5 Inspiring Animation Documentaries Every Animator Should Watch

We all think about movies as a fun and unproductive activity. The activity looks like this: you sit on the sofa with a bowl of chips and watch a movie for 3 hours for entertainment. But what if I tell you that you could learn from these so-called unproductive movies? It’s just a perspective shift, and you’ll start making out something helpful during this movie. Animation has a lot of such examples where you could watch a documentary and learn exponentially. In this blog by the best Animation institute in Pune, we’ll discuss five animation documentary movies you can add to your watchlist to base your learning.

The Pixar Story

It’s an epitome. Scrape any blog on the web about this topic, and you’ll find The Pixar Story being mentioned. The movie features the story of the great Pixar Animation Studios and is a classic transformation journey story. Pixar started as a small startup and remained one until it released groundbreaking animation movies like Toy Story and beyond. It is a tribute to the change-makers of the animation industry like John Lasseter, Steve Jobs, and Ed Catmull. Pixar’s success wasn’t a one-day matter. It has always been a story of constant effort, innovation, and storytelling mastery. As an animator, it teaches you the value of creativity, teamwork, and persistence. So, the next time you think about taking a big step in animation, remember that it could be the next industry re-defining moment.
https://youtu.be/aU1fVeYzYlI

Persistence of Vision

Its name is evident in its message. Persistence of Vision is the story of an animator, Richard Williams. It is a story of perfection. It covers the masterpiece work of Richard, The Thief and the Cobbler. Richard Williams worked on the movie for 30 years, yet it is considered an “unfinished masterpiece.” The movie highlights the struggles that the animators face in the process. Theperfectionism loop is genuine. The film aims to teach users the balance between passion and practicality. New animators can understand the realities of the creative process from this piece. Seasoned animators can relate and take a lesson in resilience
https://vimeo.com/38413085

Waltz with Bashir

Animation is art. And art can express rather inexpressible things. Such is the case of Waltz with Bashir. It explores the repressed feelings of the 1982 Lebanon War. It’s different from the movies that we discussed before. But it teaches that animation is more significant than just entertainment. It is an instrument to convey a more substantial meaning to the audience it reaches. WWB conveys one narrative by Ari Folman, the creator’s experience in the war-struck environment. The only learning animators can learn from this movie is never to limit their animations and to express everything they want through animation.
https://youtu.be/CoM-L62peIo

Animation Outlaws

The movie represents what the film is titled. The movie talks about the state of underground animation. The movie was released during COVID-19 and is a documentary about the creators of the Spike & Mike's Festival of Animation, an annual tour of a collective throughout the United States theatres, film festivals, and college campuses. The festival introduced various cult classics to the audience like Beavis and Butt-Head and Wallace & Gromit. It is independent animators' voice and talks outside the usual mainstream studio discussion. For animators, the lesson is that being independent does not mean you cannot achieve feats. Passion projects and indie animation can also leave a lasting legacy.
https://youtu.be/dL_A_N3bt9Q
 

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

The Japanese movie follows the classic documentary sequence. It follows the story of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the founders of the Japanese Studio Ghibli, and others employed there, namely Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki. The movie revolves around the time they are working on releasing two films simultaneously, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The movie gives a deeper insight into Miyazaki’s life and his creative process—his philosophy on work and animation. Aspiring animators can learn the value of dedication to art and the story of creating legacy projects.
https://youtu.be/Mx8LuiJ30os

Conclusion

Animation is all about creativity. Watching these movies will train your creative muscles. They are sources of inspiration and deep learning and understanding. They will help you explore animation as an art form. Want to make this learning experience constant? Connect with Frameboxx 2.0, the best Animation institute in Mumbai, and see a change in your animation knowledge and career.