Noel Brown - Böcker

The Oxford Handbook of Children's Film is the most comprehensive study of international children's cinema published to date. Overturning common prejudices that films for children are unworthy of serious attention, it presents nuanced and wide-ranging discussions from senior and junior scholars alike of iconic and neglected productions from Hollywood, Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Hungary, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Iran, Kenya, and several other countries. Featuring contributions by leading scholars in the field, the volume considers a range of issues central to the study of children's film, including questions of form and definition; representations of childhood and growing up; music, stardom, and performance; how children's films reflect national identity or serve as vehicles of state ideology and propaganda; the phenomenon of Hollywood 'family entertainment', especially the role of the Disney company; and how children and young people (as well as older audiences) engage with children's film culture. As a whole, the volume makes a substantial contribution to the emerging field of children's film studies, and will be of great interest to scholars of children's media and culture more broadly.

Films for children and young people are a constant in the history of cinema, from its beginnings to the present day. This book serves as a comprehensive introduction to the children's film, examining its recurrent themes and ideologies, and common narrative and stylistic principles. Opening with a thorough consideration of how the genre may be defined, this volume goes on to explore how children's cinema has developed across its broad historical and geographic span, with particular reference to films from the United States, Britain, France, Denmark, Russia, India, and China. Analyzing changes and continuities in how children's film has been conceived, it argues for a fundamental distinction between commercial productions intended primarily to entertain, and non-commercial films made under pedagogical principles, and produced for purposes of moral and behavioral instruction. In elaborating these different forms, this book outlines a history of children's cinema from the early days of commercial cinema to the present, explores key critical issues, and provides case studies of major children's films from around the world.

British children's films have played a part in the childhoods of generations of young people around the world for over a century. Until now, however, their cherished status has remained largely unexplored. In this book, Noel Brown relates the history of children's cinema in Britain from the early years of commercial cinema to the present day, to reveal the reasons behind its acclaim in international popular culture.Drawing on multiple sources, Brown provides in-depth analysis of a range of iconic films, including The Railway Children, The Thief of Bagdad, Bugsy Malone, the Harry Potter films,Mary Poppins, Nanny McPhee, Paddington, Oliver!, and Aardman's Wallace and Gromit series. Futhermore, he investigates industrial and commercial contexts, such as the role of the Children's Film Foundation; and includes revealing insights on changing social and cultural norms, such as the once-sacred tradition of Saturday morning cinema. Brown challenges common prejudices that children's films are inherently shallow or simplistic, revealing the often complex strategies that underpin their enduring appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.In addition, he shows how the films allow a privileged access to historic cultures and the nation's political past.In doing so, Brown firmly establishes children's cinema as an important genre not only for students and scholars of film studies but also for those interested in socio-cultural history, the production and reception of popular entertainment and anyone looking for entertainment, escapism and nostalgia.

A cultural history of the contemporary Hollywood animated feature, from Toy Story to The Lego MovieExamines critically a range of prominent contemporary Hollywood animated featuresReveals the aspects which make these texts attractive to multiple audience sectionsSituates the genre in its social, cultural, and industrial contextsContributes to current debates on children's mediaUntil the 1990s, animation occupied a relatively marginal presence in Hollywood. Today, it is at the very heart of both the film industry and contemporary popular culture. Charting the major changes and continuities in Hollywood animation over the past thirty years, this groundbreaking book offers an authoritative history of Hollywood animation since the 1990s. Analysing dozens of key films, including The Lion King, Toy Story, Shrek, Despicable Me, Frozen and Moana, it examines the emergence of new genres and stylistic approaches, as well as the ongoing blurring of boundaries between animation and live-action. Identifying narrative and thematic patterns, and developments in industry and style, the book explores how animation in the United States both responds to and recapitulates the values, beliefs, hopes and fears of the nation.

There is a long history of radical children's film and television which subverts political orthodoxies and challenges aesthetic conventions, often beneath a cloak of innocence. However, these rich traditions of radical screen content for children have received remarkably little attention. This volume redresses the balance. With contributions from leading authorities in the field and reference to both iconic and neglected media from around the world, this book sheds light on film and television for children that seeks to make a critical intervention in culture and society. It also investigates the subversive uses of children's media culture by individuals, communities of fandom, political groups, and creative practitioners. In so doing, it represents a major addition to existing scholarship in the field of children's film and television.

Until the 1990s, animation occupied a relatively marginal presence in Hollywood. Today, it is at the very heart of both the film industry and contemporary popular culture. Charting the major changes and continuities in Hollywood animation over the past thirty years, this groundbreaking book offers an authoritative history of Hollywood animation since the 1990s. Analysing dozens of key films, including The Lion King, Toy Story, Shrek, Despicable Me, Frozen and Moana, it examines the emergence of new genres and stylistic approaches, as well as the ongoing blurring of boundaries between animation and live-action. Identifying narrative and thematic patterns, and the developments in industry and style, the book explores how animation in the United States both responds to and recapitulates the values, beliefs, hopes and fears of the nation.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995), Pixar’s first feature-length production and Hollywood’s first completely computer-generated animated film, is an international cultural phenomenon. This collection brings together a diverse range of scholars and practitioners who together explore the themes, compositional techniques, cultural significance and industry legacy of this landmark in contemporary cinema.Topics range from industrial concerns, such as the film’s groundbreaking use of computer generated imagery and the establishment of Pixar as a major player in the animation world, to examinations of its music, aesthetics, and the role of toys in both the film and its fandom. The Toy Story franchise as a whole is also considered, with chapters looking at its cross-generational appeal and the experience of growing up alongside the series.As the first substantial work on this landmark film, this book will serve as an authoritative introduction for scholars, students and fans alike.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995), Pixar’s first feature-length production and Hollywood’s first completely computer-generated animated film, is an international cultural phenomenon. This collection brings together a diverse range of scholars and practitioners who together explore the themes, compositional techniques, cultural significance and industry legacy of this landmark in contemporary cinema.Topics range from industrial concerns, such as the film’s groundbreaking use of computer generated imagery and the establishment of Pixar as a major player in the animation world, to examinations of its music, aesthetics, and the role of toys in both the film and its fandom. The Toy Story franchise as a whole is also considered, with chapters looking at its cross-generational appeal and the experience of growing up alongside the series.As the first substantial work on this landmark film, this book will serve as an authoritative introduction for scholars, students and fans alike.

The Hollywood family film is one of the most popular, commercially-successful and culturally significant forms of mass entertainment. This book is the first in-depth history of the Hollywood family film, tracing its development from its beginnings in the 1930s to its global box-office dominance today. Noel Brown shows how, far from being an innocuous amusement for children, the family film has always been intended for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. He tells the story of how Hollywood's ongoing preoccupation with breaking down the barriers that divide audiences has resulted in some of the most successful and enduring films in the history of popular cinema. Drawing on multiple sources and with close analysis of a broad range of films, from such classics as Little Women, Meet me in St Louis, King Kong and Mary Poppins to such modern family blockbusters as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Toy Story, this timely book underlines the immense cultural and commercial importance of this neglected genre.

With the huge global success of Hollywood 'family film' franchises, such as Harry Potter, it is unsurprising that there have been many attempts to emulate this success. In recent years, there has been an explosion in international production of films for both adults and children - resulting in an erosion of the dominance of The Disney Company and the other major Hollywood Studios in family film production. "Family Films in Global Cinema" is the first serious examination of films for child and family audiences in a global context. Whereas most previous studies of children's films and family films have concerned themselves with Disney, this book encompasses both live-action and animated films from the Hollywood, British, Australian, East German, Russian, Indian, Japanese and Brazilian cinemas. As well as examining international family films previously ignored by scholars, the collection also presents a fresh perspective on familiar movies such as "The Railway Children," "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Babe," and the "Harry Potter" series.