This week’s post is on Chuck Jones’ animation, What’s Opera Doc, from 1957. The entire animation can be viewed on YouTube here.
In a career of over 60 years, Chuck Jones made more than 300 animated films, won three Oscars as director and in 1996 won an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement. Among the many awards and recognitions, one of those most valued was the honorary life membership from the Directors Guild of America. During the Golden Age of animation Jones helped bring to life many of Warner Bros. most famous characters—Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. The list of characters he created includes Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, Pepe le Pew, Michigan J. Frog and many others. -KR
The What’s Opera Doc? animation used Die Walküre, and Der Ring des Nibelungen’s music as the opera part of the animation. In that era, the music to the animation was played live in the studio where the animation was made. That and that fact that animating a six minute film takes an enormous amount of time and patience would definitely frustrate the creator of the animation. -LS
In this particular animation called What’s Opera Doc?, Jones created an operatic parody through his cartoon characters. At that time, many animators used symphonies and bands to create the music, expression, and sounds in their cartoons. Contemporary animations are often created on computers with digital graphics. Contrarily, Jones had to use his artistic abilities to create and draw many different frames of the cartoons’ actions. When he was finished drawing he put all these frames together in order and projected them very fast on a screen. As our brains watch the cartoons it pieces in the small missing spaces and to us creates a smooth reel in our heads, thus creating a movie (this is known as persistence of vision). -CW
Here are some questions to help get your responses started:
1. What was Chuck Jones’ source(s) of inspiration?
2. Is there a hidden meaning in Chuck Jones’ What’s Opera Doc? Or is it only a fun and frivolous cartoon?3. Who was Chuck Jones’ intended audience for What’s Opera Doc? What clues are there in his animation that tell you who the audience was meant to be?
I think Chuck Jones was inspired because he wanted to make something of himself. He was a high school drop out and was having a tough time keeping a job in his early days. He wanted to be great, despite the fact that he didnt have a diploma.
ReplyDeleteI think the hidden meaning behind this particular Chuck Jones movie is that things shouldn't be judged by their looks but by whats inside. Bugs Bunny was being chased by the hunter and when he dressed up like a beautiful viking girl, he fell head over heels for her, but as soon as Bugs lost his outfit, the hunter started chasing him again.
I think Chuck intended this cartoon's audence to be teenagers to adults. Young kids probably wouldn't understand what is going on in the cartoon as well as older kids.
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?participantId=96329
ReplyDeleteChuck Jones was inspired to make cartoons because he did drop out of high school. So he wouldn't have no career if it weren't for his cartoon animation. In that film of Bugs Bunny the Viking hunter Elmer was trying to kill him. But when he's chasing Bugs he loses him and Bugs is dressed up as a viking girl. He umm was bedazzled and shocked that he seen a gorgeous viking girl even though it was Bugs be he didn't know. Then after Bugs's helmet equipment fell off he started chasing him again. The Chuck film would most likely be understood better by Teenagers and Adults and not so much to children
ReplyDeleteChuck Jones was inspired to do what no one thought a high school dropout could do, Succeed. And as almost everyone can see it worked out for him.
ReplyDeleteThere is a hidden meaning, though it seems to be a very commom one these days. Don't judge a book by its cover, people may be beautiful on the outside, but you won't know if they are the same on the inside till you get to know them.
It was intended for all audiences, kids find it entertaining but they don't get the hidden meaning. While the adults are entertained and they also get what the cartoon really is meant to portray.
http://www.chuckjones.com/bio.php
I agree with chasehofer that teens and adults are mkore likely to understand this cartoon.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Jeremy that even though he had a tough time keeping a job in the begining he made himself great
Chuck Jones worked his way up to animator and then director at the animation. Bugs has made appearances in animated specials for network television. that film the bugs bunny run away hunter was trying to kill him.i think the film would understood by adults and children but i think the bugs bunny it not fun.
ReplyDeletei agree with jeremy that Young kids probably wouldn't understand what is going on in the cartoon as well as older kids.
Chuck Jones was inspired to make this cartoons
ReplyDeletebecause he did drop out of high school. Cartoon animation was his only way to make a career.
The film of Bugs Bunny is about the Viking hunter Elmer and his trying to kill him.
A viking girl looks so nice and the hunter falls in love with her beauty. He don't know that Bugs is dressed up as the viking girl.
Then after Bugs helmet equipment revealed him Elmer startet chasing him again.
I agree with chasehofer that you must be older to understand this film.
http://www.chuckjones.com/bio.php
I also agree with Jeremy and Ry that even though he had a tough time keeping a job in the beginning he made himself great.
ReplyDeleteI believe Chuck’s audience was a children’s audience. I believe this because it is a cartoon and the children could watch it in the morning before school. He created this cartoon because he likes to draw, and he has drawn since he was a young boy. I think there might be a hidden meaning behind the cartoon, but don’t know what that meaning would be. I agree with Jeremy that you shouldn’t judge something by the way it looks on the outside but by what’s on the inside.
ReplyDeleteSource:
http://chuckjones.com/bio.php
He was inspired to make cartoon because he was drop out of school.
ReplyDeleteI think he wanted to be successful and he is.
He won 3 osgars!!! wow!!! ;D
I don't think Bug Bunny is funny. I think it's little violent. But I think Chuck wanted to teach the audinces that bad people get bad things.
The targets are children because it's cartoon.
And the cartoon is for children.
Chuck Jones as a kid was flooded with art, and he also dropped out of high school. There is a meaning but it his hidden because little kids watch it and they wouldn't understand it as older kids would.The cartoon was made for children.
ReplyDeleteI agree with jeremy that it was meant for smaller children but they wouldn't understand the meaning that well
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What's_Opera,_Doc%3F
I agree with Ry that the hidden meaning is also don't judge a book by its cover, their minds maybe aren't beautiful as outside or someone have beautiful mind but not good looking.
ReplyDeleteoh...I forgot my source again.
ReplyDeleteI'm really sorry Mr.Cavill!
http://www.cartoon-factory.com/c_jones.html
Chuck Jones had a hard time in his childhood.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't have a diploma.
I think the reason he made the animation because he wanted to success in something in his life.
He created lots of famous animations.
I think this animation isn't for little children because they maybe not understand the meaning of the cartoon.
And I don't think What's opera doc is just the normal funny animation. I don't think it's really for children because it has killing scenes.
http://www.coldbacon.com/jones.html
I agree with Praewa that this animation is kinda violent.
ReplyDeleteI also with Jeremy that this animation is for teenager to adult.
because the children are too young to watch this and understand this.
He was a high school dropout so if he didn’t have his animations then he would not have a career.I think the hidden meaning is that not everything is how it looks. I think his intended audience was for older people such as teenagers and adults. The clues that tell you that are how the hunter falls in love with the rabbit.
ReplyDeleteChucks father was an unsuccessful businessman and all he had left over from his business, he gave to his children. Jones used the high quality papers and pencils to do what he liked to do- to draw. Later on he was able to go to art school and after he finished he took some low paid jobs in the cartoon industry. But not like his father, he got successful after a certain time.
ReplyDeleteTo me it looks like that the cartoon “What’s opera doc” shows how easily you can mess around with boys, therefore its more for older people, but I guess that the talking animals attract younger children. So it is actually interesting to watch for both, parents and children.
And I agree with Jeremy’s point that he wanted to be great, despite the fact that he didn’t have a diploma.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Jones
Chuck Jones was a high school dropout. He started animating so he could show people that you can make something big from having so little.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ry on how the hidden meaning in his What’s Opera Doc is that you should not judge a book by its cover.
I think that Chucks intended audience was for everyone in the family. Like in other movies or shows; they make it animated so the children enjoy it, but also make it funny and meaningful for the teenagers and adults to enjoy/understand it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looney_Tunes
He was probably inspired just by the movie atmosphere of Hollywood where he grew up. I agree with Jeremy that the hidden meaning is to not judge things by their looks and that the animation was made for teens and adults who would get what was going on.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chuckjones.com/bio.php
I think that Chuck Jones inspired himself. Since he made the decision to be a highschool drop and not graduate, which means he would have a hard life with no diploma to back him up when it came to getting a job. So because of the fact that Chuck Jones made some not so good decisions as a young one, im thinking that he wanted to make up for his mistakes and buck up to the plate and show everyone that his whole life wasnt just about making bad choices. I believe the saying "dont judge a book by its cover" and i think that this particular movie is that you shouldnt judge. The only thing that matters is that whats on the inside and how people and/or things treat you. I beleive that this was intended for all audiences, adults and children. For the children however they dont quite understand what exactly the meaning is behind it and what exactly is happening and why, but it is also very entertaining for them, for adults its entertaining and they get the understanding behind it. So it goes both ways.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What's_Opera,_Doc%3F
I agree with Ry, that although Chuck was a highschool drop out. Everyone can clearly see that he got passed that and is back on his feet.
ReplyDeleteHe wanted to make something that made a diffrence just like music and movies. that can make people happy. I also agree with what Ry says he always has something good to say about this stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe hidden meaning is probably that the cartoon resembles the world and how we fight.
The person he directed this for was probably the young children
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Jones
www.coldbacon.com/jones.html
He wanted to make something of himself unlike his father who wasnt very successful. I think it is just another funny comic. If there was any meaning to the cartoon it would be that just because you think that they dont look like a good person they can still be a good person. THe cartoon was ment for the kids and teens. I agree with chasehofer on the teens and kids knowing whats going on better then anyone.
ReplyDeleteHe was a high school drop out so what he wanted to show was that he could succeed even if he didn't have a diploma to show that he was. He had to prove himself. When he did prove himself he became successful.
ReplyDeleteHe did have a point to it all, he wasn't successful in his high school years didn't mean he could in his later years. A diploma just showed that you could succeed with work that you should be able to do. But he showed otheres that he could succeed with the things that he wanted to do. The point is, to not judge people for what they do, but by who htey are. Meaning if you judged him for what he did in the past they would think loser, not successful. But if you judged him for who he was, they nmight say artistic.
As for who would understand it the most it would be more intended for teenagers, and adults. The children wouldn't understand it as well as the others would.
I also agree with Shelby, that he probably did in a way inspire himself.
ReplyDelete