The Persistence of Animation

We look forward to seeing you during the latter part of this week. Due to unforeseen circumstances some of our colleagues will neither join us nor participate in the conference. They and their contributions will be missed. The schedule has been modified to reflect the resulting last-second changes. This should not affect the planned program. We wish you a safe journey as you pack your bags for our annual congregation.

Welcome to SCAD-Atlanta.

In conjunction with the conference, the SCAD Library will be presenting a special exhibition, Behind the Cels: Selections from SCAD’s Don Bluth Collection, featuring art work donated to the school by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Goldman will introduce the exhibit during the conference on Saturday, July 11th, and will also be present at a free reception, which is open to the public, Thursday evening, July 9th, from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Contexts for Caricaturing: the spectrum of expressing

Abstract: What guarantees that an animated expression will be “read” correctly? What standards about the degrees of caricature guide both the animator and audience? This paper explores conventions from caricature and animated films: 19th-Cenury “big-head” portrait charge cartoons; the near-faceless doll heads of puppet animation; the Disney standards; the simplified heads of independent animators; the steady evolution of CGI “heads.”

As context, I will review systems of facial depiction: facial recognition software; nonverbal signage; symbols for autistic education; a training manual for carnival caricaturists; and the homunculus, which visually registers sensory and emotional extremes.

I propose to survey these possible ranges for both minimal and “over-cooked” expressive caricature, hoping to discover universal principles across animators and traditions.

Biographical Statement: Since 1979, I have been a Professor in Liberal Arts at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, teaching animation history and analysis, film history, writing, media analysis, history of jazz, and ethics and aesthetics. From 1978 to 1999, I was also a freelance writer and critic, primarily for City Pages alternative weekly, where I interviewed, among others, Chuck Jones, Robert Breer, Osamu Tezuka, Paul Fierlinger, Andreas Deja, Glen Keane, Bill Plympton, and Sally Cruikshank. I am especially interested in cross-pollinations of media, arts and cultures — in keeping animation understood within the wider contexts of other art forms or historical developments.

Towards a Forensics Theory of Animation

Abstract: This paper proposes a forensics theory of animation. It will consider firstly how animation has been extensively used as model and simulation of invisible or past events. Secondly, it will consider how animation can be used to directly cogitate and analyze the world.

This paper will draw upon concepts of process philosophy, animation theory, cognitive science, forensics science, and documentary film theory. It will also feature a number of relevant animated films including some of the author’s own experimental animations which seek to forensically investigate aspects of the actual world.

Biographical Statement: Dan Torre, an American-born animator, researcher and university lecturer, currently resides and teaches in Australia. He has been lecturing in animation at universities in Australia for the past seven years, currently at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. He has been researching and writing on animation history and theory for a number years, presenting papers at a number of academic conferences in recent years, including two SAS conferences. His primary research interests are animation theory, Australian animation history, the animated documentary and process philosophy. The current proposed paper draws from his PhD thesis and current research.