Children's Film in the Digital Age : Essays on Audience, Adaptation and Consumer Culture

Films of the past 15 years have been released in a number of formats and reflect a reconceptualization of film genres, audiences and the impact of technology on adaptation. Focusing on multiple audiences, film adaptation, nationalism, globalism and consumer culture, this collection of new essays explores how children's film can be re-examined alongside recent developments in their production. These analyses consider the effect of multimedia strategies on the child audience, the opportunities for viewer participation and the pedagogical implications of films for children. The essays also address how childhood is embedded within films and linked to various consumer contexts. This Collection Of New Essays Explores How Children's Film Can Be Re-examined Alongside Recent Developments In Their Production. These Analyses Consider The Effect Of Multimedia Strategies On The Child Audience, And The Opportunities For Participation And Their Pedagogical Implications. The Essays Also Address How Childhood Is Embedded Within Films And Linked To Various Consumer Contexts-- Introduction -- Childhood, Adults And Films For Dual Audiences. No Place Like Home: Circumscribing Fantasy In Children's Film / Julian Cornell -- Songs For The Older Set: Music And Multiple Demographics In Shrek, Madagascar And Happy Feet / Stan Beeler -- The Fantastic Childhood Imagination Through An Adult Lens: A Todorovian Approach To Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland / Heather Rolufs -- Asterix & Obelix Vs. Hollywood: A Pan-european Film Franchise For The Family Audience / Noel Brown -- Film Adaptation And Transmedia Forms. Re-mixing The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Re-imagining Of Lucy Pevensie Through Film Franchise Texts And Digital Fan Cultures / Naomi Hamer -- An Evolutionary Journey: Pokemon, Mythic Quests And The Culture Of Challenge / Lincoln Geraghty -- Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Film Adaptation And Media Convergence For Children / Karin Beeler -- Nurturing Young Cinephiles: Martin Scorsese's Hugo / Dan North -- Cultural And Consumer Contexts For Children Russian Animated Films And Nationalism Of The New Millennium: The Phoenix Rising From The Ashes / Michel Bouchard And Tatiana Podyakova -- Cosmopolitan Endurance: Migrant Children And Film Spectatorship / Stephanie Hemelryk Donald -- Dubashi: Indian Film, Cross-cultural Communication And Screenings For Children / Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai -- Branding Blackness: Disney's Commodification Of Black Culture In Song Of The South And The Princess And The Frog / Lydia E. Ferguson -- The Commodification Of Ms. Penny Proud: Consumer Culture In Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids And Disney's The Proud Family / Debbie Olson. Edited By Karin Beeler And Stan Beeler. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Acknowledgments 7 Table of Contents 8 Introduction (Karin and Stan Beeler) 10 Section One: Childhood, Adults and Films for Dual Audiences 18 No Place Like Home: Circumscribing Fantasy in Children’s Film (Julian Cornell)_ 18 Songs for the Older Set: Music and Multiple Demographics in Shrek, Madagascar and Happy Feet (Stan Beeler) 37 The Fantastic Childhood Imagination Through an Adult Lens: A Todorovian Approach to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (Heather Rolufs) 46 Asterix & Obelix vs. Hollywood: A Pan- European Film Franchise for the “Family” Audience (Noel Brown) 58 Section Two: Film Adaptation and Transmedia Forms 72 Re-Mixing The Chronicles of Narnia: The Reimagining of Lucy Pevensie Through Film Franchise Texts and Digital Fan Cultures (Naomi Hamer) 72 An Evolutionary Journey: Pokémon, Mythic Quests and the Culture of Challenge (Lincoln Geraghty) 87 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Film Adaptation and Media Convergence for Children (Karin Beeler) 98 Nurturing Young Cinephiles: Martin Scorsese’s Hugo (Dan North) 107 Section Three: Cultural and Consumer Contexts for Children 118 Russian Animated Films and Nationalism of the New Millennium: The Phoenix Rising from the Ashes (Michel Bouchard and Tatiana Podyakova) 118 Cosmopolitan Endurance: Migrant Children and Film Spectatorship (Stephanie Hemelryk Donald) 142 Dubashi: Indian Film, Cross-Cultural Communication and Screenings for Children (Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai) 157 Branding Blackness: Disney’s Commodification of Black Culture in Song of the South and The Princess and the Frog (Lydia E. Ferguson) 169 The Commodification of Ms. Penny Proud: Consumer Culture in Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and Disney’s The Proud Family (Debbie Olson) 181 About the Contributors 198 Index 200