Jeff is a Guy

I was talking to my girlfriend recently about the movie Frozen, and the idea came up about the proportionate lack of lead female characters in film, and that it's great that more movies with them are coming out each year. This got me thinking about my own short. Jeff is a guy. He's a guy mostly because I came up with the idea quickly, and being a guy it is easier for me to write and connect with male characters. But what if Jeff was a girl? Would that change the meaning of the film? And what about my other characters?

Well, the answer is complicated, but ultimately making Jeff a girl both would and would not change the meaning of the short. And the difference would be between each viewer of the film. The artistic intent of the project, homage and nostalgia to the games of old, would not change if Jeff was a girl. However, Audience interpretation would likely differ than what I want, or at least focus on aspects I didn't intend. Seeing a girl version of Jeff getting beaten up in the same manner would be both praised and scorned. Praised because here is a female doing all the things a male would do, but being a man, I would likely be called a mysoginist for letting all these things happen to the character. Ultimately, by making Jeff a boy I am creating a character based on the socially accepted norms of what a nerdy type can be, and allows the audience to more comfortably think about the themes I want them to think about, rather than reading too deep into the subtext of the film. Personally, girl Jeff could be fun to animate (sequel?), but for right now I'm satisfied with him as a boy.

Changing the sex of the game characters would ultimately not serve the short well. Because I am trying to stick to the tropes of games of this period, the characters being the opposite sex would throw off audiences rather than invite them into the film. It would be subverting expectations for the sake of subverting expectations, and isn't necessary for the project.

Hopefully in my career I get more chances to work with female characters, and expand my acting range as an animator. :)