An Animated Film's Story and Its Success: a Study of Their Relationship

Over the past ten years, animated films have become increasingly more important to the movie industry. Their increasing popularity is evident when looking at box office hits like Shrek, Kongfu Panda, and Iceage, to name a few. No one will deny that some animated movies are more attractive to audiences than others. Previous studies show that a film?s story is the decisive factor that makes a film a success or a flop. The story plays a central role in bringing in an audience and thus determing a film?s critical acclaim and financial success. The story concept ties together various elements that are all closely related and together contribute to the overall effect of an animated film. This research aims to explore the relationship between an animated film?s story and its popularity in order to better understand what makes a successful film as well as provide a useful reference for animation studios as they are deciding whether or not to pursue a certain script.