Animated films in the digitalization process: Narrative, character representations, and inter-character relationships

This study examines the effects of digitalization on animated films through an in-depth analysis of their narratives, character representations, and inter-character relationships. The films were analyzed across five distinct periods: the Black-and-White Era, the Golden Age, the Innovation Era, the Revival Era, and the Modern Era. A total of nine prominent, pioneering, and popular films representing these periods were analyzed through semiotic analysis within the context of the digitalization process and narrative diversity. The analyses employed Roland Barthes's Five Codes Model—including the hermeneutic, proairetic, semantic, symbolic, and cultural codes—as well as Algirdas Julien Greimas's Actantial Model, which focuses on actants, stages, and axes. Through these models, the films were examined in terms of character relationships, narrative structures, and overall semantic coherence. Furthermore, by addressing the technical aspects of the films—including 2D black-and-white, 2D color, and 3D color formats—the study highlights the visual transformation driven by digitalization. With digitalization, characters have become more profound and multidimensional, and relationships have evolved to be more emotional and complex. The narratives have gradually developed into multilayered structures over time. The study also reveals developmental differences between Turkish and foreign animation cinema through the analysis of a selected Turkish animated film. While Turkish animation has been shaped by limited resources and local cultural influences, foreign animation has benefited from greater technological and financial capacities, creating a global visual language. However, in recent years, with the proliferation and increased accessibility of digital tools, Turkish animation has also made significant progress. In this context, digitalization is considered a comprehensive process that transforms character structures, narrative forms, and cultural representations. The findings indicate that digitalization, through emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, will lead to more layered and dynamic narratives in the future.