Character Vs Environment

Characters aren't watched in a vacuum - there is almost always some sort of background going on behind them (which can include props and other characters that aren't a part of the main scene). The contrast between the shapes of the characters and the background can tell you a lot about the scene, and how the characters will be feeling in relation to their background.

For example, Simba in the Lion King is happy in his usual surroundings, as everything is fairly round and friendly with no harsh edges.


Later on in the story, he goes to the Elephant Graveyard, with old bones and carcasses of dead animals. Everything is much sharper and unfriendly, showing that this is a negative scene and Simba's unease at being there - as opposed to the hyenas with their more angular character designs who are completely comfortable there.



This is a good technique for showing rather than telling the audience about the sort of situation that the characters in, and is used throughout animal but subtly and not to subtly.