Category: FMP and Thesis

Thesis Proposal Structure:

•         Research title or question

•         Draft Introduction

•         Key words searched

•         General outline of each chapter

•         Draft literature review

•         A draft chapter

•         Indicative bibliography

Does gender representation in the industry influence animation? 

Abstract: 

Over the years gender representation in animated films has significantly increased. Not only female characters started to appear in the lead roles but their characteristics have also evolved from the basic social stereotypes. The change towards equality has been also seen in the industry itself. This paper will study if there is a direct relationship between gender representation in the industry and on screen.  

Literature review: 

The following literature review is going to be divided into three parts. The first part will cover the topic of the underrepresentation of females in the industry and its improvement over time, the second part covers the increase of female representation in animated films and the last part will discover a connection between gender representation in the industry and on screen.  

Jobs in the animation industry have been gender-segregated from the start. The creative departments in most studios were handled by men, while women were limited to the drawing and painting department, where the work was mostly uncreative (Furniss, 2000). Over time women started to take more job positions, however inequality still exists. From 2014-2018, the gender ratio of males to females across head positions was 8.5 to 1 (Smith, Choueiti, Pieper, Clark, 2019). A bigger gender gap is in such roles as directors, writers, and producers (Smith, Choueiti, Choi, Pieper, 2019). Even though gender inequality in the industry is still on a high level, the number of women working on films and taking top positions have significantly increased. 

From the early animation films, women were represented in a very stereotypical way with exaggerated features and primary as a side character. Although, in the modern time only 20 (17%) of the 120 top animated features from 2007-2018 had a female lead or co lead (Smith, Choueiti, Choi, Pieper, 2019), the female representation in animated films as well as the number of female leads have increased.  

The last part of the paper will combine two previous paragraphs to understand if there is a connection between increase of women taking positions in the industry and female representation on screen. The presence or absence of the connection will be reinforced by two statistics: one of them will show top animation films with female leads and/or better female representation and the percentage of women working on these films, and the other will illustrate top animation films with male leads and the percentage of women working on them. 

The main purpose of the paper is to find out if gender representation in the industry influences gender representation in the animation films. If so, this paper will prove that gender equality and more diverse representation will benefit the industry and is a right way to move forward.  

Bibliography:  

Smith, S.L., Choueiti, M., Choi, A., & Pieper, K. (2019). ‘Inclusion in the Director’s Chair: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, & Age of Directors Across the Top Films From 2007-2018,’ USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved from: http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/inclusion-in-the-directors-chair-2019.pdf 

Smith, S.L., Choueiti, M., Pieper, K. & Clark, H. (2019). Increasing Inclusion in Animation. Investigating Opportunities, Challenges, and the Classroom to the C-Suite Pipeline,’ USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved from: https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-inclusion-animation-201906.pdf  

Furniss, M. (2000). ‘“Color and Line” in Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetics,’ London: John Libbey. Rev. edition: 71-74. 

Abstract: 

Over the years gender representation in animated films has significantly increased. Not only female characters started to appear in the lead roles but their characteristics have also evolved from the basic social stereotypes. The change towards equality has been also seen in the industry itself. This paper will study if there is a direct relationship between gender representation in the industry and on screen. 

Main body structure:

1. Underrepresentation of females in the industry 

• Reasons why 
• The increase of representation over time 

• Representation in the role of modelers/animators and top positions 

2. Who can influence the representation on screen? 

• Modelers/animators 
• Top positions such as directors, producers 

3. An increase of female leads and female representation in animation in the most popular animations over time 

4. Does the increase of females in the industry has a direct relationship to female representation on screen? 

Bibliography: 

Smith, S.L., Choueiti, M., Choi, A., & Pieper, K. (2019). ‘Inclusion in the Director’s Chair: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, & Age of Directors Across the Top Films From 2007-2018,’ USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved from: http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/inclusion-in-the-directors-chair-2019.pdf 

Smith, S.L., Choueiti, M., Pieper, K. & Clark, H. (2019). Increasing Inclusion in Animation. Investigating Opportunities, Challenges, and the Classroom to the C-Suite Pipeline,’ USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved from: https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-inclusion-animation-201906.pdf  

Furniss, M. (2000). ‘“Color and Line” in Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetics,’ London: John Libbey. Rev. edition: 71-74. 

Qualitative vs Quantitative Methodologies 

• Qualitative: Explores peoples’ perceptions, ideas and feelings, and therefore, it can be considered more subjective.  

• Quantitative: Investigates the hard numbers and statistics, and therefore, it can be considered more objective.  

My research will combine both qualitative and quantitative types. However, the principal component will be a quantitative analysis of the percentage of women working on films correlated with data showing female representation on screen. To support these statistics, literature will be analysed to extract data collected by other researchers.

For my Thesis research I have to read lots of books and articles on the topic of feminism, production structure and female position within this structure, as well as analyse top animation movies on the amount of women working on these films and if it has female main characters.

Literature reviews are, then, important in:

• supporting the identification of a research topic, question or hypothesis;

• Identifying the literature to which the research will make a contribution, andcontextualising the research within that literature;

• building an understanding of theoretical concepts and terminology;

• facilitating the building of a bibliography or list of the sources that have been consulted;

• suggesting research methods that might be useful; and in,

• analyzing and interpreting results.

Literature searching and locating information sources

There are a number of different tools to assist in the identification and location of documents in each of the categories discussed above. These include:

1. library catalogues – good for locating books held by a library, and journals towhich they subscribe;
2. search engines – good for locating web pages, with simple keyword basedsearches; and,
3. on-line databases or abstracting and indexing services, which provide accessto journal articles, papers in conference proceedings, reports, dissertations and other documents.

Guidelines:

•Use headings and topic sentences to inform readers what the subject is and what point the material is contributing to the discussion.

•Do not just point to the existence of literature on the topic; compose about methods or results in the studies you discuss.

•Test sentences for relevance to the main point.

•Put citations where they don’t distract from the line of thought you are presenting.

•Utilize active verbs that are strong and rich in content.

•Make use of transition words.

Evaluating Information

This is a really important part of the thesis process and will take place at various stages of it: 

• when selecting appropriate resources
• when using/reading those resources
• when making your own case. 

The first thing to remember is that a thesis is a piece of formal academic writing. In his excellent book, The Good Study Guide, Andrew Northedge gives a helpful explanation of what is meant by‘ Academic writing.

Academic writers use cautious considered language in an effort to be as exact as they can in their analysis. They try to say only what they mean and think can be justified. In daily life we cheerfully use language as a blunt instrument, to cudgel our way through the discussions that spring up around us. By contrast, academic writing uses language as a scalpel, to cut precisely between closely related arguments so they can be prised apart and analysed in detail. Learning how to read, think and write in this way is a central part of learning at degree level. (Northedge, 2005, p109) Academic research then, requires sources that are credible, unbiased, current and relevant to your needs.

Planning your thesis

Once you have a significant collection of notes you can begin to devise a plan. Some of the important points are

•          Formulate a structure that develops an argument.

•          Avoid relying on chronology to structure the thesis for you.

•          Take charge of your notes; do not rely on them to tell you a plan.

•          Edit out irrelevant material. This means you need a clear focus on objective.

•          Identify the main sections/chapters and group the appropriate notes together.

•          Consider visual illustrations to support your discussion/argument.

Check List for Choosing a Topic

• Have you chosen a topic which will hold your interest for a sustained period?
• Do you know what the current issues relating to this topic are?
• Have you found out who the leading experts / key writers are in this field and what reviews of the topic already exist?
• Do you have the support of your supervisor for your topic?
• Where are you going to find the appropriate background reading and other sources of information you need for this topic?
• Have you checked their availability?
• Are you going to do primary research?  What access do you have to your area of interest? When are you going to do it?  Have you discussed the practicality of it with your supervisor?
• Have you a clearly articulated position which you aim to test? (if appropriate)
• Are you sure that your topic is sufficiently focused?
• Does it respond to a question and/or present an argument?
• Have you a clear, manageable research question?

Researching the Topic

Choosing your topic will involve a considerable amount of initial research. Research involves locating key sources.  There are two kinds of sources:

a) Primary or original sources.  These could be a mediaeval manuscript, a poem, a photograph, the records of an institution, a dress, an interview…

b) Secondary or interpretative sources i.e. papers/articles/books written about a subject.

Each source/text is written/produced from a perspective and has a specific function.  Interpretation, therefore, depends not only on the content, but also the context.  In other words, don’t take everything at face value. Notice and make note of the position that is being taken by theauthor/producer. An essential part of a good Thesis is commenting on the different position’s authors take.

There are four main stages to research:

• Researching the research

• Planning the research

• Doing the research

• Finishing the research

Conceptual Abstraction:

This term relates to the abstraction and juxtaposition of narrative structures or storytelling tools, traditional cannons, and communicative vehicles.

These approaches question and build film language, challenge perception and exploit semiotics metaphor and symbolism.

Interpreting Abstraction:

There is an integral link between conceptual application and technological advancement in the innovation of film and in particular, animation, raising  complex and challenging questions on; 

•Categorisation; Genre & Sub-genre what is the works background / setting, mood / tone, theme or topic?

•Form and Function; interpreting meaning and relating it to the format, or presentational mode:

•Process; The techniques, materials and technologies applied within the work and the relationships between message and medium, (Does process, technique or tool become the message?)

•Formal Elements; Use of space/composition, Light & colour, movement, rhythm, timing, pacing, transition and audio relationships.

Formative Abstraction:

Primarily defined as, focusing upon the manipulation of the visual fundamentals; colour, form, space, light and texture, alongside the the dynamics of movement, time, rhythm and sound as a central theme of the work.

The artist’s involvement is essentially investigative and may not have a predetermined outcome but must be grounded in the intellectual pursuit of applying a theory or initial objective.

There is an integral link between conceptual application and technological advancement in the innovation of film and in particular, animation, raising complex and challenging questions. 

Thesis Structure

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

• Title page

• Abstract

• Acknowledgements

• Contents page(s)

• Introduction

• Literature review (sometimes within the introduction) Materials/sources and methods (can be part of every chapter if these are different per chapter)

• Methodology (all approaches, and methods applied to develop findings, including any not covered in Literature review) 

• Themed topic chapters

• Results

• Discussion or Findings

• Conclusions

• References

• Appendices

Common mistakes to avoid when writing a research proposal:

• Being too wordy

• Failing to cite relevant sources

• Focusing too much on minor issues

• Failing to make a strong argument for your research