Having always been fascinated by early Disney cartoons the Well's articel proved to be an thoroughly enjoyable read. I can very distinctly remember opening our VHS cabinet many years ago and scanning over all the Disney movies our family (as every 1990s American family) had purchased. They had their own shelf because their large plastic cases formed a more organized row than if they were merely scrambled with their smaller (and infinitely less important) VHS cousins.
While I also spent hundreds of hours watching Wile E Coyote and other Warner Brothers cartoons, it was the feature length cartoons that were too important to be interrupted by commercials that captivated, rather than entertained me. I recently re-visted that treasure trove and dusted off our old VHS deck to watch some of Fantasia. Having a much deeper appreciation of the beautiful musical compositions I was spellbound by the way in which the image gracefully matched the music. Colors and patterns rhythmically take the viewer out of the living room and into a world of imagination. I chuckled to myself as various scenes including fish came on, thinking of the new generation of children's entertainment. Had Finding Nemo been set to Wagner perhaps it would be a masterpiece, but I can't help but think the picture would not succeed in doing justice to the music.
Something that instantly struck me as the central point regarding experimental animation was a quote from Moritz and Wells' response. First the quote:
"The true abstraction and the true symbol must have an intriguing spirit and intergrity of its own, and it must suggest more meanings, various, almost contradictory depths and speculations beyond the surface value; otherwise, why bother to obfuscate? If the viewer comes to the point of saying, 'Oh, that represents the police and that represents freedom,' then that revelation is about as interesting as, 'Gee, Donald Duck drives a car and mows his lawn just like an average American; he must represent the average irascible American!"
"Moritz, in determining the necessary requirements for the truly abstract film, and the role of its audience, simultaneously distinguishes the kind of film which, in my analysis, would constitute developmental animation in the sense that i would be deliberately using animation in a directly metaphoric way and not working the in the realms of the purely abstract."
This, I believe, is what separates a novice from an artist. Knowing how to articulate a meaning beyond the obvious, first gut reaction. Advice that can begin a novice on the journey to becoming an artist can be found in another quote from the article:
(regarding experimental animation)
"This kind of subjective work has therefore necessitated that audiences respond differently."
I believe this to be the crux of any discussion on avant-garde cinema or practically anything experimental. Viewers must forget preconceived notions of story or plot or development if they become obstacles to enjoying a work of art.
