Imagining Reality

Visual depictions and animations are often chosen to retell events rather than words and language. Images are universally understood by viewers more so than words as words are restricted by language barriers. Visuals can also elicit specific ideas or emotions depending on how they are done. By applying the theories of Nick Sousanis and Scott McCloud to the two animations of the Hiroshima bombing, we can begin to analyze how these videos affect viewers.

In the video clip titled “Animation Depicting the Hiroshima Bombing,” the animators created a realistic setting with more basic and general art styles for the actual characters. McCloud breaks down the advantage of this art style when he says “This combination allows reader to MASK themselves in a character and safely enter a sensually stimulating world.(43)” I, personally, watched the videos before I read the pieces by McCloud and Sousanis. It’s interesting that my first thought after watching the video was “Wow, what if that happened to me, that could happen to me!” My first subconscious thought was to put myself in their shoes. McCloud says we do this because the individuals in the video were not super detailed, so we imagine ourselves.

Conversely, in the video titled “Hiroshima A Bomb Attack Animated” we see very many very detailed characters going about specific daily activities. After watching this video, my first thought was along the lines of “wow, people really did have to go through this. It’s so horrible I can’t even imagine.” McCloud mentions this feeling “…other characters were drawn more realistically in order to objectify them, emphasizing their “otherness” from the reader.” We are prevented from putting ourselves in their shoes, because the characters are detailed to look like specific people other than ourselves. Both animations are made to create similar emotions in the viewer, but exactly how those emotions are created are slightly different based solely on how detailed the character animations are.

            Both of these animations of the bombing are just that, animations. Without our own imaginations, they would stay meaningless images. It is our human ability to interpret the images we see, and use our imaginations to define what is occurring, and the “world” it is occurring in.  Sousanis states that Imagination is “both binding agent and action [that] allows us to span gaps in perception. (91)” In order for images and symbols to carry any sort of meaning, humans must apply their imagination to them; “It’s how we formulate concepts. (91)” Sousanis goes on to discuss the frames we create to understand concepts. As stories are doorways to other worlds, humans must create frames and restrictions to understand each story independent from one another. He says “we have a superpower… to host a multiplicity of worlds inside of us… frames of reference from which to see the same world differently. (96)” For example, the Marvel Universe is one that is open to super powers and otherworldly beings. The Kill Bill movies involve skilled martial arts fighters limited (for the most part) by reality. Both of these worlds involve humans, earth, and tough emotional decisions, but if someone were to shoot lasers from their eyes in Kill Bill we would be very confused. Within our imaginations we create the rules and frames to assess what is happening. In regards to the animations, we create their world within ourselves, and then apply it to an actual event. We know superman isn’t going to swoop in and save Hiroshima from the bomb. We know this is a representation of something that occurred in real life so reality cannot be broken.

            Both McCloud and Sousanis make strong and clear points about how we interpret animations, images, and symbols. Their ideas intertwine and support each other. We use our imaginations to interpret what we are seeing, whether we place ourselves in the characters shoes or recognize that it really did happen to someone other than ourselves. We create our frames of worlds to guide our thinking and interpret the images we see.