Blog Assignment #7: Animation Deconstruction

Toy Story 2

Ratatouille

The Disney movies Toy Story 2 and Ratatouille are two great examples when comparing and contrasting lighting and color.

When looking at the scene of Toy Story 2, Woody (the cowboy), Jessie (the cowgirl), and Bullseye (the stallion are showing facing a television. The light from the TV screen is casting dark shadows behind the three characters. This tells the viewer that it must be nighttime when they are watching the TV, or the lights in the rooms must be turned down low. Though the light is casting shadows, it isn’t that harsh (or bright) on the character’s faces. From their facial expression, whatever show they are watching amuses them. This soft white light on the characters symbolizes that what they are watching is not bad or evil. Instead, it may be something that pleases them or brings back good memories. This gives the scene a bittersweet, reminiscent mood.

The lighting in Ratatouille is similar to that in Toy Story 2. In this scene, Ratatouille is shown lying down, enjoying a nice meal. The light is coming from behind him, casting shadows everywhere but him and food. This soft, warm light on Ratatouille is meant to make the scene have a feeling of romance. The evening light casting down on him and his food can represent that food his very important to him. The viewer can spot out the cheese, bread, and grapes because that is the only thing the light hits except for Ratatouille himself.

The color in this Toy Story 2 scene has a blue hue to it. This can be because it is nighttime wherever they are. The only bright colors that stick out are those of Woody’s and Jessie’s outfits. Their red-brown hat and yellow-gold shirts make them stand out. The saturation is not intense at all in this scene, showing that what we are seeing is not nearly as important as what they are seeing.

Ratatouille contrasts from Toy Story 2 by its color scheme. This scene uses warm colors such as red, orange, and yellow to make the scene seem pleasant. Its brightness is only shown on the food and Ratatouille himself, showing the link between him and his love of food. Also, the saturation is only intense in the cheese, bread, grapes, and Ratatouille. This shows that they (him and his food) are important and full of life.