French Animation History

Neupert, Richard

1. Edition February 2014
224 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-118-79876-8

John Wiley & Sons

Short Description

French Animation History is the first book dedicated exclusively to this vital element in the history of cinema, and reveals how French animators have forged their own visual styles, narrative modes, and technological innovations to construct a distinct national style, while avoiding the clichés and conventions of Hollywood's commercial cartoons. The book includes more than 80 color and black and white images from the most influential films, from early silent animation to the internationally renowned Persepolis.

Further versions

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 clichés 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

Figures ix

Plates xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

1 Introduction: The Rise of Animation in France 1

The Beginnings of Animation 4

Stop-Motion Animation Attractions 19

2 Silent Animation: Emile Cohl and his Artisanal Legacy 22

Emile Cohl, Caricature, and the Rise of Studio Animation 22

Emile Cohl at Pathe, Eclipse, and Eclair Studios 36

Graphic Art and the Cartoon: Lortac and O'Galop 45

But is it "Animation?" French Avant-Garde and Moving Pictures 54

3 French Animation and the Coming of Sound 60

Ladislas Starewich's Fabled Puppets 61

Berthold Bartosch's L'Idee: A Working-Class Allegory 73

Jean Painleve's La Barbe bleue 78

Alexandre Alexeieff, Claire Parker, and the Pinscreen 82

Niche Cartoons: Lyrical Joie de vivre and the Surreal
La Fortune enchantee 90

4 Toward an Alternative Studio Structure 99

Paul Grimault and the Artist-Owned Animation Studio 100

Transitional Animation: From High Art to Made-for-TV 107

Toward a New Era of Micro-Studios: Laguionie and Laloux 114

5 French Animation's Renaissance 124

Le Cartoon Plan 124

Michel Ocelot's Alternative Mode of Production 127

Comic Book Aesthetics and Niche Studios 139

Contemporary French Animation: 2006 and Beyond 149

6 Conclusion: French Animation Today 162

References 171

Further Reading 178

Index 181

"Neupert expertly integrates the lives and exploits of the animators with the plots of films they produced and with the trends and issues in the profession...Summing Up: Highly recommended." - Choice

"French Animation History is a richly informed and highly readable scholarly book that will appeal both to specialists in the field and to the curious interested in this popular, and often neglected, dimension of French filmmaking." - H-France Review

Richard Neupert is the Wheatley Professor of the Arts and a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in Film Studies at the University of Georgia.

R. Neupert, University of Georgia, USA