Good afternoon everyone,

What would you say to a Fem Fri of women animators. I hope the answer is "YES PLEASE" because that is what I have for you today.

Excited to start with Lotte Reiniger, who was truly part of the vanguard of animation. She used cut-outs and they are utterly charming, you can watch one of her films here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_9L7r8NIBc

And here is a longer article:

The crispness and intricacy of her black, scissored figures, combine with fluid, bouncing animation. As soon as you think that you have spotted a join, or seen the technique behind the movement, the scene changes, another transformation occurs and the picture has been reformed again. The cut-outs are often backed with jewel-like colours, so the impression is of visual richness, rather than stark monochrome. By conjuring fantastic worlds out of paper and light, Reiniger’s films reach us on a deeply emotional level too: we seem to see imagination at work, as when a story is improvised or embellished from memory at a bedside.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/02/lotte-reiniger-the-pioneer-of-silhouette-animation-google-doodle

Delighted by this quotation from Jennifer Yuh Nelson about how important it is to show impact in animations. I love a film that does not shy away from showing you… a body moving through space in a realistic way, and it's good to read someone else thinking about this:

we try to avoid magic because it seems too easy. In an animated movie where everything you see is fake, we actually have to overcompensate. Even in a live action film where actors are running around in a completely fabricated set, you can still see real human beings. In a movie where everything is completely fabricated, you have to “double up” on the cues that give you the idea it’s real. Part of that is making things difficult for the characters themselves. For example, if someone is taking a punch, they feel it. You don’t see it just bounce off, or if it does, it’s for a gag. If someone’s throwing a punch, they can’t be play-acting it. If they throw a weapon, they really have to throw it.

https://www.fantasy-magazine.com/fm/non-fiction/feature-interview-jennifer-yuh-nelson-director-of-kung-fu-panda-2/

Faith Hubley is a true inspiration who made an independent film every year with her husband for over 20 years and then, following his death, made an independent film every year on her own for over 20 years. I really enjoyed her perspective on the importance of art as well:

You have to know that I believe everyone is an artist. Without any doubt. We know that all children draw until five or six, and they make marvelous art, and then the school system starts, and people go on with their lives. It's not right. It's frustrating. A society that doesn't provide artistic expression for each individual is asking for trouble. We're meant to do it.

https://www.avclub.com/faith-hubley-1798208087

You can watch one of her films here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we0vBoQfSjQ

Love,

Alex.