We shifted from looking at using single lines to using objects, and more 3D/manual based forms of animation (stop-motion). The class screened various influential animators who demonstrated foundational techniques fo future artists to build on.
Artists include:
Arthur Melbourne-Cooper – Matches Appeal (1899)
Ladislaw Starewicz – Soviet animator
Starewicz had a scientific background, and his work stemmed from wanting to document two stag beetles in battle.
His contribution in stop-motion techniques has been inspiring many to continue to develop the possibilities with stop-motion.
Willis O’Brien
O’Brien started the merge of live-action and stop-motion; basically the beginning of VFX.
Very impressively, one of his first works was a adaptation of King Kong, called “Mighty Joe Young” (1949). He named his style of work Dynamation, which kick started off the possibility of all future science-fiction anomalies, greek mythical tales, and superhero action.
George Pal – A Hungarian animator and filmmaker (1939).
He started Puppetoons – which the technique that replaces facial expressions on a puppet. The technique is continued by LAIKA in Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls.
We watched his work, “Jasper And The Haunted House” (1942) which demonstrated a lot of cinematography. He was very aware of lighting, colour, perspective and composition – a step up to quality entertainment.
Professor also mentioned NFB again, a company that sponsored many of these artists. Channel4 in UK is a similar platform that carries on supporting contemporary artist creativity, especially in the commercial/T.V. world.
Sammy Liu
ANIM223 - HISTORY OF ANIMATION - FALL 2019 