best explored.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)