Histories of Animation

Tim Hope’s Wolfman (1999) 

Computer graphic animation that uses 3D mapping for its drawings. Advertisement for PlayStation with the campaign slogan "be whoever, whatever you want to be". Shows the animalistic thoughts of a man turning into a werewolf. The creators went on to work with The Mighty Boosh where they made similar animations. I found the animation style really interesting because of the combination between 2D and 3D, the props were flat 2D cut outs but when the camera pans and rotates the environment appears to be 3D.

Emile Cohl’s Fantasmagorie (1908)

Emile was a french cartoonist and animator and he is known for the first hand drawn animation. The animation was drawn on paper but from the film it looks like it was made on a blackboard, this effect comes from shooting the 700 drawings on to negative film. Cohl was a member of avant-garde arts group which was a community that celebrated laughter and ridiculousness.

Bruce Bickford’s Prometheus Garden (1988)

A claymation about people and creatures growing and shaping in a garden until war breaks out between them leading to scenes where they torture each other. The way people and shapes are formed is really interesting and satisfying to watch because the motion is very smooth. Bruce Bickford's animations are known for his disturbing and shocking scenes because he sees his self disconnected from the world around him. 
  

Stuart Blackton’s Humourous Phases of Funny Faces (1906)

A stop motion animation of a artist hand drawing people what appears to be in chalk on a blackboard, it is in fact drawn on paper using negative film making it appear to be chalk on a blackboard. The lighting changes almost every second which shows that it is just a series of images.The animation is a series of people being drawn followed by the people performing different actions. Stuart Blackton was born in England and went to America where he was one of the first film makers to use stop motion techniques and hand drawn animation, he went on to be known as the father of American animation.