The character of WALL•E (the star of Pixar's next animated feature) is created primarily through movement, not sound or dialogue.
I am thinking that Pixar's WALL•E is going to be one of the most interesting movies of the year. It's hard to explain why without mentioning the few spoilers that have appeared on the `net, so instead I'll mention the Superbowl ad for WALL•E that aired yesterday in the U.S. (if you can't see the video, click the "Read More" link below to watch it).
I love the way that WALL•E's character in this ad - and reportedly most of the movie - is conveyed primarily through movement. The little robot is really well animated here (most of the animation in the spot was done by Pixar's Victor Navone) and it's a great example of the old axiom "show, don't tell". It also stands up to the no sound test...turn off the sound when you watch the ad and you can still tell what kind of character WALL•E is and what's happening on screen.
I think that both great animation and great puppetry should create character and tell stories primarily through movement, not dialogue.
