During Week 13, I focused my independent learning on justifying the selection of my primary data sources. In a postgraduate thesis proposal, one cannot simply select case studies based on personal enjoyment; the selection must be defended through a clear, academically sound selection matrix. I spent this week critically evaluating why The Incredibles (2004) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) serve as the most effective analytical vehicles for my research question.
Through self-reflection, I formulated a comparative framework based on technological paradigms. I realised that The Incredibles acts as a perfect representative of ‘remediative realism,’ where early 3D software was deliberately restricted to mimic physical Hollywood camera cranes and lenses to comfort the audience. Conversely, Into the Spider-Verse acts as a crucial cultural text for ‘digital expressionism,’ where the virtual camera actively embraces its mathematical non-physicality. By establishing these precise selection criteria in my proposal draft this week, I have ensured that my subsequent visual analysis will not be a random series of observations, but a structured exploration of historical and philosophical shifts in animation layout design.
