Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6
The Purpose of Dialogue
Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, The Roadrunner, and Wile E. Coyote (Chuck Jones) were
masters of clarity of movement to communicate story without words. Often, animated shorts
are devoid of dialogue because we don't necessarily need dialogue when we have the
ability to exaggerate actions and reactions, push strong poses, and use visuals that are more
powerful than words. In fact, we are always encouraged to show, don't tell.
However, there are times when your characters
need
to speak. The audience needs to hear
what they have to say in order to maintain the suspension of disbelief, to communicate
internal confl ict, or to condense and drive the plot.
In Eric Drobile's
The Animator and the Seat,
as the chair grabs and pulls the escaping
Chunk, the animator, from the bookcase and forces him back into the seat, Chunk cries
out, “What do you want from me?!” It is exactly what all of us would do in his situation. If
he did not speak at this moment, it would confuse the content. It helps to drive the plot
forward. After this line of dialogue, the chair responds by showing Chunk exactly what
it wants.
“What do you want from me?!” Eric Drobile,
The Animator and the Seat,
Ringling College of Art
and Design
