Cartoon Animation - How to Effectively Break the 4th Wall and Be Super Meta

Warning: Some minor spoilers to Gravity Falls. You've been warned.
So I love cartoons and animation. I also love filmmaking. However, when cartoons end up breaking the 4th wall and being meta, it makes for effective storytelling. Here is a video essay on how to effectively break the 4th wall and be meta in cartoon animation.
This was my final project for my editing class this semester. Enjoy and let me know what you think.
Features clips from:
Gravity Falls
Ed Edd N Eddy
Chowder
Family Guy
Two and a Half Men
Music Used:
Son of a Rocket - Kevin MacLeod
Electro Cabello - Kevin MacLeod
The Time is Now - Hooksounds
Poofy Reel - Kevin MacLeod
Made Me Realize - Gravity Falls Cover
End Credits - Brad Breeck

[@JonasEvant]

This was really interesting to watch! I realize this was done for school, but I'd love to see more videos like this for TH-cam, about animation and other forms and aspects of filmmaking. You explained yourself well without babbling or wasting time, and I rather enjoyed that you *showed* concrete examples of what you were talking about.

[@einekartoffel2490]

Isn't that called "leaning on the 4th wall"?
Yes, I know. I'm not getting many invitations.

[@karatesoccerbaseball]

Good video, but I think it would have been stronger had you focused on "Chowder" instead. The car wash clip you showed is great, but there are so many other fantastic ones like when Chowder gets too smart and when Schnitzel cleans the messy kitchen by walking off screen to flap the screen like it was a beach towel with sand on it. Then there was the one where Chowder was in his own mouth and had a conversation with his Wisdom Tooth, who was narrating the episode.
And don't get me started on the art/animation design. That was super cool! Especially how the patterns on the clothes stayed the same despite the character actually moving.

[@iagas9]

I love Gravity Falls and liked this video a lot. So many times, fourth wall breaks in animation can be super lazy (usually in lazily written "blockbuster" animation movies)

[@JoaquinReinoso]

Im currently working on a video essay about breaking the fourth wall. Your work has given me many ideas an arguments. Thanks for your hard work! Hope to see more videos like this in the future.

[@Johan-vk5yd]

Very interesting! These matters engaged me since childhood. I knew Batman was ink on paper, but I shun him for the violence. I felt the pain of the bad guys being punched in the face. It seems ”the fourth wall” is for me not a wall at all, just an interface. Constantly pointing out the existence of that interface doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, personally. Now and then being reminded is OK, but doesn’t add tremendously to my experience at least. I guess we’re wired differently each one of us. I’ll dive further into current research on the neuroscience of mind-sync and compassion after this. Thank you for the video!

[@RodTejada502]

This was very informative and yet entertaining! Im subscribing and looking forward for more animation related video essays! :D

[@KingOfShells]

This was super interesting and fun to watch! I'd love to see more videos like this!

[@benjamintilodi3734]

this is amazing, I've always wante to do a video essay on adventure and the character dynamics behind it

[@Salt_Master_Queue]

Media Guy Ryan: Listen. If you're not gonna look like that, you should at least buy a sports car to compensate.
Regular Ryan: A sports car?
MGR: Or else you won't have love. Or friends.
Body Builder Ryan: That's not accurate.
RR: Yeah, his body is just a still image cut out in Photoshop and overlaid anyway.
*SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE FOURTH WALL*
Construction Worker Ryan: Oh my god!
BBR: What happened?
CWR: I don't know, but the fourth wall just SHATTERED!
BBR: Okay, yeah. We should get outta here.
RR: Yeah.
Writing this comment was super easy, barely an inconvenience.

[@estebanlacrosse7847]

Great video

[@yeahhhhh1253]

"warning spoilers to gravity falls" ...
my pov: I watched every ep

[@christianpaystrup4427]

Nice video.

[@riannekolenbrander3933]

Great video! Did you ever watch The Amazing World of Gumball? They break the fourth wall in very cool ways as well :D

[@BuzzNBen]

Yes! I actually kind of wish I did this video on The Amazing World of Gumball now instead of Gravity Falls, but perhaps I'll do a video essay on Gumball in the future.

[@riannekolenbrander3933]

​@@BuzzNBen Haha noo I'm glad you picked Gravity Falls, but it certainly would be great if you did a video on Gumball in the future!!

[@tommyfroggyy_]

Hmm.. why does Stan have a tattoo?
WELL YA CLICKED HERE FOR SPOILERS SO ITS-

[@cyanthestickman9933]

I miss gravity falls ;(
But my aim is getting better!

[@thatonecandybrand6640]

I also miss gravity falls

[@SqrlGrlDawn]

413 views boi

[@dtsums1220]

I think family guy does it better

[@JulianR2JG]

Nah, they got nothing. How about you watch Chowder?