Introduction to Animation - Week 08, March 22nd

Mark Fiore

Flash-animated editorial and political animations by Mark Fiore are very well implemented. Although I do not agree with some of his political views, his animation techniques are outstanding and help to deliver his political ideas to viewers in a humorous and entertaining way.

Introduction to Animation - Week 07, March 15th

I Met the Walrus

Directed by Josh Raskin and produced by Jerry Levitan, this film stars Levitan and John Lennon. Combining pen illustration by James Braithwaite and computer illustration by Alex Kurina, authors have created unforgettable animated canvas filled with Lennon’s ideas, beliefs and views on life and humanity! I think the direct and brilliantly simple visual method used to create this film is a perfect delivery tool of author’s idea.

Introduction to Animation - Week 06, March 8th

Creep animation from Low Morale

This amazing film, full of dark humor and harsh satire is part of a great collection of innovative and provocative animations! I would like to explore other works by the artist and gain farther understanding of used techniques as well as the idea behind the whole concept.

Introduction to Animation - Week 05, March 1st

Jan Svankmajer - tma/svetlo/tma (Darkness/Light/Darkness)

This is an astonishingly creative, surreal and humorous film! The technique of “clay animation” is perfect for this visual philosophical anecdote. Although I did not particularly like the ending - made the author’s message somewhat incomplete – the idea and implementation of this film left me mesmerized!

Introduction to Animation - Week 04, February 23rd

Stan Vanderbeek - Science Friction (1959)

This wonderful film by Stan Vanderbeek is a good example of “collage film” or “cut out film”. This work combines a dark sense of satirical humor with the author’s belief in the utopian potential of visual interaction. After seeing this film you undoubtedly understand where the creators of British comedy series “Monty Python's Flying Circus” got their ideas for titles and intermission cartoons.

Introduction to Animation - Week 03, February 16th

Max Fleischer - Out Of The Inkwell - Modeling (1921)

This is a very impressive and innovative combination of cartoon animation and live action! A wonderful early entry in Max Fleischer's "Out Of The Inkwell" series featuring Ko Ko the Clown is every bit as extraordinary today as it was when this film was first released in 1921!  Max Fleischer’s invention, the Rotoscope, which was a device consisting of a film projector and easel used as an aid for achieving realistic movement for animated cartoons, is expertly used by the author to convey his witty visual tale.

Introduction to Animation - Week 02, February 9th

Norman McLaren - Dots (1940)

Norman McLaren has developed the innovative animated film techniques that eliminated the camera and required the artist to draw directly on the film. He also created 'animated sound,' a form of 'visible' or synthetic sound made by hand-drawings directly on the sound-track of the film. This film possesses almost hypnotic qualities as you watch in amazement how color dots dance on the screen with perfect synchronization of images and sound. The author explained his interesting method in the short film Pen Point Percussion.

Introduction to Animation - Week 01, February 2nd

Emile Cohl - Fantasmagorie, 1908

Fantasmagorie, an animated film by Émile Cohl is believed to be the first animated cartoon. Cohl placed each hand drawing on an illuminated glass plate and then traced the next drawing with variations on top of it until he had some 700 drawings. Considering this animation was created in 1908 it is well structured and thought-out, has a complete, if primitive, plot and amazingly well executed morphing of one image into another!