Different Dialogue styles

Various animation studies used this element of dialogue in different ways. Disney used it in a way of reprimanding or whenever a conflict arose. Dialogue was a way to set things straight with discipline.

For example when Mickey trains Pluto, Donald complains against the world. Their style of dialogue was preachy and moralistic. Whereas the Warner Bros used dialogue to add a sense of comedy. Their dialogues were joke oriented and this style of dialogue in animation was established by them. Simple dialogues like ‘What’s up Doc?‘ showed Bugs’ Bunnys’ superiority! or ‘You realise, this means war’ when things didn’t go the Bugs’ way. Daffy on the other hand with his consistent lispy babble would utter in great shame, ‘You are despicable’. Elmer Fudd would quietly hunt wabbits whereas Yosemite Sam would hype himself up and say ‘I’m seagoing Sam, the blood thirstiest, shoot ’em firstiest, doggone worstiest, buccaneer that’s ever sailed the Spanish Main!’.

All of these Verbal Dynamics,

be it admonishing or humourous added texture and remarkably supported the visuals. Philip Brophy suggested that Disney soundtrack leaned towards the Symphonic which was inspired by classical aspirations, poetic, balletic and operatic. On the other hand, the Warner Bros leaned towards the Cacophonic which included more urban, industrialized, beat-based vocabulary. Now that you know the secret of how the most successful animation studios used dialogue and language in their projects in order to be more striking and relatable, how are you going to use it? The Disney style? Warner Bros style? Or something new altogether?

Remember as kids we would laugh and sometimes imitate the wacky voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester? It was because of a grown man behind the bunny, the duck, the cat and thousands of other characters which he enhanced with his voice. It all came out of one legendary person, Mel Blanc aka “The Man of 1000 Voices”.

He practically became one of them. Bugs’ voice, Blanc said, grew out of his impression of the character as a smart, endlessly resourceful maverick, a very urban rabbit despite his residency in rural holes. His inputs made a huge impact on what Bugs eventually turned out to be. Mel said “I thought, when we were working on how Bugs would talk, which accent sounds the toughest – Brooklyn or the Bronx? I couldn’t make up my mind, so I made his voice a combination of both.” Blanc would instantly embody the facial expressions of whatever character he was voicing. He actually lived these characters. And the characters lived him. One of them also saved him. It was our hero, Bugs Bunny.

When one night at Sunset Boulevard’s Deadman Curve, Mel Blanc met with an accident that crushed his Aston Martin and himself inside it. The chances of him surviving were a million to one. That’s when the address “Bugs Bunny, Hollywood, USA” received fifteen thousand cards and letters, gifts of pennies, nickels, sticks of gum and carrots. Thousands of people praying for Bugs Bunny to get well soon. It’s weird, isn’t it? People don’t even love humans as much as they loved a cartoon character. Maybe that’s the magic of animation and creating new characters. The voice of Bugs Bunny was heard, and it was heard well alright!

After about 3 weeks of Mel being in a coma, his neurosurgeon got an idea. He knew the affection Mel had for Bugs, he said “How are you feeling today, Bugs Bunny?”. It was like a miracle waiting to happen, that’s when a bleak but extremely familiar voice said “Eh, just fine, Doc, How are you?”. A human who was suffering, close to his death and there’s a fictitious character who was being his hero was trying to save him. Bugs eventually won, Mel survived.

Mel Blanc was the voice to Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, Pepe Le Pew, Yosemite Sam, Mr. Spacely, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Speedy Gonzalez,The Tasmanian Devil, Barney Rubble, Dino the Dinosaur, Heathcliff and so many more but the love for one saved him and it was our dear Bugs. This is the power of animation. Mel Blanc is said to be one of the first voice actors and he is also the first voice actor to get screen credit which he funnily enough received after being denied a raise by his studio boss Leon Schlesinger.

Out of his glorious work history, his career at Warner Bro’s was the longest and memorable. When we think of Bugs, we hear his voice along with the chomping of carrots. We could never thank Mel Blanc enough for the iconic legend that his voice created.