ABSTRACT

Rolf Giesen’s Puppetry, Puppet Animation and the Digital Age explores the unique world of puppetry animation and its application in the digital age. With the advent of digital animation, many individuals see puppetry and 2D animation as being regulated to a niche market. Giesen’s text argues against this viewpoint, by demonstrating the pure aesthetic value they have, as well as examples of some of the greatest cinematic uses of puppets. Such samples include, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, Ladislas Starevich, O’Brien, Harryhausen and Danforth, Trnka and Švankmajer, Aardman and Laika Studios, ParaNorman, and the Boxtrolls. Even live-action blockbusters, such as the Star Wars saga utilize puppetry for costume applications as noted within the text. The use of puppets not only helps create a wonderous world and memorable characters, but is also one of the purest extensions of an artist.

 

Key Features

  • Includes interviews with past and present practitioners of model animation as well as computer animation
  • Reviews of classic and recent entries in both fields
  • Comparison of what is better in stop motion versus computer animation
  • A detailed history of animation and stop motion films
  • chapter Chapter 1|3 pages

    The Origin of Puppets and Homunculi

    chapter Chapter 2|5 pages

    The Art of Silhouette Plays and Films

    chapter Chapter 3|24 pages

    2D versus 3D in Nazi Germany

    chapter Chapter 4|18 pages

    Puppetoons versus Jiří Trnka

    chapter Chapter 5|10 pages

    The Dynamators

    chapter Chapter 6|3 pages

    Pixilation and Mocap

    People Become Puppets

    chapter Chapter 7|10 pages

    The Road to Computer-Generated Imagery

    chapter Chapter 8|4 pages

    The Decomposition of Images

    chapter Chapter 9|6 pages

    Aardman, or A Renaissance of Stop Motion

    chapter Chapter 10|11 pages

    The Isle of Old-Fashioned Animators

    chapter |10 pages

    The Stop-Motion Chronicles