The Art of the Animator Part II

The animation films presented in this dynamic 3-part series demonstrate a variety of principles and techniques, from the traditional to the experimental. In Parts 1 and 2, the animators discuss their works in progress while excerpts from the finished films provide a stunning illustration of the frame-by-frame process of animation. In Part 3, the films are presented in their entirety.

Co Hoedeman--Charles and François
Winner of an Oscar and over 20 awards for previous films, Hoedeman uses life-like cutouts choreographed to move on a three-dimensional set.

Gayle Thomas--A Sufi Tale
Thomas calculates she drew over seven thousand separate images to create ten minutes of film, using the "scratchboard" technique. This technique consists of painting on glass and is reminiscent of old woodcuts and etchings.

Jacques Drouin--Nightangel
Jacques Drouin further develops the "pinscreen" technique, first invented by A. Alexeieff in the 1930s, by adding colour. Drouin collaborates here with Czech animator Bretislav Pojar to create a seamless blend of pinscreen and 3-D puppet animation.

George Ungar--The Wanderer
The "wiping" technique used by George Ungar in The Wanderer subtracts more paint from the image than it adds. Ungar learned this method by observing Japanese artisans as they painted on freshly glazed pots.