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Chrissie Peters CGA&A Yr1 Unit 5 - Animation Essay
Chrissie Peters CGA&A Yr1 Unit 5 - Animation Essay
KEY INDIVIDUALS
INTRODUCTION
This
essay
explores
the
animated
paper-cut
films
of
Lotte
Reiniger.
Born
in
Germany
in
1899,
Reiniger
is
best
known
for
her
elaborate
stop-motion
animations
using
paper
cutouts.
Her
films
are
interesting
not
only
because
of
the
pioneering
techniques
she
used,
but
also
because
of
the
way
she
successfully
kept
political
and
interracial
issues
out
of
her
films
despite
the
culture
of
the
country
she
grew
up
in.
Unusually
for
her
time,
her
films
often
featured
strong
female
characters.
The
essay
will
define
animation
and
its
terms
using
The
Art
of
Stop
Motion
Animation
(by
Ken
Priebe
(2006)
and
Animators
Unearthed:
A
Guide
to
the
Best
of
Contemporary
Animation
by
Amanda
and
Chris
Robinson
(2010).
Using
the
essay
Shadow
and
Substance:
Reinigers
Carmen
Cut
her
own
Capers
by
Harriet
Margolis
(2005)
and
Rhiel,
OSickey
and
Majers
book
Riefenstahl
Screened:
An
Anthology
of
New
Criticism
(Rhiel
2008)
it
will
investigate
Reinigers
cultural
background
in
order
to
understand
what
influenced
her.
It
will
then
identify
any
areas
in
contemporary
animation
that
may
have
been
influenced
by
Reiniger's
style,
and
discuss
the
reasons
for
this,
referencing
The
Fundamentals
of
Animation
by
Paul
Wells
(2006)
and
Film
Remakes
As
Ritual
and
Disguise:
From
Carmen
to
Ripley
by
Anat
Zanger
(2006).
Fig
1
Still
from
The
Adventures
of
Prince
Ahmed
(1926)
KEY TERMS
Priebe describes Stop Motion as an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Dolls with movable joints or clay figures are often used in stop motion for their ease of repositioning (Priebe 2006:12).
Fig
2
3D
plasticine
Stop
Motion
2D Cut-Out Animation 2D cut-out animation has its origins in shadow puppetry. Puppeteers in Asia have been using shadow puppets for thousands of years to act out entertainment and religious instruction (Currell 2007:17). Adapted for animation in the early 1900s, Priebe notes the technique originated largely In France by Emile Cohl with short experimental films such as Le Peintre No- Impressioniste (1910) (Priebe 2006:12). Cut-outs were jointed in a similar way to flat shadow puppets using string or metal fasteners and could then be moved frame by frame, and placed under a rostrum camera could be filmed the same way as a stop-motion animation. Priebe suggests that it never became a widely used medium due to the limited scope of movement but argues that they have an offbeat surreal quality to them, where part of their charm is in the stiff graphic style they exude (Priebe, 2006:12).
Fig
3
2D
paper
cut
stop
motion
MAIN
BODY
Reiniger
was
a
trailblazer
with
her
animated
films,
says
Rhiel
(2008:265),
while
Starr
states
Reinigers
career
in
silhouette
animation
is
one
of
the
longest
and
most
productive
in
animation
history(Starr
1976:73).
Wells
feels
the
reason
for
her
success
is
because
she
combined
abstract
work
with
a
visual
narrative
more
accessible
to
wider
audiences
(Wells
2006:70);
Margolis
feels
she
is
successful
because
her
films
in
general
are
non-threatening
and
amusing,
technically
breath-taking
and
visually
charming
(Margolis
2005).
Reiniger
was
born
in
Berlin
in
1899
to
parents
who
actively
encouraged
creativity;
she
said
I
could
cut
silhouettes
almost
as
soon
as
I
could
hold
a
pair
of
scissorsthey
were
very
much
praised
and
I
cut
silhouettes
for
all
the
birthdays
in
the
family.
I
was
encouraged
to
continue(Reiniger
1936).
Reiniger
could
paint,
read,
and
recite,
and
as
a
child
enjoyed
showing
miniature
plays
using
her
cut-out
paper
figures
and
theatres.
She
worked
briefly
at
Reinhards
studio,
helping
to
animate
stop-motion
wooden
rats
for
the
film
The
Pied
Piper
of
Hamelin
(1918,
dir.
Paul
Wegener),
and
was
asked
to
make
the
films
hand
cut
silhouette
titles.
This
led
to
Reiniger
getting
financial
backing
to
make
films
independently
(Starr
1976:74).
She
went
on
to
make
more
than
fifty
silhouette
stop-motion
animated
films.
Fig
4
Reiniger
working
on
an
animation
There
is
some
dispute
about
Reinigers
political
stance
amongst
researchers.
Margolis
says,
Reiniger
claimed
to
be
apolitical
(Margolis
2005);
Blattner
agrees
and
suggests
that
Reiniger
chose
to
move
to
England
in
1933
(Blattner
2008:43).
However,
Rhiel
argues
that
Reiniger
had
to
leave
Germany
when
the
Nazis
came
to
power(Rhiel
2008:268).
Whilst
not
contextually
important
it
is
an
interesting
debate,
as
the
silhouette
technique
means
that
all
characters
in
a
story
have
the
same
colour;
Zanger
draws
particular
attention
to
this,
suggesting
it
is
a
clever
and
deliberate
strategy,
she
avoids
the
representation
of
inter-racial
relationships
(Zanger
2006:59).
Fig
5
figures
from
Carmen
(1933)
Reinigers film Carmen (1933) is especially interesting from a cultural point of view. Zanger points out that by using silhouettes she avoids the stereotype or "typical encapsulation" of the gypsies (Zanger 2006:60). Starr argues that although there is no external evidence to suggest that Reiniger considered herself a feminist, her female characters are especially lively and original, displaying wit, sensuousness, and self-awareness(Starr 1999:348). Margolis suggests that Carmen prefigures later cinematic attempts to challenge popular patriarchal narratives by rewriting them in revisionist feminist modes (Margolis 2005). Reiniger was an educated woman living in a era of immense social change, and the Second World War forced traditional womens roles to be redefined. Margolis feels that it is not surprising that Reiniger's Carmen could be resourceful enough to survive, even triumph, physically intact and more than equal to the men around her. Starr writes that Reiniger reinterprets the Carmen narrative so that Carmen herself takes up the position of subject rather than object of her own story (Starr 1999:348).
KEY INDIVIDUALS
fig 6 & 7 Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger (1899 1981) was a German silhouette animator and film director.
fig 8 & 9 Vladislav Starevich (1882 -1965) was a Russian and French stop-motion animator
fig 10 & 11 mile Cohl (1857-1938), born mile Eugne Jean Louis Courtet, was a French
caricaturist of the largely forgotten Incoherent Movement, cartoonist, and animator, called "The Father of the Animated Cartoon" and "The Oldest Parisian".
Reiniger
had
an
educated
and
cultured
upbringing,
and
her
films
have
the
articulation
and
fluency
of
theatre
and
dance
productions.
Her
artwork
was
influenced
by
Indonesian
shadow
puppets,
and
also
by
German
expressionism.
There
were
also
other
animators
to
inspire
her:
Polish
animator
Ladislav
Scarevich
made
highly
detailed
puppet
stop-motion
-
The
Cameramans
Above
fig
12
Early
Indonesian
Shadow
Puppet
in
intricate
sets.
Eagan
notes
that
his
work
was
shown
throughout
Europe,
and
influenced
artists
like
the
German-born
Lotte
Reiniger
Eagan
(2009:346).
Robinson
places
Reiniger
within
a
group
of
early
independent
experimental
animators
alongside
Scarevich,
Emile
Cohl
(Phantasmagoric,
1908),
and
Winsor
McCay
(Gertie
the
Dinosaur,
1914)
(Robinson
2010:4)
Reinigers
work
has
influenced
generations
of
artists.
MacMahon
writes
film
director
Henry
Selick
(The
Nightmare
before
Christmas,
1993)
credits
Reiniger
as
a
heavy
influence
(MacMahon
2010:93).
Contemporary
artist
Kara
Walker,
renowned
for
her
controversial
silhouettes,
has
an
interest
not
just
in
Reinigers
technical
work
but
also
in
the
way
she
incorporated
subtle
multi-cultural
fig
13
Kara
Walker
(2005)
8
Possible
Beginnings
-
a
moving
picture
values in her work. Award winning artist and animator Helen Hill drew inspiration from the cut-out silhouettes of Lotte Reiniger and went on to incorporate other techniquesstop-motion, puppetry, cycles, drawing on filmin her own animation(Guardian Obituary 2007).
CONCLUSION
Lotte Reiniger was an experimental animator best known for her 2D paper cut-out silhouette films. The films had (and still have) great appeal to people of all ages and cultures due to the lively but sympathetic characters and narratives. The style of animation meant that Reiniger could interpret stories that other directors would have found socially and culturally difficult, especially given the political unrest of her era. She was an early pioneer of strong female protagonists but managed to produce work which was sensitive to both genders needs. Reiniger's work has influenced many animators, partly with her style and technique, and partly with the subtle way she dealt with social and cultural issues. Lotte Reinigers films in general are non-threatening and amusing, technically breath-taking and visually charming (Margolis 2005).
Fig
14
layers
of
trees
From:
The
Adventures
of
Prince
Achmed
(1926)
dir
Lotte
Reiniger
ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig
1
online
at
http://modelsown.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/blog-post_27.html
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
2
online
at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/04/family6
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
3
online
at
http://www.thelittlechimpsociety.com/tag/2d/
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
4
online
at
http://blog.karadesigns.ca/2011/02/20/lotte-reiniger-animation-innovator/
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
5
online
at
http://www.vaganteierhardt.de//Akademie/Artikel/Schattentheater%20in%20Deutschland. htm
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
6
online
at
http://5election.com/2010/12/30/lotte-reiniger/
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
7
online
at
http://5election.com/2010/12/30/lotte-reiniger/
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
8
online
at
http://www.takeonecff.com/2012/ladislaw-starewicz-a-retrospective
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
9
online
at
http://www.takeonecff.com/2012/ladislaw-starewicz-a-retrospective
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
10
online
at
http://www.lips.org/bio_Cohl.asp
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
11
online
at
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/July-August-08/On- this-Day---mile-Cohl-Releases-the-First-Full-Length-Animated-Film---Fantasmagorie-.html
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
12
online
at
http://ethnicarts.com/puppets-wayang-kulit-shadow-puppet-c-3_39
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
13
online
at
http://degenerateartstream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/kara-walker-post-by- haruko-nishimura.html
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Fig
14
online
at
http://blog.karadesigns.ca/2011/02/20/lotte-reiniger-animation- innovator/
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
10
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blattner,
E
(2008)
In
Praise
of
Shadows
Milan:
Charta,
Currell,
D
(2007)
Shadow
Puppets
&
Shadow
Play
Ramsbury:
Crowood
Eagan,
D
(2009)
America's
Film
Legacy:
The
Authoritative
Guide
to
the
Landmark
Movies
in
the
National
Film
Registry
NY:
Continuum
International
Publishing
Helen
Hill
Obituary
online
at
http://www.redcat.org/event/helen-hill-memorial
[accessed
on
16/04/2012]
Margolis,
H
(2005)
Shadow
and
Substance:
Reinigers
Carmen
Cuts
her
Own
Capers
in
Perriam,
C
and
Davies,
A
(2005)
Critical
Studies
Volume
24:
Carmen:
From
Silent
Film
to
MTV
Amsterdam:
Rodopi
McMahan,
Alison
(2010p93)
Films
of
Tim
Burton:
Animating
Live
Action
in
Contemporary
Hollywood
London:
Continuum
International
Publishing
Priebe,
K
(2006)
Art
of
Stop-Motion
Animation
Boston:
Course
Technology
Reiniger,
L
(1936)
Scissors
Make
Films,
cited
in
Reiniger,
L
(1970)
Shadow
Theatres
and
Shadow
Films
London:
Batsford
Rhiel,
N.,
OSickey,
M.,
and
Majer,
I
(2008)
Riefenstahl
Screened:
An
Anthology
of
New
Criticism
NY:
Continuum
International
Publishing
Robinson,
A
&
Robinson,
C
(2010)
Animators
Unearthed:
A
Guide
to
the
Best
of
Contemporary
Animation
NY:
Continuum
International
Publishing
Starr
(1976)
in
Russett,
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and
Starr,
C
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Experimental
Animation
Origins
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a
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Art
New
York:
Da
Capo
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Wells,
P
(2006)
Fundamentals
of
Animation
London:
AVA
Zanger,
A
(2006)
Film
Remakes
As
Ritual
and
Disguise:
From
Carmen
to
Ripley
Amsterdam:
University
Press
11