The document compares the animated films Toy Story and Spirited Away. It discusses that Toy Story was produced by Pixar using 3D computer animation, while Spirited Away was produced by Studio Ghibli using traditional hand-drawn 2D animation. It notes their different target audiences, with Toy Story aimed at mixed-gender primary school children and families in Western countries, while Spirited Away is targeted more at mixed-gender young teens. It also compares the films' durations, characters, cultural messages/themes, and the studios that produced them.

1. Toy Story is a 3D computer-animated animation produced by Pixar
Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. However, Spirited Away
doesn't conform to most animation types, it was produced by hand
drawn animation which is a method of animation that is becoming near
enough extinct. Spirited Away is a Japanese animated fantasy film
produced by Studio Ghibli, because this film was produced in Japan it is
very traditional to have anime and hand drawn styles where as the
western countries tend to prefer the method 2D/3D animation as it is
more aesthetically pleasing and realistic which gains them a wider
audience.
Type of Animation used

2. Target Audience
Toy Story's primary target audience is mixed gender primary school children this band also
attracts families. Teenagers could also be attracted to this film as the original characters could
provide a nostalgic feeling. This film would be aimed at mainly western countries with a first
language of English In terms of social economic status , this film would appeal to band E because
children have no money so would have to rely on their parents income. On the other hand,
Spirited Away's primary target audience would be a mixed gender young teen audience. The
reason for this is because the problems the characters face in the film are more intimidating and
wouldn't be appropriate for a young audience as choices the characters make in the film are quite
daunting. A lot of humanity is portrayed through this film so is easier for a young teen audience
to understand rather than a children's audience. Younger children might find this film
frightening. These films differ slightly due to culture, even though both of these films are deemed
appropriate for children with Studio Ghibli western viewers could question if it is due to
frightening scenes, where as a Japanese audience are used to these kind of films and would class it
appropriate because children are raised differently and mature quicker than most western
children. Disney Pixar keep their films within the boundary that is fit for children and all films
are restricted from acts of violence or any other scenes that could frighten a child

3. Durations
Because Toy Story is a blockbuster feature-length 3D animation, the
duration is 1 hour and 21 minutes. In comparison to the length of
Spirited Away which is 2 hours and 20 minutes the two differ a lot. I
believe this is due to the fact Toy Story is a child friendly and family
based film, also being a blockbuster film it is aimed at mass markets and
audiences therefore it has to be at a feature length where as Spirited
Away is a long film, with a lot of meaning behind and would need a
young teen audience to have the concentration capability to be able to
sit through it and take it all in, in Japan children have higher
concentration rates due to the fact they educate children early on rather
than leaving it till 4/5 like the western countries.

4. Characters
The characters in both of these films do have similar qualities, Woody who
is the leading character in Toy Story is similar and has similar
characteristics to the heroine character in Spirited Away, Chihiro. Woody
is a friendly, loyal, smart, determined and passionate toy cowboy. He tries
to keep his family together at all times and will do anything for them
although he does have hiccups with emotions like most humans, he gets
sad, angry and has a lot of doubt like humans which makes his character
more real and relatable. Similarly, Chihiro is admired for her noble
qualities. Chihiro's is a ten year old girl, her goal is to free her parents from
the spirit world, she respects her elders and is very kind towards others.
Because both of these characters play big parts in the film they have the
audiences attention to detail and respect and the audience can see the
qualities they have.

5. Cultural Message/Theme
The messages behind both films are completely different. In Spirited
Away, there is a distinctive theme of the shock that comes with entering
adulthood and the world of work. We see this in the film when Chihiro
becomes Sen and starts her job at the bathhouse, Lin who also works in the
bathhouse rightly believes that Sen has never worked a day in her life and
Sen has to learn a lot before becoming a good worker. This is cultural
message suggesting that Japanese children are made to work much earlier
than those in the western countries as it isn't normal to start work at 10
years old. In Toy Story the theme is about friendship and what would you
do without friends. I think this is a good theme for the target audience as
most of them are at an age where they're starting school or at school and
are in the process of making friendships, it's also a theme for a mass
audience as everyone has friends and everyone makes friendships.

6. Studios
Studio Ghibli VS Pixar
● Ghibli Studio films such as Spirited Away is hand drawn so it is limited to
facial expressions and most of them tend to be repetitive, as much as
Studio Ghibli offer painterly beautiful visuals this could be seen as a
downfall compared Pixar as Pixar producing 3D animated films have the
control of the expressions of characters and focus more on bringing the
character to life. Pixar are seen to dominate when it comes to comedy, a lot
of their films have a comedic touch where as Studio Ghibli films tend to
have more of a focus or a hidden message that an audience has to grasp.
'Arrietty' is a Studio Ghibli film which has a theme of psychical
disadvantages of children, this a serious issue therefore the emotion of the
film is very different compared to Pixar films as they aren't always seen
serious.

7. Studios
Studio Ghibli VS Pixar
● Ghibli Studio films such as Spirited Away is hand drawn so it is limited to
facial expressions and most of them tend to be repetitive, as much as
Studio Ghibli offer painterly beautiful visuals this could be seen as a
downfall compared Pixar as Pixar producing 3D animated films have the
control of the expressions of characters and focus more on bringing the
character to life. Pixar are seen to dominate when it comes to comedy, a lot
of their films have a comedic touch where as Studio Ghibli films tend to
have more of a focus or a hidden message that an audience has to grasp.
'Arrietty' is a Studio Ghibli film which has a theme of psychical
disadvantages of children, this a serious issue therefore the emotion of the
film is very different compared to Pixar films as they aren't always seen
serious.