Introduction

How does parental abuse affect those striving for recovery and healing? In this project, I dive into the journey of a woman as she confronts her past and grapples with the aftermath of growing up in an emotionally abusive environment. 

My final project is a 1-2 minute animated film that portrays a young woman’s recovery journey. Using the medium of animation, I include the audience into her world as she strives for improvement, suffers through pain and experiences triumphs along the way. I aim to capture the daughter’s willingness to do better in the face of a negative past, toxic people and her own scars caused by emotional abuse. She ultimately discovers the power of resilience as it puts her on the path of healing and self discovery.

Artistic Influence

In creating my capstone project, I drew inspiration from a variety of filmmakers and pieces of film. One of them is Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder and director of Studio Ghibli. Some pieces of his work that have a special place in my heart include “Howl's Moving Castle” and “Princess Mononoke”. I love his films because of their compelling visuals and personal stories. Additionally, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” has been another source of inspiration for me, due to its groundbreaking animation techniques and resonant story arcs. Lasty, the Hulu tv series “The Bear” affected me in an amazing way due to its well-written characters and emotionally impactful story. I want to use these different elements and apply them to my film.

Scholarly Influence

In gathering research for this project, I found scholarly sources that helped me better understand the themes and concepts central to this story. Melanie L. Schwandt et. al wrote a very interesting article about the prevalence of childhood trauma in treatment-seeking alcoholic patients (Schwandt et. al 2014). They found that childhood abuse was more prevalent in those suffering from alcoholism and emotional abuse was the primary predictor of alcohol dependence severity (Schwandt et. al 2014). This is quite important to my story as it gives me context to how a person (like my main character) experiences childhood emotional abuse and later goes on to suffer from an alcohol addiction. Another journal that had interesting data was Jocelyn F.O. Stokes journal article about the comparison of parent-child interactions in abusive and control families (Stokes 2011). This observational study found that negative talk, commands and fewer interactions were found among abusive caregivers than comparison caregivers (Stokes 2011). Even more interesting, it found that abusive caregivers talked more than their control group, although gave significantly less praise to their children (Stokes 2011). These findings are important because they can help me craft the characteristics and motivation of an abusive parent, a character that I will have in my film. 

Methods

In the development of my film, I used a variety of research methods to improve the content of my story and creative execution. Firstly, I interviewed individuals who have firsthand experience with abusive parents. This gave me insight into the emotional and psychological impact of these unique experiences. Secondly, I conducted meetings with Creative Writing Professors on campus. These meetings allowed me to collaborate with experienced writers who provided valuable feedback and guidance as I created my story plot and characters. Lastly, I conducted extensive research into concepts and principles of animation theory. This helped me refine the visual style for this film and storytelling techniques that can be used in animation. Utilizing these research methods helped me form the technical and conceptual aspects of my project.

Audience & Impact

My intended audience for my film includes individuals who have experienced parental abuse or those who know others currently in these types of situations. These individuals may find validation and reflection in this project, seeing their own experiences reflected and acknowledged. Additionally, others who may not have direct experience with parental abuse can gain insight into the challenging and complex nature of these relationships. Engaging with my project can encourage the audience to explore the nuances of familial abuse dynamics and the impact they have on individuals and families. I hope my project will provide a deeper understanding of the complex realities of abuse and addiction. By shedding light on the emotional and psychological struggles faced by individuals in these family dynamics, my project seeks to promote awareness and encourage compassion and support by those who relate to these experiences.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful for my faculty advisors for their valuable guidance and support throughout this project and the program. Additionally, I would like to thank all of those who participated in interviews and mentored me in creative writing. This project would not have been possible without their contributions. 

References

         Jocelyn. “Comparison of Parent-Child Interactions in Abusive and Control Families: An Observational Study.” Comparison of Parent-Child Interactions in Abusive and Control Families: An Observational Study, 3 Oct. 2019  https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.4797. Accessed 3 May 2024.

       Schwandt, Melanie L., et al. “Childhood trauma exposure and alcohol dependence severity in adulthood: Mediation by emotional abuse severity and neuroticism.” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, vol. 37, no. 6, 27 Dec. 2012, pp. 984–992, https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.12053.