The Persistence of Animation

Wars, Submarines, Walruses and Strawberries: A Critical and Historical Approach to Motion Design as Animation

Abstract: One of the current tendencies in the theory and practice of motion graphics is the lack of critical and historical approaches to the field. This paper will offer a case study for understanding motion design. Case studies considered are I Met the Walrus (2007), the psychedelic odyssey Yellow Submarine (1968) and the animated sequence ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ from Across the Universe (2007). Particular emphasis will be placed on the social conditions of production, and consumption of the animations. The context of counter culture in the late 1960s, the Vietnam War and the current “war on terror” are obvious starting points for understanding this cluster of animations.

Biographical Statement: Alessandro is a digital media artist and theorist in art history, visual culture and media theory. He is a professor of Broadcast Design, Motion Graphics and Media Theory at the Savannah College of Art and Design. His work can be viewed at: www.alessandroimperato.com.

Musical Time with Moving Type

Abstract: Moving type, also known as kinetic type or motion graphics, involves graphic design principles applied in time and usually seen as animations of text, alpha-numeric characters and graphics. Principles of temporal design, well understood in music, are often applied in motion graphics to ensure that time passes dynamically. These principles support a variety of animated expressions. This presentation will outline the principles, illustrating them with various animated examples, from web-based banner ads, to main titles for television and film, to the growing discipline of electronic poetry.

Biographical Statement: Brian Evans is a digital artist and composer. For over twenty years he has been experimenting with the integration of image and sound. His artwork and music animations are exhibited and screened internationally. He also publishes and presents extensively on the theory and practice of abstract animation (visual music). Evans holds a DMA from the University of Illinois and an MFA from CalArts. He teaches the digital media and design at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.