ANIMAFEST PRO | ANIMAFEST SCANNER IIII - Symposium for Contemporary Animation Studies | PANEL 1: THE CHANGING ROLES OF FESTIVALS
Recognition, Innovation, and Homage: The Role of Animation Festivals in Tracing Artistic Lineage in Animation - Vivian Elaine Sponholtz - University of Florida - USA
06/06 TUE 11:35 - 12:05 Chilloutka, Ilica 15/1
Artists function both inside and outside of the confines of the time periods in which they live, taking part in an ongoing dialogue of ideas across cultural, temporal, and geographic borders. However, despite recent interest in mediainnovation and the ubiquity of animation on a multiplicity of media platforms, the way in which artistic lineage has helped to shape some of the most common animation approaches and techniques is a neglected area of study in media scholarship. Furthermore, the impact of animation festivals as important venues for the exchange of information between academics, animators, and members of the public,and asthe role of festivals as catalysts for new work is seldom included in discussions of media innovation. This paper addresses these gaps by proposing a typology for animation, as seen in fourlines of influence traced back to the innovations and aesthetic approaches of animation pioneers Emile Cohl, Winsor McCay, Lotte Reiniger, and Karel Zeman.
The works discussed exemplify the proposed categories, and are animated films presented atanimation festivals. These include such films as Tiger in 142B by Henry Zhuang and Harry Zhuang (Singapore), Tango by Franciso Gusso (Brazil), A Tangled Tale by Corrie Francis Parks (USA), and The Magic Mountain by Anca Damian (Romanian/Polish). By examining links between early technological innovations used in producing animated films, such as Cohl’s animation stand and Reiniger’s multiplane camera, and tracing lines of influence in the work of contemporary animators participating in animation festivals, the continued impact of these innovations can be better understood by animators and media scholars alike. An examinationof aesthetics, storytelling techniques, and chaîne opératoirein puppet animation, cell animation, sand animation, cut-out animation, and forms of hybridity, make it possible to view these films from a new perspective: their connection to the past and each other.
Dr. Elaine Sponholtz is an artist and scholar interested in the intersection of visual culture, memory, and creative uses of technology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication design, and Master’s degrees in digital arts and sciences andin library science. While completing her doctorate in mass communication at the University of Florida, Dr.Sponholtz received a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship to study in Prague, and the Doctoral Research Travel Grant by the Graduate School for research at several European film archives. Her dissertation chronicles the role of artist-animators in laying the foundation for contemporary digital media.