Sunday, July 19, 2015

The Artistry of Chuck Jones


(Link to YouTube) Film editor Tony Zhou presents this concise summary of what makes the cartoons of Chuck Jones so memorable. Jones developed from a good director to a great one by refining perfectly timed gags driven by memorable characters.

Animation is a medium of movement, and the characters' movements were always original and understated, based on observations of real life.
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The YouTube channel Every Frame a Painting analyzes the techniques of great filmmakers. Check out the episodes on Akira Kurosawa and Jackie Chan.
The book Chuck Amuck:  The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist, written by Jones himself, is a good source for his thinking.

4 comments:

Larry Kitchen said...

I have always loved Chuck Jones. His family of characters are some of the very best. My favorite: Daffy Duck.

rock995 said...

Thanks so much. Best practical art blog on the internet!

Daroo said...

This is a great series -- In the Jackie Chan episode, his analysis of the different editing styles is very astute.
I also recommend the Edgar Wright episode, in both of these, he shows why the filmmakers are on a higher level in terms of their craft and artistry. They do the work to get it right.

Unknown said...

Grew up watching all these cartoons, amazing how well they still hold up and eclipse a lot of what is created today.