Norman Presentation by: Anderson Moshi and Julia Mason

20/11/2014

Introduction and Sources

- Norman McLaren (1914-1987) was a Scottish born Canadian animator and film director. - He began his creative expedition by studying set design at the Glasgow School Of Art and Design. There he experimented with animation by scratching and painting on filmstrip. - His first flick, which really kick started his venture into film, was entitled Seven till Five ‘’A day in the Life of an Art School.’’

- He is mostly known for his work done at the NFB (National Film Board). It is Canada's twelve-time academy award winning film and digital media producer and disturber.

- McLaren is a Pioneer in drawn-on-film animation and visual music, abstract film, pixilation and graphic sound.

Fig. 1. Norman Mclaren

- After graduating, he worked at GPO Film unit. World War II struck, and in the aftermath he moved to New York and got a grant from Solomon R. Guggenhiem. - With this grant, he made four drawn-on-film animations, one of which was named Dots (see next slide). - Proceeding these creations, he moved to Canada and began working for the NFB. It is here that he opened an animation studio and began training Canadian animators.

- While in Canada, he created his famous pixilation film, Neighbours.

Fig. 2. Filmstrip Animation Process

Fig. 3. McLaren Working

Sources Used

www.mclaren2014.com www.nfb.ca www.screenonline.org.uk www.mclarenwalltowall.com

http://www.nytimes.com http://libguides.stir.ac.uk http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

Overview Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3-vsKwQ0Cg

- The two (see next slide for vid. 2) experimental films, bring together the concept of animation through McLaren’s eyes. - They are a simple, colourful displays backed by sound and a creativity. - Scratching imagery straight on the film stock is very uncommon, but it has defiantly worked well for McLaren. He was one of the first film-makers to experiment with this technique in creating media.

Dots

This is one of McLaren’s early animations from the 1940s. It is about the combination of animation and sound. The animated movements have all been directly drawn on film.

LCD

Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgJ-yOhpYIM

Boogie - Doodle

LCD

This is another example of McLaren’s work. It was also created in 1940. This piece of visual music was influenced by the hand painted films of Len Lye.

‘’I thought what a great medium! It was exciting and I said if you can do that, why bother with drawing and painting. They’ve been around for two thousand years at least, but here is a new art, just begun, which is the art of today – and painting is the art of the past.’’- Norman McLaren (1934)

Critical Perspective ‘’I have tried to preserve in my relationship to the film, the same closeness and intimacy that exists between a painter and his canvas is a simple and direct delight – to make a movie should be the same.’’ Norman McLaren (1942).

This quote dictates his passion an love for his profession, and his philosophy towards animation.

This quote basically outlines McLaren’s ideals of skipping over aspects of art in learning and going straight to thing he loves.

“Animation is not the art of drawings that move, but the art of movements that are drawn.” – Norman McLaren

MacLaren takes the direction that starts with motion and then depicting it as a visual.

Socio-Political Contexts

- The specific work that Norman McLaren did which significantly had a specific social and political message, was Neighbours.

- The synopsis, deals with two men that live peacefully next to each other in cardboard houses. A flower blooms in between the houses, and they fight to the death over the ownership of the small flower.

- The films message is put simply, ‘Love your neighbour’ (as stated by Jesus, in Matthew 22:39). - During is time, it was described as one of the most controversial films the NFB ever made”. (McLaughin, 2001)

- The NFB founder was not pleased with McLaren’s attempt at political cinema.

Fig. 4. Men at Peace

Fig. 5. Men Fighting

Conclusion

- Remembered for is experiments with image and sound. Specifically, his ground breaking techniques in synchronizing animation with music. - In June 2013, the NFM released an Itunes App called ‘McLaren’s workshop, it allows users to make films using his techniques. His impact and influence is still prevalent. - In 2009, his works were added to UNESCO’s memory of the world programme.

Bibliography and Illustration List

Beardsley, H. (2014). Norman McLaren - Archives & Special Collections - LibGuides at University of Stirling. [online] Libguides.stir.ac.uk. Available at: http://libguides.stir.ac.uk/archives/mclaren [Accessed 13 Nov. 2014]. Brennan, S. (2006). Norman Mclaren - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/102215/Norman-McLaren/biography [Accessed 13 Nov. 2014]. McWilliams, D. (2006). About Norman McLaren. [online] McLaren 2014. Available at: http://www.mclaren2014.com/about_norman_mclaren [Accessed 13 Nov. 2014]. Sexton, J. (2008). BFI Screenonline: McLaren, Norman (1914-1987) Biography. [online] Screenonline.org.uk. Available at: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/446775/ [Accessed 13 Nov. 2014]. VÉRONNEAU, P. (2008). Norman McLaren. [online] The Canadian Encyclopedia. Available at: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/norman-mclaren/ [Accessed 13 Nov. 2014].

Figure 1. Norman McLaten (1944) [Photograph] At: http://www.vhsisland.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/2001.jpg (Accessed on 06.11.14) Figure 2. Filmstrip Animation Process (1944) [Photograph] At: http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/animafest.production/p/36b377302c80fca326f0cc940f8f5ba2/f27f357c6c19e9cefee34d870f4dfdae.jpg (Accessed on 06.11.14) Figure 3. McLaren Working (1944) [Photograph] At: http://bronwynstubbs.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/maclaren_norman_14.jpg (Accessed on 06.11.14) Figure 4. Men at Peace (1952) [Film Still] From: Neighbours. Directed by. Norman McLaren. [Film Still] Canada: National Film Board of Canada. (Accessed on 13.11.14) Figure 5. Men Fighting (1952) [Film Still] From: Neighbours. Directed by. Norman McLaren. [Film Still] Canada: National Film Board of Canada. (Accessed on 13.11.14)