Uses and target audiences

How is animation is used in media landscapes for each one, who would the target audience be:

• Children's TV- young kids
• Advertising- anyone the advert is for
• Sci-Fi- 15-35-year-olds
• Anime and manga
• TV shows
• Online and viral

Animated films and TV

Traditionally, animated content is associated with younger audiences. Television programs such as Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny, and Disney films from Snow white to Frozen, have been largely pitched at children (though as we know from unit 1, these films also enjoy large audiences formed of older demographics).

British Television- puppetry and stop motion

The animation was popular for children in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s. 
A number of children's shows featured puppetry and stop motion. 
Shows like: the magic roundabout, in the night garden, and postman pat.

The Simpsons and Family Guy

It could be argued that the Simpsons paved the way for shows like Family guy, due to the adult jokes embedded throughout the series. 
When it was first devised, Bart was the main focal point for the series, with his recognisable catchphrases (eat my shorts; don't have a cow).
The writers soon realised that Homer should become the main character and that the target audiences were older.

The rise of manga and anime in the west

Graphic novels and comics.

It's common to see people (mainly men) reading graphic novels in Japan, rather than novels. These are often very violent, erotic, or contain sexualised violence. This has given rise to the term 'hentai', referring to overtly sexualised characters and sexually explicit themes and images.

Manga vs Anime

Manga is a Japanese word that roughly translates as 'comic'- the term generally refers to books and comics. Films and moving images are commonly referred to as anime, though many people incorrectly use these interchangeably. 

Confusingly, DVD and VHS covers often feature the word 'manga'.

The rise of manga and anime in the west has meant that the perceptions of animation as a medium have shifted. Once the exclusive domain of children's content, animation now has a much broader appeal, depending on the technique and genre. 
Increasingly, animation features adult content.

Influence on television

At the same time, Japanese and American animators started working together in the 1980s to produce some hugely popular television shows for children.