History of Canadian animation
Encyclopedia
The history of Canadian animation involves a considerable element of the realities of a country neighbouring the United States
and the competition from Hollywood.
introduced standard perforations in the drawing paper and "peg bars" to hold them in place which eliminated jerkiness when going from one image to the next. He also introduced the slash system, a method of drawing the background only once (instead of with each frame as had been done previously) on a separate sheet, leaving blank spaces for character movement. In 1913, Barre organized a systematic method of producing animated cartoons in an assembly line fashion. The assembly line method is essentially how all commercial animations (television, film etc.) are created to this day.
Prior to 1939, animation
production was a very low scale with small production that were often discouraged by theatre chains like Famous Players. Such companies did not want Canadian competition to their parent companies' product.
1939 saw the establishment of the National Film Board of Canada
, which provided a strong government supported organization for the creation of distinctively Canadian work. Animation was essentially an afterthought, but an initial and short-lived period of co-production with the Walt Disney Company in the making of animated propaganda film
s helped establish a core of animators who continued production after Disney withdrew.
Initially, the artistic focus of the crew was to explore types of animation apart from regular cel animation since it was decided competing with the American companies in this field was counterproductive. With that approach, luminaries like Norman McLaren
made their mark with innovative work in forms like drawn on film animation. In addition, the agency eventually gained the confidence to produce cel animation as well.
with many major television productions like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
and Spider-Man
sporting Canadian voice actors like Paul Soles
and Paul Kligman
. Some of the animation for these features were sub-contracted by such Canadian studios as Crawley Films in Ottawa
and The Guest Group in Toronto
,a group of creative companies owned and run by Al Guest
.
The situation began to change in the late 1960s with Rocket Robin Hood
, which was produced by Al Guest
.
, and The Toothbrush Family
as well as Ukaliq and The Sunrunners all written, produced and directed by Al Guest
and his partner Jean Mathieson
at their Toronto company Rainbow Animation.
Longer term successes began with the founding of Nelvana
Animation in 1971. Nelvana took advantage of the new Canadian content
broadcast rules to produce a successful series of acclaimed TV specials. They also had some success in the United States, working on productions like the animated segment of The Star Wars Holiday Special
in 1978. However, the confidence arising from this success led to the company into an ill advised and troubled production of a feature film
, Rock and Rule which proved a crippling box office failure (though it later became a cult classic). The company turned to television animation work which proved successful with series like Inspector Gadget
and Care Bears
. The company eventually became a prime supplier of animation work into the American network TV market.
Two new players suddenly appeared in Ottawa, with Atkinson Film-Arts
producing TV specials based on the Jean De Brunhoff
Babar
books and the Lynn Johnston
comic strip For Better or For Worse
, as well as the series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
, Dennis The Menace
, and animation for the film Heavy Metal and the specials and subsequent series of Kevin Gillis' popular The Raccoons
. Disputes between Atkinson management and the Raccoons producers led Gillis' Raccoons production partner Sheldon Wiseman to form a new Ottawa studio, Hinton Animation Studios. Hinton took over animation for The Raccoons
, and produced animation for projects under Wiseman's own Lacewood Productions
. When the studio's feature film The Nutcracker Prince
performed poorly at the box office, Hinton found itself unable to pay off the money it borrowed to finance the feature; the situation was further exacerbated by creative tensions between Gillis and Wiseman. Due to these problems, Hinton dissolved in 1990, bringing an end to The Raccoons and Gillis and Wiseman's partnership. Wiseman subsequently reorganized the Hinton animation staff as Lacewood Studios, which produced a new series of For Better or For Worse specials, and co-produced several television series with producers in the United States and France.
in Montreal
took centre stage by winning two Oscar
s for its animation shorts: Crac
in 1981 and The Man Who Planted Trees
in 1987. Both were produced by Frédéric Back. In about the same period private and public colleges started offering complete animation programs. In 1984 Sheridan College
of Toronto
won an Oscar for Charade
, by one of its graduating students, Jon Minnis.
while innovative work from Mainframe Entertainment
such the first computer animated series, ReBoot
drew considerable success on its own. The demand for animators during this time (and also during the slow period of the 1980s) caused a global search for excellent and skilled animators causing many talented Canadians to wander the globe to fill the demand. Many Canadians can be found worldwide in prominent positions in animation companies throughout the world. From Richard Williams directing animation on Who Framed Roger Rabbit in the late '80s in England to others directing creating and supervising animation in television and commercial studios around the world including many prominent video games such as Halo 2
, "Ray Man" and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
.
In 1997, Teletoon was established as Canada's first dedicated animation television channel whose broadcast license agreement stipulated at least one original animated television series a season.
/Wavefront Technologies
and Side Effects Software have not only helped to define international technical standards, but have assumed a leadership role within the computer software industry. Toon Boom's "Harmony
," Alias/Wavefront's "Maya
" and Side Effects Software's "Houdini
" are leading animation software packages used in many animated features and special effects. From shows as simple as Simpsons (Harmony), South Park
(Maya) and Angela Anaconda
(Houdini) to special effects as fantastic and complex as those seen in the Harry Potter films (both software packages) and more.
Further experimentation and exploration in the art of animation which began with the National Film Board of Canada
and the works have Norman Mclaren
has continued through the decades through the techniques and films of other NFB animators such as Jacques Drouin
, Chris Hinton
, Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, Cordell Barker
and many others. A few Independent organizations such as the Toronto Animated Image Society in Toronto and especially the Quickdraw Animation Society in Calgary have also formed and continue to contribute, explore the art of animation and produce new works by emerging and established Canadian animators and artists. This exploration and blending of assorted and unusual techniques can be seen in the many boutique animation companies and independent animators that have sprung up throughout Canada and has continued to propel Canada's reputation of interesting and innovative animation techniques.
The Ottawa International Animation Festival
which takes place every fall in Ottawa Ontario is one of the largest and most respected animation festivals for drawing professional, commercial, independent and amateur animators and animation enthusiasts alike from all over the world. It is sponsored by the Association internationale du film d'animation, better known as ASIFA with chapters throughout the world.
, Ryan
and The Danish Poet
winning Academy Awards. He was succeeded by Roddy McManus.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the competition from Hollywood.
1910s-1950s
Canadians have contributed greatly to the technology and practices used to create animated television shows, movies and special effects. Starting in 1912, Canadian cartoonist and painter, Raoul BarreRaoul Barré
Raoul Barré was a Canadian and American cartoonist, animator of the silent film era, and artist.Barré was born in Montreal, Quebec, the only artistic child of an importer of communion wine...
introduced standard perforations in the drawing paper and "peg bars" to hold them in place which eliminated jerkiness when going from one image to the next. He also introduced the slash system, a method of drawing the background only once (instead of with each frame as had been done previously) on a separate sheet, leaving blank spaces for character movement. In 1913, Barre organized a systematic method of producing animated cartoons in an assembly line fashion. The assembly line method is essentially how all commercial animations (television, film etc.) are created to this day.
Prior to 1939, animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
production was a very low scale with small production that were often discouraged by theatre chains like Famous Players. Such companies did not want Canadian competition to their parent companies' product.
1939 saw the establishment of the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
, which provided a strong government supported organization for the creation of distinctively Canadian work. Animation was essentially an afterthought, but an initial and short-lived period of co-production with the Walt Disney Company in the making of animated propaganda film
Propaganda film
The term propaganda can be defined as the ability to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures.” However, in the 20th century, a “new” propaganda emerged, which revolved around political organizations and their need to communicate messages that...
s helped establish a core of animators who continued production after Disney withdrew.
Initially, the artistic focus of the crew was to explore types of animation apart from regular cel animation since it was decided competing with the American companies in this field was counterproductive. With that approach, luminaries like Norman McLaren
Norman McLaren
Norman McLaren, CC, CQ was a Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada...
made their mark with innovative work in forms like drawn on film animation. In addition, the agency eventually gained the confidence to produce cel animation as well.
1960s
Apart from the National Film Board, Canadian production in the commercial sphere was largely as limited as before. The biggest contribution in the 1960s and much of the 1970s was in the field of voice actingVoice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
with many major television productions like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the USA, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour...
and Spider-Man
Spider-Man (1967 TV series)
Spider-Man is an animated television series that ran from September 9, 1967 to June 14, 1970. It was jointly produced in Canada and the United States and was the first animated adaptation of the Spider-Man comic book series, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko...
sporting Canadian voice actors like Paul Soles
Paul Soles
Paul Robert Soles is a Canadian actor and television personality.-Acting roles:He is best known as the voice of Hermie the misfit elf in Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964....
and Paul Kligman
Paul Kligman
Paul Kligman was a Canadian actor.Born in Romania, he emigrated to Canada where he spent his youth in Winnipeg and studied at the University of Manitoba. He moved to Toronto in 1950 and established his career there...
. Some of the animation for these features were sub-contracted by such Canadian studios as Crawley Films in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and The Guest Group in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
,a group of creative companies owned and run by Al Guest
Al Guest
Al Guest is a Canadian animation producer.He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and started his career there when he dropped out of the University of Manitoba to pursue a career in films. A writer and fine artist, he has exhibited his paintings at many galleries in Winnipeg and Toronto...
.
The situation began to change in the late 1960s with Rocket Robin Hood
Rocket Robin Hood
Rocket Robin Hood is a Canadian animated television series, placing the characters and conflicts of the classic Robin Hood legend in a futuristic, outer space setting, produced by Krantz Films, Inc...
, which was produced by Al Guest
Al Guest
Al Guest is a Canadian animation producer.He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and started his career there when he dropped out of the University of Manitoba to pursue a career in films. A writer and fine artist, he has exhibited his paintings at many galleries in Winnipeg and Toronto...
.
1970s
In the 1970s, independent companies were formed to produce low budget children's programming. Some examples are The Undersea Adventures of Captain NemoThe Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo
The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo was a series of five minute cartoons produced in Canada in the mid-1970s. They told the story of Captain Mark Nemo and his young assistants, Christine and Robbie, in their nuclear powered submarine, the Nautilus....
, and The Toothbrush Family
The Toothbrush Family
The Toothbrush Family is a 1977 Australian animated television series featuring a group of anthropomorphic toiletry products.Originally conceived by Marcia Hatfield of Australia as her son refused to brush his teeth, the Toothbrush Family expanded to include two international television shows,...
as well as Ukaliq and The Sunrunners all written, produced and directed by Al Guest
Al Guest
Al Guest is a Canadian animation producer.He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and started his career there when he dropped out of the University of Manitoba to pursue a career in films. A writer and fine artist, he has exhibited his paintings at many galleries in Winnipeg and Toronto...
and his partner Jean Mathieson
Jean Mathieson
Jean Mathieson is listed in Colombo's Canadian References as Canada’s first independent, commercial, non National Film Board, woman animator. She switched from the University of Toronto to The Ontario College of Art where in four years she earned her A.O.C.A. After graduation she trained as an...
at their Toronto company Rainbow Animation.
Longer term successes began with the founding of Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
Animation in 1971. Nelvana took advantage of the new Canadian content
Canadian content
Canadian content refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from...
broadcast rules to produce a successful series of acclaimed TV specials. They also had some success in the United States, working on productions like the animated segment of The Star Wars Holiday Special
The Star Wars Holiday Special
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 American television special set in the Star Wars galaxy. It was one of the first official Star Wars spin-offs, and was directed by Steve Binder. The show was broadcast in its entirety only once, in the United States and Canada, November 17, 1978, on the U.S...
in 1978. However, the confidence arising from this success led to the company into an ill advised and troubled production of a feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
, Rock and Rule which proved a crippling box office failure (though it later became a cult classic). The company turned to television animation work which proved successful with series like Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
and Care Bears
Care Bears
The Care Bears are characters created by American Greetings in 1981 for use on greeting cards. The original artwork for the cards was painted by artist Elena Kucharik. In 1983, Kenner turned the Care Bears into plush teddy bears...
. The company eventually became a prime supplier of animation work into the American network TV market.
Two new players suddenly appeared in Ottawa, with Atkinson Film-Arts
Atkinson Film-Arts
Atkinson Film-Arts was an animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario, The company is best known for the first two Care Bears television specials, The Land Without Feelings and The Freeze Machine, and the four syndicated specials that inspired The Raccoons...
producing TV specials based on the Jean De Brunhoff
Jean de Brunhoff
Jean de Brunhoff was a French writer and illustrator known for creating the Babar books, the first of which appeared in 1931. He was the fourth and youngest child of Maurice de Brunhoff, a publisher, and his wife Marguerite. He attended Protestant schools, including the prestigious Ecole Alsacienne...
Babar
Babar the Elephant
Babar the Elephant is a French children's fictional character who first appeared in Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff in 1931 and enjoyed immediate success. An English language version, entitled The Story of Babar, appeared in 1933 in Britain and also in the United States. The book is based on...
books and the Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston, CM, OM is a Canadian cartoonist, well known for her comic strip For Better or For Worse, and was the first woman and first Canadian to win the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award.-Early life:...
comic strip For Better or For Worse
For Better or For Worse
For Better or For Worse is a comic strip by Lynn Johnston that ran for 30 years, chronicling the lives of a Canadian family, The Pattersons, and their friends. The story is set in the fictitious Toronto-area suburban town of Milborough, Ontario. Johnston's strip began in September 1979, and ended...
, as well as the series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin is an American animated television series based on Teddy Ruxpin, an animatronic teddy bear created by Ken Forsse and distributed by toy manufacturer Worlds of Wonder...
, Dennis The Menace
Dennis the Menace (U.S.)
Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. It debuted on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate...
, and animation for the film Heavy Metal and the specials and subsequent series of Kevin Gillis' popular The Raccoons
The Raccoons
The Raccoons is a Canadian animated television series which was originally broadcast from 1985 to 1991 with four preceding television specials beginning in 1980. The series was created by Kevin Gillis, and produced at Atkinson Film-Arts first-hand from 1984 to 1985, then at Hinton Animation Studios...
. Disputes between Atkinson management and the Raccoons producers led Gillis' Raccoons production partner Sheldon Wiseman to form a new Ottawa studio, Hinton Animation Studios. Hinton took over animation for The Raccoons
The Raccoons
The Raccoons is a Canadian animated television series which was originally broadcast from 1985 to 1991 with four preceding television specials beginning in 1980. The series was created by Kevin Gillis, and produced at Atkinson Film-Arts first-hand from 1984 to 1985, then at Hinton Animation Studios...
, and produced animation for projects under Wiseman's own Lacewood Productions
Lacewood Productions
Lacewood Productions was an Canadian animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario. It produced a television series, Katie and Orbie, as well as specials based on For Better or For Worse, and the 1990 feature The Nutcracker Prince...
. When the studio's feature film The Nutcracker Prince
The Nutcracker Prince
The Nutcracker Prince is a 1990 animated romantic fantasy film made by Lacewood Productions and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was directed by Paul Schibli and based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A...
performed poorly at the box office, Hinton found itself unable to pay off the money it borrowed to finance the feature; the situation was further exacerbated by creative tensions between Gillis and Wiseman. Due to these problems, Hinton dissolved in 1990, bringing an end to The Raccoons and Gillis and Wiseman's partnership. Wiseman subsequently reorganized the Hinton animation staff as Lacewood Studios, which produced a new series of For Better or For Worse specials, and co-produced several television series with producers in the United States and France.
1980s
In the 1980s the animation department of the French division of the CBCCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
took centre stage by winning two Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
s for its animation shorts: Crac
Crac
Crac is a 1981 animated short film produced, written and directed by Frédéric Back. The story follows the experiences of a rocking chair, from its creation from a tree through its time as a member of a Canadian farming family....
in 1981 and The Man Who Planted Trees
The Man Who Planted Trees (film)
The Man Who Planted Trees is a 1987 Canadian short animated film directed by Frédéric Back. It is based on the story of the same name by Jean Giono...
in 1987. Both were produced by Frédéric Back. In about the same period private and public colleges started offering complete animation programs. In 1984 Sheridan College
Sheridan College
Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a diploma and degree granting Canadian polytechnic institute with approximately 15,000 full time students and 35,000 continuing education students...
of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
won an Oscar for Charade
Charade (1984 film)
Charade is a 1984 animated Canadian film directed by John Minnis. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 57th Academy Awards...
, by one of its graduating students, Jon Minnis.
1990s
With the renaissance of animation in the 1990s, Canadian animation further prospered with conventional fare from companies like Nelvana and CinarÇinar
Çınar is a district of Diyarbakır Province of Turkey and also the name of downtown of Denizli city of Denizli Province of Turkey....
while innovative work from Mainframe Entertainment
Mainframe Entertainment
Rainmaker Entertainment, Inc. is a Canadian computer animation and design company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and Los Angeles, California. It produces computer animation TV series and movies. They are best known for producing the first ever CGI animated series ReBoot, as well as the...
such the first computer animated series, ReBoot
ReBoot
ReBoot is a Canadian CGI-animated action-adventure cartoon series that originally aired from 1994 to 2001. It was produced by Vancouver-based production company Mainframe Entertainment, Alliance Communications, BLT Productions and created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace,...
drew considerable success on its own. The demand for animators during this time (and also during the slow period of the 1980s) caused a global search for excellent and skilled animators causing many talented Canadians to wander the globe to fill the demand. Many Canadians can be found worldwide in prominent positions in animation companies throughout the world. From Richard Williams directing animation on Who Framed Roger Rabbit in the late '80s in England to others directing creating and supervising animation in television and commercial studios around the world including many prominent video games such as Halo 2
Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
, "Ray Man" and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and on September 7, 2004 for Mac OS X. The Xbox version is playable on Xbox 360 with its...
.
In 1997, Teletoon was established as Canada's first dedicated animation television channel whose broadcast license agreement stipulated at least one original animated television series a season.
2000s
Companies such as Montreal's Toon Boom and Toronto's Alias ResearchAlias Systems Corporation
Alias Systems Corporation , headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was a software company that produced high-end 3D graphics software. The company was formed in 1995 when Silicon Graphics bought Alias Research, which was founded in 1983, and Wavefront Technologies, founded in 1984, then merged...
/Wavefront Technologies
Wavefront Technologies
Wavefront Technologies was a computer graphics company that developed and sold animation software used in Hollywood motion pictures and other industries. It was founded in 1984, in Santa Barbara, California, by Bill Kovacs, Larry Barels, Mark Sylvester...
and Side Effects Software have not only helped to define international technical standards, but have assumed a leadership role within the computer software industry. Toon Boom's "Harmony
Harmony (Software)
Harmony is a a Java-based software for creating high-definition music videos with 2D and 3D animations. The application was developed by Digital Chaotics, a company based in San Jose, California and established in 2010 by Ken and Leanna Scott.-History:...
," Alias/Wavefront's "Maya
Maya (software)
Autodesk Maya , commonly shortened to Maya, is 3D computer graphics software that runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux, originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation and currently owned and developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video...
" and Side Effects Software's "Houdini
Houdini (software)
Houdini is a high-end 3D animation package developed by Side Effects Software which is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It is a rewrite of the PRISMS ecosystem of standalone tools. Its chief distinction from other packages is that it has been designed as a purely procedural environment...
" are leading animation software packages used in many animated features and special effects. From shows as simple as Simpsons (Harmony), South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
(Maya) and Angela Anaconda
Angela Anaconda
Angela Anaconda is a Canadian cutout animation television series that aired on the channels Teletoon and Fox Family. It centers on the adventures of an eight-year-old girl named Angela who lives in the fictional town of Tapwater Springs, has wacky brothers, weird friends, and hates a snobbish...
(Houdini) to special effects as fantastic and complex as those seen in the Harry Potter films (both software packages) and more.
Further experimentation and exploration in the art of animation which began with the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
and the works have Norman Mclaren
Norman McLaren
Norman McLaren, CC, CQ was a Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada...
has continued through the decades through the techniques and films of other NFB animators such as Jacques Drouin
Jacques Drouin
Jacques Drouin is a Canadian animator and director most known for his pinscreen animations.-Biography:Jacques Drouin was born in Mont-Joli, Quebec province, Canada. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal for several years before leaving to study filmmaking at the UCLA in California.He...
, Chris Hinton
Christopher Hinton (animator)
Christopher Hinton is a Canadian film animator and professor, living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He has been twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, in 1991 for the National Film Board of Canada animated short Blackfly and in 2003 for his independently made short...
, Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, Cordell Barker
Cordell Barker
Cordell Barker is a Canadian animator based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He began animating in his late teens after taking on an apprenticeship at Kenn Perkins Animation. He has worked on commercial campaigns for entities such as Coca-Cola, Bell Canada, Lors, Nike, and the Government of Canada...
and many others. A few Independent organizations such as the Toronto Animated Image Society in Toronto and especially the Quickdraw Animation Society in Calgary have also formed and continue to contribute, explore the art of animation and produce new works by emerging and established Canadian animators and artists. This exploration and blending of assorted and unusual techniques can be seen in the many boutique animation companies and independent animators that have sprung up throughout Canada and has continued to propel Canada's reputation of interesting and innovative animation techniques.
The Ottawa International Animation Festival
Ottawa International Animation Festival
-History:In 1976, the Canadian Film Institute founded the biennial Ottawa International Animation Festival . First held August 10 to 15, 1976, the OIAF created a gathering place for North American animation professionals and enthusiasts to ponder the craft and business of animation...
which takes place every fall in Ottawa Ontario is one of the largest and most respected animation festivals for drawing professional, commercial, independent and amateur animators and animation enthusiasts alike from all over the world. It is sponsored by the Association internationale du film d'animation, better known as ASIFA with chapters throughout the world.
2010s
In August 2011, NFB Animation Studio executive producer David Verrall retired, after more than 34 years at the NFB including 14 years as head of its English-language animation unit. Verrall produced or executive produced 240 NFB animated films, with Bob's BirthdayBob's Birthday
Bob's Birthday is a 1993 animated short by Alison Snowden and David Fine, winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 67th Academy Awards. The 12 minute 18 second film features a humorous look a wife's plans to throw a surprise birthday party for her husband on his 40th...
, Ryan
Ryan (film)
Ryan is a 2004 animated documentary by Chris Landreth about the Canadian animator Ryan Larkin, who in later years lived on skid row in Montreal following a history of drug and alcohol abuse....
and The Danish Poet
The Danish Poet
The Danish Poet is a 2006 animated short film written, directed, and animated by Torill Kove and narrated by Liv Ullmann. A co-production of the National Film Board of Canada and Mikrofilm AS of Norway, it has won both the Academy Award and Genie Award for best animated short film.-Synopsis:The...
winning Academy Awards. He was succeeded by Roddy McManus.
Further reading
- Karen Mazurkewich, Cartoon Capers: The History of Canadian Animators. Toronto: McArthur & Company, 1999.
See also
- Canadian animators
- History of animationHistory of animationAnimation is a graphic representation of drawings to show movement within those drawings. A series of drawings are linked together and usually photographed by a camera, or scanned into, or generated by a computer...
- History of CanadaHistory of CanadaThe history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Canada has been inhabited for millennia by distinctive groups of Aboriginal peoples, among whom evolved trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and social hierarchies...
- History of Canadian film