Barely a century has passed since anime (Japanese animation) was first screened to a Western audience. Over time the number of anime genres and generic hybrids have significantly grown. These have been influenced and inspired by various historical and cultural phenomena, one of which -Japanese native religion and spirituality - this book argues is an important and dominant. There have always been anime lovers in the West, but today that number is growing exponentially. This is intriguing as many Japanese anime directors and studios initially created works that were not aimed at a Western audience at all. The mutual imbrication of the profane and sacred worlds in anime, along with the profound reciprocal relationship between 'Eastern' (Japanese) and 'Western' (chiefly American) culture in the development of the anime artistic form, form the twin narrative arcs of the book. One of the most significant contributions of this book is the analysis of the employment of spiritual and religious motifs by directors. The reception of this content by fans is also examined.The appeal of anime to aficionados is, broadly speaking, the appeal of the spiritual in a post-religious world, in which personal identity and meaning in life may be crafted from popular cultural texts which offer an immersive and enchanting experience that, for many in the modern world, is more thrilling and authentic than 'real life'. In the past, religions posited that after human existence on earth had ceased, the individual soul would be reincarnated again, or perhaps reside in heaven. In the early twenty-first century, spiritual seekers still desire a life beyond that of everyday reality, and just as passionately believe in the existence of other worlds and the afterlife. However, the other worlds are the fantasy landscapes and outer space settings of anime (and other popular cultural forms), and the afterlife of digital circuitry and the electronic impulses of the Internet. These important new understandings of religion and the spiritual underpin anime's status as a major site of new religious and spiritual inspiration in the West, and indeed, the world.

French Animation History is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of animation, illuminating the exceptional place France holds within that history. * Selected by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2011 * The first book dedicated exclusively to this history * Explores how French animators have forged their own visual styles, narrative modes, and technological innovations to construct a distinct national style, while avoiding the cliches and conventions of Hollywood s commercial cartoons * Includes more than 80 color and black and white images from the most influential films, from early silent animation to the recent internationally renowned Persepolis * Essential reading for anyone interested in the study of French film

John Coates is best known as the producer of The Snowman, When the Wind Blows, Wind in the Willows, Willows in Winter, and Famous Fred, and as the man behind the Beatles film Yellow Submarine. This intimate biography takes the reader on a journey through Coates s early life, his years as an army officer in the 11th Hussars in World War II, and his postwar life as a distributor for Rank films throughout Asia, before returning to England and eventually taking over TV Cartoons. With a foreword by Raymond Briggs and an epilogue by Coates himself, this abundantly illustrated work also includes a DVD of selections from Coates s work."

Animating Difference studies the way race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender are portrayed in recent animated films from 1990 through the present. Ranging from Aladdin to Toy Story to Up, these popular films are key media through which children (and adults) learn about the world and how to behave. While racial and gender stereotypes may not be as obvious as they may have been in films of decades past, they often continue to convey troubling messages and stereotypes in subtle and surprising ways.

"Through the worldview perspective, this book comes to grips with the incongruous moralities in Disney. It enables both parents and educators to gain a critical understanding of Disney content without being judgmental or promotional for the wrong reasons.... Mouse Morality is a pleasure to read and discuss in itself, but shows the pathway to media criticism of the first order."--from the Foreword

Kids around the world love Disney animated films, and many of their parents trust the Disney corporation to provide wholesome, moral entertainment for their children. Yet frequent protests and even boycotts of Disney products and practices reveal a widespread unease with the sometimes mixed and inconsistent moral values espoused in Disney films as the company attempts to appeal to the largest possible audience.

In this book, Annalee R. Ward uses a variety of analytical tools based in rhetorical criticism to examine the moral messages taught in five recent Disney animated films--The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Mulan. Taking the films on their own terms, she uncovers the many mixed messages they purvey: for example, females can be leaders--but male leadership ought to be the norm; stereotyping is wrong--but black means evil; historical truth is valued--but only tell what one can sell, etc. Adding these messages together, Ward raises important questions about the moral ambiguity of Disney's overall worldview and demonstrates the need for parents to be discerning in letting their children learn moral values and life lessons from Disney films.

"Animators Unearthed" is an introduction to some of the world's top animation filmmakers, whose faces and voices remain largely unseen and unappreciated outside of the animation community. Chris Robinson discusses why it's been neglected and where you can find the work. He aims to bring this art form, and its creators, to the forefront by tracing the history of this personal and artistic animation. Throughout its history, animation has been primarily defined as cartoons that make people laugh, a medium of gags, caricatures, animals and fart jokes. Most people have no idea that there also exists a more personal, provocative and poetic side of animation, one that is not made for money and mass audiences. Robinson profiles 20 animators, known in the field, including: Patrick Smith, Don Hertzfelt, Chris Landreth (2004 Oscar winner for "Ryan"), John Canemaker (2005 Oscar Winner for "The Moon and The Son"), Joanna Quinn, Run Wrake, Chris Hinton (Oscar nominee), Bob Sabiston ("Waking Life", "A Scanner Darkly"). After spending 16 years fighting the stereotype that animation exists for kids and laughs, Robinson's tome spreads that message to introduce these incredible artists to a wider audience. Most of all, he hope that people will come away with the feeling that animation is a great art form that rivals any of the classic arts.

This guide seeks to teach those unable to afford animation training or looking to find an alternate path. "The Guerrilla Guide to Animation" aims to provide the outsider, the anarchist or the rebel guidance into the world of 2D animation. While there are many texts available on animation, the cheats and unconventional methods included here set "The Guerrilla Guide to Animation" apart from the others. By including an instructional and anecdotal section, Santucci gives the reader a DIY guide on everything from using the correct animation terms to setting up your own studio - even by building equipment yourself - and a chance to walk in the shoes of someone who's been there and done that.Provocatively written, the author's experience in directing and teaching makes him the perfect source for all of those would be animators out there. A great combination of in-depth knowledge and years of personal success and failure, "The Guerrilla Guide to Animation" is a unique resource for those who want to do animation their own way.

Today's animation is much more than kids' stuff. Increasingly complex subject matter has produced a corresponding increase in artistic interest, and forms once specific to certain cultures have crossed borders to enjoy international popularity. Japanese animation has been particularly successful in the United States, and among the most celebrated Japanese animation artists is director Mamoru Oshii. This book is an analytical survey of Oshii's cinematic works from the early years of his career through his 21st-century productions, including ""Beautiful Dreamer"" and the acclaimed ""Ghost in the Shell"". The author examines these and other Oshii productions in relation to the Carnivalesque movement, technopolitics and the director's post-robotic vision. Oshii's films are particularly significant in their defiance of the premises of Western animation and their presentation of a highly personal commentary on both individual and collective identities in the 20th and 21st centuries. Special emphasis is placed on Oshii's revolutionary film techniques, including the stylistically and thematically diverse features of productions ranging from animation to live action to Original Video Animation (OVA), a technique Oshii invented. A complete filmography is included.

With ruminations on drawing, colour and caricature, on the political meaning of fairy-tales, talking animals and human beings as machines, Hollywood Flatlands brings to light the links between animation, avant-garde art and modernist criticism. Focusing on the work of aesthetic and political revolutionaries of the inter-war period, Esther Leslie reveals how the animation of commodities can be studied as a journey into modernity in cinema. She looks afresh at the links between the Soviet Constructivists and the Bauhaus, for instance, and those between Walter Benjamin and cinematic abstraction. She also provides new interpretations of the writings of Siegfried Kracauer on animation, shows how Theodor Adorno's and Max Horkheimer's film viewing affected their intellectual development, and reconsiders Sergei Eisenstein's famous handshake with Mickey Mouse at Disney's Hyperion Studios in 1930.

For more than sixty years, Bill Hanna has made entertaining children and the young at heart his "business." In "A Cast of Friends," he offers an engaging look at his decades in animation and at the people who helped make it all possible. Hanna shares his memories of the tough and wild years at the beginning of animation, working with such legendary colleagues as Tex Avery and Friz Freleng. He describes as only he can the hard work and determination it took to make Hanna-Barbera Productions a success, with unforgettable behind-the-scenes stories of Daws Butler, Alan Reed, Mel Blanc, Casey Kasem, and other voiceover magicians. Throughout it all, he was determined to be a family man with his wife and their two children, to live a life different from Hollywood standards--and this adds a singularly personal aspect to Hanna's very special insider's look at the history of animation.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com 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. This 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.

Ivor the Engine, Noggin the Nog, Pingwings, Pogles Wood, The Clangers, and Bagpuss - the iconic animations produced by the Canterbury-based Smallfilms studio between 1958 and 1984 - constitute a significant thread of British cultural history. The lasting appeal of the imagined worlds created by Smallfilms is evident in the highly-successful BBC reboot of Clangers (2015-present), which has introduced a whole new audience to the pink moon mice. As well as the shows likely to be famiilar to readers, this history expands the Smallfilms story to include those less well-known animated shows that nonetheless played an important part in the studio's history. Through extensive studio access, interviews with many key Smallfilms collaborators, press and audience analysis, Chris Pallant provides a comprehensive and definitive historical record of the studio's work. Beyond Bagpuss is illustrated with 100 images from the Smallfilms archive, including those that have not previously been published.

20 years ago, animated features were widely perceived as cartoons for children. Today they encompass an astonishing range of films, styles and techniques. There is the powerful adult drama of Waltz with Bashir; the Gallic sophistication of Belleville Rendez-Vous; the eye-popping violence of Japan's Akira; and the stop-motion whimsy of Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Andrew Osmond provides an entertaining and illuminating guide to the endlessly diverse world of animated features, with entries on 100 of the most interesting and important animated films from around the world, from the 1920s to the present day. Blending in-depth history and criticism, 100 Animated Feature Films balances the blockbusters with local success stories from Eastern Europe to Hong Kong. This revised and updated new edition addresses films that have been released since publication of the first edition, such as the mainstream hits Frozen, The Lego Movie and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, as well as updated entries on franchises such as the Toy Story movies. It also covers bittersweet indie visions such as Michael Dudok de Wit's The Red Turtle, Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa, Isao Takahata's Tale of the Princess Kaguya, the family saga The Wolf Children and the popular blockbuster Your Name. Osmond's wide-ranging selection also takes in the Irish fantasy Song of the Sea, France's I Lost My Body and Brazil's Boy and the World. Osmond's authoritative and entertaining entries combine with a contextualising introduction and key filmographic information to provide an essential guide to animated film.

Winner of the 2017 McLaren-Lambart Award for Best Book on the Subject of Animation Studying landscape in cinema isn't quite new; it'd be hard to imagine Woody Allen without New York, or the French New Wave without Paris. But the focus on live-action cinema leaves a significant gap in studying animated films. With the almost total pervasiveness of animation today, this collection provides the reader with a greater sense of how the animated landscapes of the present relate to those of the past. Including essays from international perspectives, Animated Landscapes introduces an idea that has seemed, literally, to be in the background of animation studies. The collection provides a timely counterpoint to the dominance of character (be that either animated characters such as Mickey Mouse or real world personalities such as Walt Disney) that exists within animation scholarship (and film studies more generally). Chapters address a wide range of topics including history, case studies in national contexts (including Australia, Japan, China and Latvia), the traversal of animated landscape, the animation of fantastical landscapes, and the animation of interactive landscapes. Animated Landscapes promises to be an invaluable addition to the existing literature, for the most overlooked aspect of animation.

"Chuck Jones: Conversations" brings to life the legendary Warner Bros. artist who helped shape the history of American animation, defining our impressions of such characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, and Pepe le Pew. These interviews span more than thirty years, beginning with a 1968 conversation in which Jones (1912-2002) shares the spotlight with science fiction giant Ray Bradbury.

Throughout, the interviews illustrate the development of Jones's career, including shifts that came after the Warner Bros. animation unit closed in the early 1960s-from the uncertain years of American animation during that decade and the 1970s through the "rediscovery" of Jones and Hollywood studio animation during the 1980s and 1990s. Jones candidly discusses his aesthetic sensibilities, providing tips for aspiring animators and describing Warner Bros. animation in its heyday.

Jones was an art college graduate who struggled through the Depression, trying to establish himself within the Hollywood industry. In these conversations he emerges as a witty raconteur and a well-read, inspiring advocate for animation art, intent on nurturing future generations of animators. Jones recalls vividly the Golden Age of studio animation from the 1930s to the 1950s, including his connections with the Walt Disney studio and United Productions of America. With pleasure, insight, and depth, he describes his family and early life as well as his post-"Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" days. These interviews reveal Jones's struggles as an artist, the many influences upon him, and the creative process that made him famous. This volume contains previously unpublished material along with classic interviews.

Maureen Furniss, Savannah, Georgia, professor of animation and film at Savannah College of Art and Design, is the founding editor and publisher of "Animation Journal." She is the author of "Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetics," and her work has appeared in many periodicals.

A New History of Animation guides readers through the history and context of animation from around the world. The book assumes no prior knowledge of the subject and explains all the key technical concepts, filling a gap in the market for a complete and well-researched animation history textbook that can be used by teachers in trade schools and universities worldwide, as well as by readers interested in the story of this evolving medium. Topics covered include: early cinema and the foundations of the animation industry; animation as modern art and the emergence of the major studios; animation during wartime; stop-motion; new audiences for animation, in advertising, television, and games; animation from Eastern Europe; short films; computer-generated animation; international animation from Japan and elsewhere; and animation as an art form.

Song lyrics fly across the screen in time to music. A globe spins and zooms into a war-torn country. Money rises from a screen to explain an economic situation. Now, more than ever, we are surrounded by these motion graphics on our TV and cinema screens, on our smartphones, computers, and tablets, on Main Street and in our galleries. Motion Graphics: Principles and Processes from the Ground Up is your introduction to the core principles of the discipline, whether your background or ambitions lie in animation, graphic design, film production, or visual effects. Ian Crook and Peter Beare provide you with a wide understanding of the key concepts and techniques that will help you plan, develop and produce your own creative projects.

In a world that is dominated by computer images, alternative stop motion techniques like pixilation, time-lapse photography and down-shooting techniques combined with new technologies offer a new, tangible and exciting approach to animation. With over 25 years professional experience, industry veteran, Tom Gasek presents a comprehensive guide to stop motion animation without the focus on puppetry or model animation. With tips, tricks and hands-on exercises, Frame by Frame will help both experienced and novice filmmakers get the most effective results from this underutilized branch of animation. Practical insight and inspiration from leading filmmakers like PES (Western Spaghetti Creator, Time Magazine's #2 Viral Video of 2008), Dave Borthwick, of the Bolex Brothers and more! The accompanying website will include further content driven examples, indexes of stop motion software, a recommended film list and tools and resources for the beginner and intermediate stop motion artist, animators and filmmakers.

Digital technology has made animation simpler, faster, and easier than ever before. New tools have broadened the palette available to both beginners and experienced animators. "Basics Animation: Digital Animation" looks at the history of the medium, charting its progress by looking at specific examples that document the growth and development of the form over the past fifty years. With contributions from pioneers of the medium as well as today's leading animators in movies, games, and television, "Digital Animation" is an animated look at animation yesterday and today.
* Explores key principles and processes of animation
* Readable and informative
* Interviews and art from artists, animators, filmmakers, and more from around the world

Whether you're a novice making your first film or a more advanced animator looking to strengthen an existing concept, Animating Short Stories provides practical techniques to bring your story to life. Each technique is clearly and beautifully illustrated covering different animation mediums; including 2D, 3D and stop-motion. It takes readers step by step through: - how to develop story ideas - to prepare for creative obstacles - scriptwriting and storyboarding - each chapter provides clear examples and full colour images from award-winning student films as well as commercial examples from big studios In addition, a companion website includes a specially created short film demonstrating key visual storytelling and narrative techniques alongside the student movies featured throughout. Also included are documents pertaining to sample production schedule and shotlists, screenplay templates, style guides and cheat sheets.