Unit 5 Final Essay

8/2/2019 Unit 5 Final Essay

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Chrissie Peters

CGA&A yr1

Unit 5 Animation

Essay


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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3

KEYTERMS 4

MAINBODY 5

KEYINDIVIDUALS 7

CONCLUSION 9

LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS 10

BIBLIOGRAPHY 11


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INTRODUCTIONThisessayexplorestheanimatedpaper-cutfilmsofLotteReiniger.

BorninGermanyin1899,Reinigerisbestknownforherelaboratestop-motionanimations

usingpapercutouts.Herfilmsareinterestingnotonlybecauseofthepioneeringtechniques

sheused,butalsobecauseofthewayshesuccessfullykeptpoliticalandinterracialissues

outofherfilmsdespitethecultureofthecountryshegrewupin.Unusuallyforhertime,her

filmsoftenfeaturedstrongfemalecharacters.

TheessaywilldefineanimationanditstermsusingTheArtofStopMotionAnimation(by

KenPriebe(2006)andAnimatorsUnearthed:AGuidetotheBestofContemporary

AnimationbyAmandaandChrisRobinson(2010).

UsingtheessayShadowandSubstance:ReinigersCarmenCutherownCapersbyHarriet

Margolis(2005)andRhiel,OSickeyandMajersbookRiefenstahlScreened:AnAnthologyof

NewCriticism(Rhiel2008)itwillinvestigateReinigersculturalbackgroundinorderto

understandwhatinfluencedher.

Itwillthenidentifyanyareasincontemporaryanimationthatmayhavebeeninfluencedby

Reiniger'sstyle,anddiscussthereasonsforthis,referencingTheFundamentalsof

AnimationbyPaulWells(2006)andFilmRemakesAsRitualandDisguise:FromCarmento

RipleybyAnatZanger(2006).

Fig1StillfromTheAdventuresofPrinceAhmed(1926 )


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KEYTERMSStopmotionAnimation

PriebedescribesStopMotionasananimationtechniquetomakeaphysicallymanipulated

objectappeartomoveonitsown.Theobjectismovedinsmallincrementsbetween

individuallyphotographedframes,creatingtheillusionofmovementwhentheseriesof

framesisplayedasacontinuoussequence.Dollswithmovablejointsorclayfiguresareoften

usedinstopmotionfortheireaseofrepositioning(Priebe2006:12).

Fig23DplasticineStopMotion

2DCut-OutAnimation

2Dcut-outanimationhasitsoriginsinshadowpuppetry.PuppeteersinAsiahavebeenusing

shadowpuppetsforthousandsofyearstoactoutentertainmentandreligiousinstruction

(Currell2007:17).Adaptedforanimationintheearly1900s,Priebenotesthetechnique

originatedlargelyInFrancebyEmileCohlwithshortexperimentalfilmssuchasLePeintreNo-

Impressioniste(1910)(Priebe2006:12).Cut-outswerejointedinasimilarwaytoflatshadow

puppetsusingstringormetalfastenersandcouldthenbemovedframebyframe,andplacedunder

arostrumcameracouldbefilmedthesamewayasastop-motionanimation.Priebesuggeststhatit

neverbecameawidelyusedmediumduetothelimitedscopeofmovementbutarguesthatthey

haveanoffbeatsurrealqualitytothem,wherepartoftheircharmisinthestiffgraphicstyle

theyexude(Priebe,2006:12).

Fig32Dpapercutstopmotion


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MAINBODY

Reinigerwasatrailblazerwithheranimatedfilms,saysRhiel(2008:265),whileStarrstates

Reinigerscareerinsilhouetteanimationisoneofthelongestandmostproductivein

animationhistory(Starr1976:73).Wellsfeelsthereasonforhersuccessisbecauseshe

combinedabstractworkwithavisualnarrativemoreaccessibletowideraudiences (Wells2006:70);

Margolisfeelssheissuccessfulbecauseherfilmsingeneralarenon-threateningandamusing,

technicallybreath-takingandvisuallycharming(Margolis2005).

ReinigerwasborninBerlinin1899toparentswhoactivelyencouragedcreativity;shesaidIcouldcutsilhouettesalmostassoonasIcouldholdapairofscissorstheywereverymuch

praisedandIcutsilhouettesforallthebirthdaysinthefamily.Iwasencouragedto

continue(Reiniger1936).Reinigercouldpaint,read,andrecite,andasachildenjoyed

showingminiatureplaysusinghercut-outpaperfiguresandtheatres.Sheworkedbrieflyat

Reinhardsstudio,helpingtoanimatestop-motionwoodenratsforthefilmThePiedPiper

ofHamelin(1918,dir.PaulWegener),andwasaskedtomakethefilmshandcutsilhouette

titles.ThisledtoReinigergettingfinancialbackingtomakefilmsindependently(Starr

1976:74).Shewentontomakemorethanfiftysilhouettestop-motionanimatedfilms.

Fig4Reinigerworkingonananimation


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ThereissomedisputeaboutReinigerspoliticalstance

amongstresearchers.Margolissays,Reinigerclaimed

tobeapolitical(Margolis2005);Blattneragreesand

suggeststhatReinigerchosetomovetoEnglandin

1933(Blattner2008:43).However,Rhielarguesthat

ReinigerhadtoleaveGermanywhentheNaziscame

topower(Rhiel2008:268).Whilstnotcontextually

importantitisaninterestingdebate,asthesilhouette

techniquemeansthatallcharactersinastoryhavethe

samecolour;Zangerdrawsparticularattentiontothis,

suggestingitisacleveranddeliberatestrategy,she

avoidstherepresentationofinter-racialrelationships

(Zanger2006:59).

Fig5figuresfromCarmen(1933)

ReinigersfilmCarmen(1933)isespeciallyinterestingfromaculturalpointofview.Zanger

pointsoutthatbyusingsilhouettessheavoidsthestereotypeor"typicalencapsulation"ofthe

gypsies(Zanger2006:60).

StarrarguesthatalthoughthereisnoexternalevidencetosuggestthatReinigerconsideredherself

afeminist,herfemalecharactersareespeciallylivelyandoriginal,displayingwit,sensuousness,and

self-awareness(Starr1999:348).Margolissuggeststhat Carmenprefigureslatercinematic

attemptstochallengepopularpatriarchalnarrativesbyrewritingtheminrevisionistfeminist

modes(Margolis2005).Reinigerwasaneducatedwomanlivinginaeraofimmensesocialchange,

andtheSecondWorldWarforcedtraditionalwomensrolestoberedefined.Margolisfeelsthat it

isnotsurprisingthatReiniger'sCarmencouldberesourcefulenoughtosurvive,eventriumph,physically

intactandmorethanequaltothemenaroundher.StarrwritesthatReinigerreinterpretsthe

CarmennarrativesothatCarmenherselftakesupthepositionofsubjectratherthanobjectof

herownstory(Starr1999:348).


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KEYINDIVIDUALS

fig6&7Charlotte"Lotte"Reiniger(18991981)wasaGermansilhouette

animatorandfilmdirector.

fig8&9VladislavStarevich(1882-1965)wasaRussianandFrenchstop-motionanimator

whousedinsectsandotheranimalsashisprotagonists.

fig10&11mileCohl(1857-1938),bornmileEugneJeanLouisCourtet,wasaFrench

caricaturistofthelargelyforgottenIncoherentMovement,cartoonist,andanimator,called

"TheFatheroftheAnimatedCartoon"and"TheOldestParisian".


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Reinigerhadaneducatedandcultured

upbringing,andherfilmshavethe

articulationandfluencyoftheatreand

danceproductions.Herartworkwas

influencedbyIndonesianshadow

puppets,andalsobyGerman

expressionism.Therewerealsoother

animatorstoinspireher:Polishanimator

LadislavScarevichmadehighlydetailed

puppetstop-motion-TheCameramans

Abovefig12EarlyIndonesianShadowPuppet Revenge(1912)usedcostumedinsects

inintricatesets.EagannotesthathisworkwasshownthroughoutEurope,andinfluenced

artistsliketheGerman-bornLotteReinigerEagan(2009:346).RobinsonplacesReiniger

withinagroupofearlyindependentexperimentalanimatorsalongsideScarevich,EmileCohl

(Phantasmagoric,1908),andWinsorMcCay(GertietheDinosaur,1914)(Robinson2010:4)

Reinigersworkhasinfluencedgenerations

ofartists.MacMahonwritesfilmdirector

HenrySelick(TheNightmarebefore

Christmas,1993)creditsReinigerasa

heavyinfluence(MacMahon2010:93).

ContemporaryartistKaraWalker,

renownedforhercontroversialsilhouettes,

hasaninterestnotjustinReinigers

technicalworkbutalsointhewayshe

incorporatedsubtlemulti-cultural fig13KaraWalker(2005)8PossibleBeginnings-amovingpicture

valuesinherwork.Awardwinningartistand

animatorHelenHilldrewinspirationfromthecut-outsilhouettesofLotteReinigerandwent

ontoincorporateothertechniquesstop-motion,puppetry,cycles,drawingonfilminher

ownanimation(GuardianObituary2007).


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CONCLUSION

LotteReinigerwasanexperimentalanimatorbestknownforher2Dpapercut-outsilhouette

films.Thefilmshad(andstillhave)greatappealtopeopleofallagesandculturesduetothe

livelybutsympatheticcharactersandnarratives.

ThestyleofanimationmeantthatReinigercouldinterpretstoriesthatotherdirectorswould

havefoundsociallyandculturallydifficult,especiallygiventhepoliticalunrestofherera.

Shewasanearlypioneerofstrongfemaleprotagonistsbutmanagedtoproduceworkwhich

wassensitivetobothgendersneeds.

Reiniger'sworkhasinfluencedmanyanimators,partlywithherstyleandtechnique,and

partlywiththesubtlewayshedealtwithsocialandculturalissues.

LotteReinigersfilmsingeneralarenon-threateningandamusing,

technicallybreath-takingandvisuallycharming

(Margolis2005).

Fig14layersoftrees

From:TheAdventuresofPrinceAchmed(1926)dirLotteReiniger


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ILLUSTRATIONSFig1onlineathttp://modelsown.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/blog-post_27.html[accessedon

16/04/2012]

Fig2onlineathttp://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/04/family6[accessedon

16/04/2012]

Fig3onlineathttp://www.thelittlechimpsociety.com/tag/2d/[accessedon16/04/2012]

Fig4onlineathttp://blog.karadesigns.ca/2011/02/20/lotte-reiniger-animation-innovator/

[accessedon16/04/2012]

Fig5onlineat

http://www.vaganteierhardt.de//Akademie/Artikel/Schattentheater%20in%20Deutschland.

htm[accessedon16/04/2012]

Fig6onlineathttp://5election.com/2010/12/30/lotte-reiniger/[accessedon16/04/2012]

Fig7onlineathttp://5election.com/2010/12/30/lotte-reiniger/[accessedon16/04/2012]

Fig8onlineathttp://www.takeonecff.com/2012/ladislaw-starewicz-a-retrospective


Fig9onlineathttp://www.takeonecff.com/2012/ladislaw-starewicz-a-retrospective


Fig10onlineathttp://www.lips.org/bio_Cohl.asp[accessedon16/04/2012]

Fig11onlineathttp://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/July-August-08/On-

this-Day---mile-Cohl-Releases-the-First-Full-Length-Animated-Film---Fantasmagorie-.html


Fig12onlineathttp://ethnicarts.com/puppets-wayang-kulit-shadow-puppet-c-3_39


Fig13onlineathttp://degenerateartstream.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/kara-walker-post-by-

haruko-nishimura.html[accessedon16/04/2012]

Fig14onlineathttp://blog.karadesigns.ca/2011/02/20/lotte-reiniger-animation-

innovator/[accessedon16/04/2012]


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Blattner,E(2008)InPraiseofShadowsMilan:Charta,

Currell,D(2007)ShadowPuppets&ShadowPlayRamsbury:Crowood

Eagan,D(2009)America'sFilmLegacy:TheAuthoritativeGuidetotheLandmarkMoviesintheNationalFilm

RegistryNY:ContinuumInternationalPublishing

HelenHillObituaryonlineathttp://www.redcat.org/event/helen-hill-memorial[accessedon16/04/2012]

Margolis,H(2005)ShadowandSubstance:ReinigersCarmenCutsherOwnCapersinPerriam,CandDavies,

A(2005)CriticalStudiesVolume24:Carmen:FromSilentFilmtoMTVAmsterdam:Rodopi

McMahan,Alison(2010p93)FilmsofTimBurton:AnimatingLiveActioninContemporaryHollywoodLondon:

ContinuumInternationalPublishing

Priebe,K(2006)ArtofStop-MotionAnimationBoston:CourseTechnology

Reiniger,L(1936)ScissorsMakeFilms,citedinReiniger,L(1970)ShadowTheatresandShadowFilms

London:Batsford

Rhiel,N.,OSickey,M.,andMajer,I(2008)RiefenstahlScreened:AnAnthologyofNewCriticismNY:


Robinson,A&Robinson,C(2010)AnimatorsUnearthed:AGuidetotheBestofContemporaryAnimationNY:


Starr(1976)inRussett,IandStarr,C(1976)ExperimentalAnimationOriginsofaNewArtNewYork:Da

CapoPress

Wells,P(2006)FundamentalsofAnimationLondon:AVA

Zanger,A(2006)FilmRemakesAsRitualandDisguise:FromCarmentoRipleyAmsterdam:UniversityPress

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