Video: “Chuck Jones: The Evolution of an Artist,” by Tony Zhou
A wonderful new video dissects the tricks and techniques of master cartoon director Chuck Jones. You may not know the name, but you know his work.
He directed more than 200 classic Looney Tunes cartoons for Warner Bros., featuring the most memorable moments with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and more. Tony Zhou of Every Frame a Painting spends 8 minutes in “Chuck Jones: The Evolution of an Artist” explaining why Jones’ work has endured for 80 years.
Such hilarious and skillful storytelling can help us with our stories, too.
Jones defined his characters sharply, with clearly defined wants. The more simple the desire, the more vivid the character: The coyote wants to eat the Road Runner. And the coyote wants to win through guile, not physical prowess.
Then, Jones used discipline, setting up rules for what characters would and would not do. Jones spelled out the nine rules for Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner in his book, “Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist.” Among them:
2. No outside force can harm the coyote — only his own ineptitude or the failure of Acme products.
3. The coyote could stop anytime — if he were not a fanatic. (Repeat: “A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim.” — George Santayana).
5. The Road Runner must stay on the road — otherwise, logically, he would not be called Road Runner.
7. All materials tools, weapons or mechanical conveniences must be obtained from the Acme Corp.
The director knew his animated characters well, their desires and their movements, and turned them loose. But Jones had a simple method to avoid repetitive formulas: studying real life. It wasn’t enough to know the craft of cartoons. In order to convey human foibles (even through rabbits and ducks and pigs and coyotes), he sought inspiration from all walks of life.
Jones spent decades mastering his storytelling. Your brand may be telling stories, but how do you incorporate Jones’ lessons to make them stronger?
• Your characters’ wants must be clearly defined. Wanting your product is simply not believable. But if they want happiness, or more time, or less hassle, that’s a good starting point.
• Discipline can be found through employing consistency and knowing your brand values. Consistency builds a readership through dependable storytelling. Brand values set the rules for how you tell stories and respond to fans and customers.
• Looking at and talking with customers provides that needed spark to your stories.
Looney Tunes had a method to its madness, and we can all tell enduring stories by following Chuck Jones’ well-crafted examples.
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig star as detectives in the 1956 Chuck Jones cartoon, “Deduce, You Say!”
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