From Gertie to Ghibli: The World Industries Behind Animations - Their Successes, Failures, and Futures

For my thesis, I will be exploring the entire history of the medium of animation. Even in recent years, most texts on animation are segregated by studio or country of origin with very little overlap. I aim to view the big picture, exploring the major studios and cultures that have made strides in the development of the medium. Additionally, I will be going through the economic, stylistic, technologic, cultural, and social boundaries that these animations pushed. While the whole world has dabbled in animation, and countries like China and India are starting to become prominent, the main powerhouses for mainstream animation productions today are Japan and the USA. Not only will I be showing the main influences that their animations had within their own countries, but also on each other. I believe that in order for animation to grow as a medium, people should acknowledge the countries\u27 interconnected histories as they continue to blend styles, ideas, and production models in order to provide new and exciting work