Redundant vs Entropic

Narrative to me is what makes or breaks a film, game or animation. Sure the visuals can blow you away; but unless the viewer can fully believe in the entropic elements of the narrative - then they cannot enter full immersion of a scene.

Being able to immerse yourself in the gritty boots of Mr John Marston in Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption, or the journey to the mystical alien planet of Pandora in James Cameron’s Avatar is where my passion lies in animation. That is where the topic of entropy and redundancy comes into play, as the balance must be perfect in order to achieve full believability with enough entropic realism and redundant thrill. Animation has the plasmatic ability to defy all boundaries and tell stories on other planets or when dinosaurs walked the earth. The word animate derives from the Latin word animare meaning to breathe life. As animators, Godlike we create and manipulate our own little worlds for the joy of narrative.

Pixar is well known for perfecting the balance of entropy and redundancy; using everyday elements and throwing some foreign ones together for great cinematic thrill. The example of Toy Story; a young boy whose vivid imagination builds a close friendship with his toys is recognized by all audiences. But Pixar ‘ironically’ animated the toys; breathing life into them, stirring up the narrative completely and keeping the audience engaged and immersed in the tale of toys. Again with Monster’s Inc. the redundant fear of the monsters in the closet, but the story behind the closet completes the balance.

This ability to manipulate everyday scenarios is what makes animation, and I am looking forward to breathing life into my own narratives and discovering the recipe for immersion.