Animation: Key Films/Filmmakers – serie

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995), Pixar’s first feature-length production and Hollywood’s first completely computer-generated animated film, is an international cultural phenomenon. This collection brings together a diverse range of scholars and practitioners who together explore the themes, compositional techniques, cultural significance and industry legacy of this landmark in contemporary cinema.Topics range from industrial concerns, such as the film’s groundbreaking use of computer generated imagery and the establishment of Pixar as a major player in the animation world, to examinations of its music, aesthetics, and the role of toys in both the film and its fandom. The Toy Story franchise as a whole is also considered, with chapters looking at its cross-generational appeal and the experience of growing up alongside the series.As the first substantial work on this landmark film, this book will serve as an authoritative introduction for scholars, students and fans alike.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Animator Norman McLaren is best known for his experimental films using pioneering techniques and his work as founder of the animation department of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), but little mention is made of his Scottish heritage or his personal life. Nichola Dobson examines some of the key events and people in his life through a close examination of his key works and his personal papers, and discusses how influential they were. By using archive material to discover his personal identity and close readings of his films, Norman McLaren rediscovers one of the most important figures in animation history.Divided into thematic chapters of significant areas of influence, Dobson analyzes his formative years growing up in Scotland and his relationship with fellow Scot, John Grierson; the international travel which influenced him politically and creatively; the creative arts which played a vital part of his life; his collaborations with other artists and his complex, and rarely discussed, personal life. Each of these chapters considers his key films during those periods with a close detailed analysis and a further examination of his life through his correspondence with family and close friends. By featuring this previously un-published material, the book allows much of the consideration of the work to be in McLaren’s own words and offers a deep insight into his vast output of films over nearly 50 years.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Princess Mononoke (1997) is one of anime’s most important films. Hayao Miyazaki’s epic fantasy broke domestic box office records when it came out in Japan, keeping pace with the success of Hollywood films like Titanic (1997). Princess Mononoke was also the first of Studio Ghibli’s films to be distributed outside Japan as part of a new deal with Disney subsidiary Buena Vista International. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the release of the film, Rayna Denison curates this new collection to critically reflect on Princess Mononoke’s significance within and beyond Japanese culture. The collection investigates the production, and re-production, processes involved in the making of Princess Mononoke into a global phenomenon and reevaluates the film’s significance within a range of global markets, animation techniques, and cultures.In revisiting this undeniably important film, the collection sheds light on the tensions within anime and the cultural and social issues that Princess Mononoke explores, from environmental protection to globalization to the representation of marginalized groups. In this remarkable new collection, Princess Mononoke is examined as a key player during a major turning point in Japanese animation history.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Hayao Miyazaki's career in animation has made him famous as not only the greatest director of animated features in Japan, the man behind classics as My Neighbour Totoro (1988) and Spirited Away (2001), but also as one of the most influential animators in the world, providing inspiration for animators in Disney, Pixar, Aardman, and many other leading studios. However, the animated features directed by Miyazaki represent only a portion of his 50-year career. Hayao Miyazaki examines his earliest projects in detail, alongside the works of both Japanese and non-Japanese animators and comics artists that Miyazaki encountered throughout his early career, demonstrating how they all contributed to the familiar elements that made Miyazaki's own films respected and admired among both the Japanese and the global audience.

This open access study of the film Grendel Grendel Grendel, directed by Alexander Stitt, presents it as a masterpiece of animation and design which has attained a national and international cult status since its release in 1981. The film, based on the novel, Grendel, by John Gardner, is a loose adaptation of the Beowulf legend, but told from the point of view of the monster, Grendel. Grendel Grendel Grendel is a mature, intelligent, irreverent and quite unique animated film - it is a movie, both in terms of content and of an aesthetic that was well ahead of its time. Along with a brief overview of Australian animation and a contextualization of where this animated feature fits within the broader continuum of Australian (and global) film history, Dan Torre and Lienors Torre provide an intriguing analysis of this significant Australian animated feature.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

This open access collection brings together an international group of practitioners and scholars to examine Coraline’s place in animation history and culture, dissect its politics, and unpack its role in the technological and aesthetic development of its medium. Coraline (Henry Selick, 2009) is stop-motion studio LAIKA's feature-length debut based on the popular children's novel by British author Neil Gaiman. Heralding a revival in global interest in stop-motion animation, the film is both an international cultural phenomenon and a breakthrough moment in the technological evolution of the craft. This book celebrates stop motion as a unique and enduring artform while embracing its capacity to evolve in response to cultural, political, and technological changes, as well as shifting critical and audience demands. Divided into three sections, this volume’s chapters situate Coraline within an interconnected network of historical, industrial, discursive, theoretical, and cultural contexts. They place the film in conversation with the medium’s aesthetic and technological history, broader global intellectual and political traditions, and questions of animation reception and spectatorship. In doing so, they invite recognition – and appreciation – of the fact that Coraline occupies many liminal spaces at once. It straddles the boundary between children’s entertainment and traditional ‘adult’ genres, such as horror and thriller. It complicates a seemingly straight(forward) depiction of normative family life with gestures of queer resistance. Finally, it marks a pivotal point in stop-motion animation’s digital turn. Following the film’s recent tenth anniversary, the time is right to revisit its production history, evaluate its cultural and industry impact, and celebrate its legacy as contemporary stop-motion cinema’s gifted child.As the first book-length academic study of this contemporary animation classic, this volume serves as an authoritative introduction and a primary reference on the film for scholars, students, practitioners, and animation fans.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

Marco Bellano's open access book reconstructs the history of the production of Allegro non Troppo, on the basis of an original research developed with the contribution of Bozzetto himself; it also presents an audiovisual analysis of the work, as to reassess the international relevance of Bozzetto's achievements by giving insight into the director's creative process."A film that will let you see the music and listen to drawings; in a word, a film full of Fantasia!" Bruno Bozzetto's Allegro non Troppo tips its hand right away: it is an unabashed, yet full of admiration, retake on Walt Disney's 1940 "concert feature". The obvious nod to that model fuels many tongue-in-cheek jokes in the film; however, Allegro non Troppo soon departs from mere parody, and becomes a showcase for the multifaceted aesthetics of Italian animation in 1976, as well as a witty social satire and a powerful rethinking of the music-image relationship in cinema.The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

This open access book explores the enduring qualities that have marked Snow White’s influence and legacy, providing a collection of original chapters that reflect upon its pioneering use of technology and contributions to animation’s visual style, the film’s reception within an American context, and its status as a global cultural phenomenon.Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand, 1937) occupies a central place within the history of global animation. Based on the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the film was the first feature-length animated film produced by the Disney Studio and served to announce the animated cartoon as an industrial art form. Yet Disney’s landmark version not only set in motion the Golden Age of the Hollywood cartoon, but has continued to stand as an international sensation, prompting multiple revisions and remakes within a variety of national filmmaking contexts. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Princess Mononoke (1997) is one of anime’s most important films. Hayao Miyazaki’s epic fantasy broke domestic box office records when it came out in Japan, keeping pace with the success of Hollywood films like Titanic (1997). Princess Mononoke was also the first of Studio Ghibli’s films to be distributed outside Japan as part of a new deal with Disney subsidiary Buena Vista International. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the release of the film, Rayna Denison curates this new collection to critically reflect on Princess Mononoke’s significance within and beyond Japanese culture. The collection investigates the production, and re-production, processes involved in the making of Princess Mononoke into a global phenomenon and reevaluates the film’s significance within a range of global markets, animation techniques, and cultures.In revisiting this undeniably important film, the collection sheds light on the tensions within anime and the cultural and social issues that Princess Mononoke explores, from environmental protection to globalization to the representation of marginalized groups. In this remarkable new collection, Princess Mononoke is examined as a key player during a major turning point in Japanese animation history.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995), Pixar’s first feature-length production and Hollywood’s first completely computer-generated animated film, is an international cultural phenomenon. This collection brings together a diverse range of scholars and practitioners who together explore the themes, compositional techniques, cultural significance and industry legacy of this landmark in contemporary cinema.Topics range from industrial concerns, such as the film’s groundbreaking use of computer generated imagery and the establishment of Pixar as a major player in the animation world, to examinations of its music, aesthetics, and the role of toys in both the film and its fandom. The Toy Story franchise as a whole is also considered, with chapters looking at its cross-generational appeal and the experience of growing up alongside the series.As the first substantial work on this landmark film, this book will serve as an authoritative introduction for scholars, students and fans alike.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Animator Norman McLaren is best known for his experimental films using pioneering techniques and his work as founder of the animation department of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), but little mention is made of his Scottish heritage or his personal life. Nichola Dobson examines some of the key events and people in his life through a close examination of his key works and his personal papers, and discusses how influential they were. By using archive material to discover his personal identity and close readings of his films, Norman McLaren rediscovers one of the most important figures in animation history.Divided into thematic chapters of significant areas of influence, Dobson analyzes his formative years growing up in Scotland and his relationship with fellow Scot, John Grierson; the international travel which influenced him politically and creatively; the creative arts which played a vital part of his life; his collaborations with other artists and his complex, and rarely discussed, personal life. Each of these chapters considers his key films during those periods with a close detailed analysis and a further examination of his life through his correspondence with family and close friends. By featuring this previously un-published material, the book allows much of the consideration of the work to be in McLaren’s own words and offers a deep insight into his vast output of films over nearly 50 years.

Genndy Tartakovsky is widely regarded as a pioneer in contemporary Western animation of the 20th and 21st centuries. His groundbreaking and prolific output, ranging from Dexter's Laboratory to Samurai Jack and Sym-Bionic Titan, has become a mainstay of contemporary animated programming, and collectively, the cornerstone of both titans of the industry such as Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. This open access book draws attention to the comparatively mysterious figure of this creator, while simultaneously celebrating his singular vision, mastery of formal technique, genre sensitivity, personal stylistic flair, and how these aesthetic and narrative elements combine to produce what the author calls an 'animation of sincerity' in all his works.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Hayao Miyazaki's career in animation has made him famous as not only the greatest director of animated features in Japan, the man behind classics as My Neighbour Totoro (1988) and Spirited Away (2001), but also as one of the most influential animators in the world, providing inspiration for animators in Disney, Pixar, Aardman, and many other leading studios. However, the animated features directed by Miyazaki represent only a portion of his 50-year career. Hayao Miyazaki examines his earliest projects in detail, alongside the works of both Japanese and non-Japanese animators and comics artists that Miyazaki encountered throughout his early career, demonstrating how they all contributed to the familiar elements that made Miyazaki's own films respected and admired among both the Japanese and the global audience.

This open access book provides the first in-depth analysis of his animation films and his contribution to contemporary animation.Sylvain Chomet is a multifaceted French artist best known for his feature animation films The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist. Although the films have a highly recognized artistic value, the relevant literature is limited to a modest number of articles. Sylvain Chomet’s Distinctive Animation examines important elements of the artist’s life, his studies and previous works, along with his influences and important collaborations. Special attention is also paid to the production processes, as well as the historical and socioeconomic context in which they have been created, in order to provide the reader not only with a comprehensive study of the films, but also to highlight their contribution to the advancement of contemporary animation.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com.

This open access book explores the enduring qualities that have marked Snow White’s influence and legacy, providing a collection of original chapters that reflect upon its pioneering use of technology and contributions to animation’s visual style, the film’s reception within an American context, and its status as a global cultural phenomenon.Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand, 1937) occupies a central place within the history of global animation. Based on the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the film was the first feature-length animated film produced by the Disney Studio and served to announce the animated cartoon as an industrial art form. Yet Disney’s landmark version not only set in motion the Golden Age of the Hollywood cartoon, but has continued to stand as an international sensation, prompting multiple revisions and remakes within a variety of national filmmaking contexts. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com.

This open access book provides the first in-depth analysis of his animation films and his contribution to contemporary animation.Sylvain Chomet is a multifaceted French artist best known for his feature animation films The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist. Although the films have a highly recognized artistic value, the relevant literature is limited to a modest number of articles. Sylvain Chomet’s Distinctive Animation examines important elements of the artist’s life, his studies and previous works, along with his influences and important collaborations. Special attention is also paid to the production processes, as well as the historical and socioeconomic context in which they have been created, in order to provide the reader not only with a comprehensive study of the films, but also to highlight their contribution to the advancement of contemporary animation.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com.

Marco Bellano's open access book reconstructs the history of the production of Allegro non Troppo, on the basis of an original research developed with the contribution of Bozzetto himself; it also presents an audiovisual analysis of the work, as to reassess the international relevance of Bozzetto's achievements by giving insight into the director's creative process."A film that will let you see the music and listen to drawings; in a word, a film full of Fantasia!" Bruno Bozzetto's Allegro non Troppo tips its hand right away: it is an unabashed, yet full of admiration, retake on Walt Disney's 1940 "concert feature". The obvious nod to that model fuels many tongue-in-cheek jokes in the film; however, Allegro non Troppo soon departs from mere parody, and becomes a showcase for the multifaceted aesthetics of Italian animation in 1976, as well as a witty social satire and a powerful rethinking of the music-image relationship in cinema.The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

This open access book uncovers the untold story of the making of Cosgrove Hall Productions' most successful works, bookended by the many others that, together, shaped an animation company which generated a ground-breaking and lasting impact like no other. Any British child of the 1980s will remember Danger Mouse – 'the world’s greatest secret agent' – and The Wind in the Willows, a series produced using stop frame puppets that faithfully recreated the world of Kenneth Grahame’s Edwardian story in remarkable detail. What they may not realise is that these acclaimed series, seemingly so different in style and approach, were made simultaneously under one roof: that of Cosgrove Hall Productions, in the modest suburb of Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester. As the first substantial academic study on this company, this book explores the history of Cosgrove Hall Productions by delving into the pipelines behind its two most successful properties.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com.

Watership Down (Martin Rosen, 1978) is as controversial as it is beloved. Whether due to the tear-jerking hit song 'Bright Eyes' or its notorious representation of violence inflicted by and upon animated rabbits, the film retains the ability to move and shock audiences of all ages, remaining an important cultural touchstone decades after its original release.This open access collection unites scholars and practitioners from a diversity of perspectives to consider the ongoing legacy of this landmark of British cinema and animation history. The authors provide nuanced discussions of Watership Down’s infamous animated depictions of violence, death and its contentious relationship with child audiences, as well as examinations of understudied aspects of the film including its musical score, use of language, its increasingly relevant political and environmental themes and its difficult journey to the screen, complete with behind-the-scenes photographs, documents and production artwork. As the first substantial work on Watership Down, this book is a valuable companion on the film for scholars, students and fans alike.The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

Watership Down (Martin Rosen, 1978) is as controversial as it is beloved. Whether due to the tear-jerking hit song 'Bright Eyes' or its notorious representation of violence inflicted by and upon animated rabbits, the film retains the ability to move and shock audiences of all ages, remaining an important cultural touchstone decades after its original release.This open access collection unites scholars and practitioners from a diversity of perspectives to consider the ongoing legacy of this landmark of British cinema and animation history. The authors provide nuanced discussions of Watership Down’s infamous animated depictions of violence, death and its contentious relationship with child audiences, as well as examinations of understudied aspects of the film including its musical score, use of language, its increasingly relevant political and environmental themes and its difficult journey to the screen, complete with behind-the-scenes photographs, documents and production artwork. As the first substantial work on Watership Down, this book is a valuable companion on the film for scholars, students and fans alike.The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

This open access study of the film Grendel Grendel Grendel, directed by Alexander Stitt, presents it as a masterpiece of animation and design which has attained a national and international cult status since its release in 1981. The film, based on the novel, Grendel, by John Gardner, is a loose adaptation of the Beowulf legend, but told from the point of view of the monster, Grendel. Grendel Grendel Grendel is a mature, intelligent, irreverent and quite unique animated film - it is a movie, both in terms of content and of an aesthetic that was well ahead of its time. Along with a brief overview of Australian animation and a contextualization of where this animated feature fits within the broader continuum of Australian (and global) film history, Dan Torre and Lienors Torre provide an intriguing analysis of this significant Australian animated feature.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

This open access collection brings together an international group of practitioners and scholars to examine Coraline’s place in animation history and culture, dissect its politics, and unpack its role in the technological and aesthetic development of its medium. Coraline (Henry Selick, 2009) is stop-motion studio LAIKA's feature-length debut based on the popular children's novel by British author Neil Gaiman. Heralding a revival in global interest in stop-motion animation, the film is both an international cultural phenomenon and a breakthrough moment in the technological evolution of the craft. This book celebrates stop motion as a unique and enduring artform while embracing its capacity to evolve in response to cultural, political, and technological changes, as well as shifting critical and audience demands. Divided into three sections, this volume’s chapters situate Coraline within an interconnected network of historical, industrial, discursive, theoretical, and cultural contexts. They place the film in conversation with the medium’s aesthetic and technological history, broader global intellectual and political traditions, and questions of animation reception and spectatorship. In doing so, they invite recognition – and appreciation – of the fact that Coraline occupies many liminal spaces at once. It straddles the boundary between children’s entertainment and traditional ‘adult’ genres, such as horror and thriller. It complicates a seemingly straight(forward) depiction of normative family life with gestures of queer resistance. Finally, it marks a pivotal point in stop-motion animation’s digital turn. Following the film’s recent tenth anniversary, the time is right to revisit its production history, evaluate its cultural and industry impact, and celebrate its legacy as contemporary stop-motion cinema’s gifted child.As the first book-length academic study of this contemporary animation classic, this volume serves as an authoritative introduction and a primary reference on the film for scholars, students, practitioners, and animation fans.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

Genndy Tartakovsky is widely regarded as a pioneer in contemporary Western animation of the 20th and 21st centuries. His groundbreaking and prolific output, ranging from Dexter's Laboratory to Samurai Jack and Sym-Bionic Titan, has become a mainstay of contemporary animated programming, and collectively, the cornerstone of both titans of the industry such as Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. This open access book draws attention to the comparatively mysterious figure of this creator, while simultaneously celebrating his singular vision, mastery of formal technique, genre sensitivity, personal stylistic flair, and how these aesthetic and narrative elements combine to produce what the author calls an 'animation of sincerity' in all his works.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com.

This edited collection considers The Nightmare Before Christmas as a milestone in animation and film history, considering the different layers of meaning and history of the film from pre-production to the present day.The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993) has become a key point of reference in negotiations of genre and the boundaries between mainstream and cult cultures, both on screen and in the spaces of fandom, and in original and retrospective reception contexts where it often becomes tangled with nostalgia. Contributors to this edited collection consider the film as a cultural object with significant impact on animation, representations of family and horror, and fandom and subcultures. Covering topics including representations of fairy tales, Christmas media, cultural appropriation, family horror, merchandise, theme parks, and food, this work explores the film’s ongoing cultural impact.

This edited collection considers The Nightmare Before Christmas as a milestone in animation and film history, considering the different layers of meaning and history of the film from pre-production to the present day.The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993) has become a key point of reference in negotiations of genre and the boundaries between mainstream and cult cultures, both on screen and in the spaces of fandom, and in original and retrospective reception contexts where it often becomes tangled with nostalgia. Contributors to this edited collection consider the film as a cultural object with significant impact on animation, representations of family and horror, and fandom and subcultures. Covering topics including representations of fairy tales, Christmas media, cultural appropriation, family horror, merchandise, theme parks, and food, this work explores the film’s ongoing cultural impact.