A thread on big corporate animation studios making movies about a non-white culture. These opinions (which I may contradict later in life) are purely my own and were formed from a very short 10 years of working in the animation industry:

Ask yourself this, why would a multi-million dollar company want to make a movie about a non-white culture? For the same reason they want to make ANY movie. For profit. May seem obvious, but It’s an important detail for anyone to remember.

If at the core of the art piece (movie) is making money, then there will be many different check marks the artist (Director) will have to hit in order for the movie to be a “success”. This is just a known fact. And it’s a major capitalist one.

About the hopefully colored director working on the project: Hurray! You finally made it to your dream of making an animated film about your culture! Now you have the impossible task of smushing everything you possibly can about your culture into an hour and forty five minutes.

This is no easy task. Especially when you got all those wonderful executive check marks to cross. Here are some of those check marks:

1. Is your main character “likeable”. Remember, these are white folks you’re convincing here. Will they ever really “like” a colored person? Do they even have any colored friends? Not saying they don’t, just saying these are questions colored people ask a lot.

2. Your story must have a convincing character arc. This arc usually consists of the main character having a goal (usually a capitalist one) they must achieve in a satisfying way. These arcs don’t always pertain to every culture. But MUST be convincing to your white investors.

3. Culture representation. The movie should be PACKED with it! So let’s grab the obvious cliches and throw them in. Oh and just to be real, cliches work GREAT in animation. They’re funny and clear. That’s why when it’s done about a culture, it can be cringe.

4. Comedy. We all know the characters. The dumb side character that is there to make the main one look good and make the kiddies laugh. When this character is usually done in a movie about a certain culture, it can get ugly and disingenuous. Situational comedy works best I think.

5. The design. Usually the designs of the characters need to be “appealing” ie “Disney-fied” ie “white-fied”. Which is fine by me, but doesn’t necessarily have the cultural representation the movie is trying to sell. And unfortunately this rule is usually designed by white guilt.

5. Another note about comedy: I grew up surrounded by my culture’s comedy. Which a lot of times didn’t sell when I pitched it in story rooms. Some jokes I said were followed with uncomfortable silence. Most likely they weren’t funny. But maybe it’s cuz they aren’t brown?

Let’s say check marks are all good and accounted for. Your movie is ready to be released and you will now make your culture proud. By giving all your culture’s 1,000+ years of history to a major company they will profit more than anyone in your culture could ever dream. Arriba!

Here’s where I check myself. I am a WHITE ASS MEXICAN. I was born in the US, and I could pass as an angry passionate white guy. But I still am 100% “that Mexican guy”. So there’s a privilege I have that many in my culture don’t. I capitalize on profit. Which I hope will change.

Also, to every white and non-white who currently is making or previously made a film about a culture, I greatly respect your valiant efforts and amazing drive to be an artists. I myself have worked on a project about Mexico that of course I have opinions about...

But the director (non-Mexican) and all the artists I worked with were some of the best peeps I know. I wouldn’t be who I am today, a proud, loud mouthed, opinionated smart ass with a desire to make more cultural content for children than ever before if it weren’t for you. Thanks!