Month: December 2024

Writing the conclusion for my critical report was a reflective experience. The goal was to bring together all of the elements discussed in the main chapters—history, tokenism, inclusivity, and cultural shifts—and present a brief yet effective overview of my research. One problem I faced was ensuring that the conclusion did not just regurgitate previously addressed points but provided a thorough synthesis of the important observations while emphasising the research’s larger implications. To leave a lasting impression on the reader, it was critical to balance a positive outlook on the industry’s progress and a critical perspective on areas that needed improvement.

A key part of the process was referring back to academic sources such as Johnson Cheu’s Diversity in Disney Films and Paul Wells’ Understanding Animation, which helped me ground my arguments in established scholarship. I also drew insights from industry perspectives, including critical essays on modern productions like Coco and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, to illustrate how representation has evolved.

The transition to preparing the presentation adds a new level of complication. Writing allows for in-depth research, whereas a presentation requires brevity and clarity. I originally tried to distil the report into visually appealing and understandable pieces. To ensure that each slide effectively communicated the chapters’ content while keeping the audience engaged, I had to rethink how I presented information. To solve this, I used crucial graphics, such as stills from historically significant animations, along with simple bullet points summarising my views.

Writing the key chapters of my critical report involved a delicate balancing act. The chapters required in-depth discussions of historical prejudices, tokenism, and the changing landscape of racial and ethnic representation in animation, each with its own focus while adding to the larger narrative. One major challenge I faced was making each chapter feel unbiased while still maintaining a strong, critical voice. This required me to present multiple perspectives on controversial topics.

while investigating tokenism in animation, I found myself delving into subtopics such as its historical roots and how overcompensation has occasionally resulted in shallow representation. It was difficult to pick which features to highlight without losing sight of the larger point. Striking the correct balance between discussing historical mistakes, such as Disney’s early preconceptions, and praising progress, such as the cultural depth of films like Coco, necessitated ongoing modification and critical evaluation.

Another difficulty was the large amount of academic and non-academic sources. While scholarly articles provided theoretical depth, industry interviews and critiques from animators offered practical insights. Synthesizing these diverse perspectives was no easy task, but it pushed me to refine my arguments and focus on what truly supported my paper

The literature review for my critical report delves deeply into the complex history of race and ethnicity in animation. It was both enlightening and difficult to map out the scholarly environment for this topic. I traced major trends, from early prejudices in animated media to the current quest for actual diversity in mainstream films.

A big challenge was maintaining cohesion among the various materials I read, which spanned from cultural critiques to audience analysis. Another problem was the lack of academic work on representation in non-Western animation, which forced me to broaden my search and rely on linked media studies for history. Despite this, I clearly understood how historical prejudices affected the industry and discovered encouraging examples of development in global storytelling.

This step of the project emphasised the importance of critical thinking and synthesis, turning the literature review into more than just a summary—it became the foundation for my research. While difficult, it was a worthwhile exercise in providing clarity and direction for the remainder of the report.