The 22nd Annual Society for Animation Studies Conference

Seasons Greeting and Update

Hello everyone. Just a quick message to wish you all the best for the season and to remind you to keep those paper submissions coming! They are steadily arriving and I expect a flurry around the start of January, much like the snow we’ve been having here.

In terms of conference planning, it is all coming along nicely. The registration and accommodation is being organised by the Edinburgh Convention Bureau and will be available for booking in February. They have arranged block bookings at good rates at some of the hotels closest to the conference venue. As soon as this is all ready it will be posted on the site, along with travel information for getting to Edinburgh.

Please remember to contact me if you have any questions.


Best wishes
Nichola


Dr Nichola Dobson
Conference Chair
animationevolution@animationstudies.org

New Banner Launch

At the start of the new term Edinburgh College of Art’s third year students were asked to design a logo and animated banner for the conference, the best of which would be used here on the website. The students all worked really hard on the project coming up with a really fantastic range of ideas. It was really tough choosing the final shortlist and eventually the winner, which you can see above.

The animation was designed and created by Sarah Keeling, a Cheshire native who has been in Edinburgh attending ECA for the last couple of years. While she mainly works in traditional “handmade” animation, she has been developing a variety of techniques over her last few projects, which can be seen here: www.sarahkeeling.com

The Society for Animation Studies would like to congratulate Sarah on her successful design and thank all the staff and students in the animation department at ECA for all their hard work.

Keynote Speakers

The opening Keynote address at Animation Evolution will be delivered by Clare Kitson.



Clare Kitson organised animation programmes at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the early 70s and in 1978 became programme officer for the National Film Theatre and London Film Festival. In 1989 she joined Channel 4, where she commissioned many award-winning animated shorts and series. She also launched schemes with the Arts Council and the Museum of the Moving Image, which aimed to encourage innovation and to give young animators their first professional opportunity. In 1999 Clare was awarded the ASIFA Special Award for her contribution to British animation. She left Channel 4 in September 1999 and completed the initial stage of research into Yuri Norstein’s Tale of Tales in the context of a readership at the Animation Research Centre of the Surrey Institute of Art and Design. Her book Yuri Norstein and Tale of Tales: An Animator’s Journey was published in 2005 and her subsequent book, British Animation: The Channel 4 Factor, appeared in November 2008. In 2008 she received the Animafest Zagreb award for outstanding achievement in animation theory. She has also translated two books about animation.


The closing Keynote address will be given by Paul Wells


Professor Paul Wells is Director of the Animation Academy at Loughborough University, UK. He has published widely in the field of Animation Studies, including ‘Understanding Animation’ (Routledge), ‘Animation : Genre & Authorship’ (Wallflower), ‘Animation and America’ (EUP), ‘Fundamentals of Animation’ (AVA Academia), ‘Halas & Batchelor Cartoons : An Animated History’ (with Vivien Halas) (Southbank Publishing), ‘Re-Imagining Animation (with Johnny Hardstaff) and ‘Drawing for Animation’ (with Joanna Quinn) (both AVA Academia).

Paul is also an established scriptwriter and director for theatre, TV and radio, and has conducted workshops worldwide based on his book ‘Scriptwriting’ (AVA Academia), and was a consultant for the BBC’s ‘Animation Nation’. His most recent book is ‘The Animated Bestiary’ (Rutgers) looking at representations of animals in animated films. In the last year, he has directed two short documentaries – ‘From Fab Four to Ethel & Ernest’, about John Coates, pioneering producer at TVC, and ‘Taking a Country Road’, about leading animation editor, Tony Fish.

Paul is at present preparing further publications, including a journal for animation practice, and a major exhibition. He is also involved with script development on a number of projects, and is part of a steering group for an initiative seeking to create a British Animation Archive.

Call for Papers

Animation Evolution

The 22nd Society for Animation Studies Annual Conference
Edinburgh College of Art, 9-11th July 2010.


CALL FOR PAPERS

The Society for Animation Studies invites submissions for proposals for individual papers and panels for its 22nd Annual conference to be held in Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland July 9-11th 2010. This year’s conference will include presentations, screenings and roundtables. We are delighted to be able to announce the confirmed keynote speakers are Clare Kitson and Paul Wells.

The conference theme is “convergence” with a view to encouraging debates surrounding the changing nature of animation studies, taking into account the diverse range of applications and industries which animation increasingly occupies. However papers and pre-constituted panels on all aspects of animation history, theory and criticism are also welcome.

Possible topics may include:

• Animation histories or national movements/identities
• Animation and advertising
• Gaming and animation
• Animation applications in other industries (i.e. medical/science)
• Animation and music/sound
• New technologies in animation – the future of 3D?
• TV animation - alternative broadcasting methods; specific shows; audiences etc.
• Animation and popular culture – graphic novels, comics, film
• Theories and methodologies in animation studies
• Animation pedagogy – online learning applications; balance of theory and practice in curricula


1. Interested individuals should submit an abstract of no more than 250 words for 20 minute presentations with the following information:

• Title and 100 word version of abstract for publication.
• A biographical statement, up to 100 words, indicating how the proposed paper fits into your overall research agenda and experience.
• A head shot of yourself suitable for publication.
• Complete contact information, including name, institutional affiliation (if any), postal address, e-mail address(es) and telephone number(s).


Deadline for individual submissions: 8 January 2010

2. Alternatively, panel proposals of 3/4 speakers each are also encouraged. One individual should act as the Chair of the panel and collate abstracts and contact information for all panel members before submission. Please include the following information:


• Overall panel title/theme
• Name and contact information for the panel Chair (clearly identified)
• Titles and abstracts of each paper
• Contact information for each presenter (mail, email, phone)
• Biography (100-word) and contact information for each presenter (mail, email, phone).
• Photo of each presenter suitable for publication.

Deadline for panel submissions: 8 January 2010


Proposals will be blind reviewed by a panel of SAS members, and acceptance will be announced by 8 February 2010. Please be aware that spaces for paper presentations are limited. Late proposals will not be considered until all other proposals have been read.

Proposals must be submitted as an email attachment, in MS Word or RTF formats to Nichola Dobson at animationevolution@animationstudies.org by 8 January 2010.

Membership in the Society for Animation Studies is required if your proposal is accepted for presentation at the conference. (For more information on the Society, go to its webpage at www.animationstudies.org.)

Financial aid for travel will be available on a limited basis; details will be forthcoming.


A schedule and further details of the conference will follow in due course at www.animationevolution.animationstudies.org

If you have any questions regarding the conference or submission of a proposal, please contact conference chair Nichola Dobson.

Please circulate this CFP to anyone you think might be interested.


Follow us on Twitter @anievolution

Keynote Speakers Announced!

Animation Evolution is pleased to announce that our two keynote speakers will be Clare Kitson and Paul Wells.

About

The Society for Animation Studies, founded in 1987, is an international organisation dedicated to the study of animation history and theory. Its annual conference is held in locations throughout the world, where delegates present their research. The 2010 conference, Animation Evolution, will be held at Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. The conference is supported by the animation department and involvement from the Scottish Animation Group.

ECA is located in the heart of the city’s historic old town, and has been on its present site since 1907. Its origins can be traced back to the Academy of Arts, established in 1760, with the formation of Edinburgh College of Art in 1906.

The animation department has enjoyed considerable success over the years. Staff and students have won awards around the world and have had their work screened on television in the UK and abroad.

Scotland has a thriving creative industry with animation continuing to play a significant part. One of the most ground breaking animators, Norman McLaren was born in Stirling and the conference will address his legacy with a roundtable discussion, looking to his centenary in 2014.