Filmmakers take note- This five second scene not only fully describes a characters backstory, but the entire reason he acts the way he acts through the film, taking him from a villain to a sympathetic character and justifying a total reversal of his actions in the present. In five seconds, this movie does for the development of a character more than most movies do in two hours. This is why you should be studying Disney and Pixar along with Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick, and ignoring professors and elitist students who deride them as “kids stuff.”

wasn’t there a theory that Anton’s childhood cottage is the cottage Remy learned his craft from eavesdropping inside before travelling to Paris, and the recipe he’s tasting really is his mother’s ratatouille?

This is why you should be studying Classic Disney and Pixar along with Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick, and ignoring professors and elitist students who deride them as “kids stuff.”

Fixed.

Seriously, Disney’s newest stuff (with very few exceptions) is sensationalistic populist trash in terms of storytelling. Ignore it.

I wouldn’t limit it to classic Disney, either.  There are a lot of undervalued studios out there.

Most of all you NEED to study all of Studio Ghibli’s works as well as those of Mamoru Hosada and Satoshi Kon.  Ghibli excels in details, storytelling and well-written characters.  Most of there protagonists are women and there is a strong sense of grey morality, that not everything is black and white, good and evil (seen in Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away the most).  Their movies about a simple girl’s struggle with finding herself and her talent (Whisper of the Heart) is equally as compelling as a movie about magic, a talking fire demon and a fantastical castle (Howl’s Moving Castle).  They don’t use or need gimmicks, broad humor or musical numbers.  Their movies are most definitely of a higher caliber than Disneys’ has ever been.  If you are studying animation and film-making the best thing you can do is to watch animation that is NOT Disney and Pixar.  Not that they are bad but they have never been the best out there.  There is beautiful animation being done ALL over the world.  And make sure you watch them in their original language with subtitles, it’s the best way to get the true story.  I also think Laika located in Oregon (Coraline, Paranorman, Box Trolls) needs more spotlight.  Their attention to detail is exquisite.  Dreamworks is also getting a lot better.  How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2 each had more plot and heart than Frozen and Tangled EVER did.  And lastly, the best thing you can do is to ALWAYS research the lives of those you are not.  If you are white, learn ALL you can about people of color.  If you are straight and cis then do that about the LGBTAIQ community.  If you are male then do that about women.  AND PUT THAT IN YOUR ART.  ALWAYS.  No one wants to see white people anymore.  No one wants to seen men anymore.  There are billions of people in the world that need representation.  And it starts with you.

Alexaetc, cutting through my tiptoeing to get straight to the point.