Showing posts with label Lotte Reiniger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lotte Reiniger. Show all posts

Monday, September 5, 2016

Lotte Reiniger's Fairy Tale Style In Vogue Again

Anyone who's anyone in animation these days, now knows the name and work of Lotte Reiniger, if they didn't already, and not a few households are becoming familiar with her this year as well.

Not only were we treated to a most beautiful, hand-created Google Doodle, commemorating her work and 117th birthday on June 2nd this year, but Rebecca Sugar, the first 'solo woman creator' of an animated TV series at Cartoon Network, Steven Universe, referenced the style of Reiniger in a special episode, titled "The Answer" earlier in the year.
But let's have a quick look at the Google Doodle first:
 While I thought it was lovely, I didn't have full appreciation for it until I realized it was created by "doodler" Olivia Huynh, in the same manner Lotte Reiniger herself used: with paper, scissors, many, many hand- crafted puppets and a unique camera rig to take photos frame by frame.
(Reiniger made over 40 short films this way, as well as the feature length The Adventures of Prince Achmed.) Here's a fascinating look behind the scenes of the the Lotte birthday tribute Google Doodle:
And here's Lotte Reiniger herself, telling you how you can do the same at home. This is amazing and enchanting footage. (Note: if you take Lotte's advice, you may need a saw to cut a hole in your dining room table...):
Going back to present day TV pop culture, creator Rebecca Sugar has created quite a buzz with her own achievements. (You can hear an interview with her HERE in NPR's On Point.) In an special episode, The Answer, which deals beautifully with love, Sugar stated:
We wanted to give Garnet the ultimate animated fairy tale love story, with imagery inspired by all our favorite animated fairy tale love stories of all time. We started by drawing influence from Lotte Reiniger, creator of the oldest surviving animated feature film, “The Adventures of Prince Achmed.” The film is done with Lotte Reiniger’s signature silhouette animation technique and the compositions are stunning.We referenced the silhouetted characters, but also the dense, lush, ornate background compositions in the film. (Source)
Steven Universe, popular not only with kids but many others, including Emmy-watchers, is pushing a lot of conventional boundaries, not only in how it was created by Sugar (and how big a win that was for female animators and directors everywhere) but also in the deep messages it presents.
The show has gained a big following beyond its target demographic for pushing the boundaries of LGBTQ representation, as well as diving into themes like self-discovery and healthy relationships. “It’s very important to me that we speak to kids about consent, that we speak to kids about identity,” creator Rebecca Sugar said at Comic-Con last month.”I want to feel like I exist, and I want everyone else who wants to feel that way to feel that way too.”  (Source)

Sugar has stated many times that she's not only great admirer of Lotte Reiniger's aesthetic and overall animation work, but the way she pushed boundaries, doing what no one in the world had really done before in creating, not only animated films but pioneering such a beautiful style that has rarely been surpassed even today. That legacy lives on, not only in how much illustrated and paper cut silhouettes seem to automatically echo Once Upon A Time, but also in how she told fairy tales, inspiring others to approach their own unique obstacles with all the determination, hard work and ultimately, beauty that Reiniger's fairy tales have as a signature.
It's not the first time we've seen film and TV inspired by Reiniger's fairy tale work (see a still from Michel Ocelot's 2011 film Tales of the Night below) but it may be the biggest pop culture exposure she's had in quite some time.
A huge admirer of Reiniger's work and fairy tale films, (which were greatly influential in her lifetime and continue to be so today, in fairy tale books, films and various methods of storytelling), I couldn't be happier to see her name entering popular consciousness again and becoming a well-known name - and fairy tale influence, in the best sense - among animators and filmmakers in the industry today.

Fairy Tale Bonus of the Day:
Lotte Reiniger discusses her process for creating films, as well as her career, in this rare recording, just recently made available via the USC Hugh Hefner Moving Image Archive website.
You can listen to the 45 minute recording online HERE.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Principi e principesse

Please excuse the break in the news this week. Here's the weather: we've been under it.

In the meantime, while my household recovers from the various bugs and/or flu floating around, I thought I'd quickly point you toward this lovely Italian silhouette animation.

This is from a film called "Principi e principesse" from 2000 and yes, I'm aware the cover shows a different title but both iMDB and YouTube call the film by this title, not the one printed on promotional poster. The film has a collection of six magical short stories and while the whole thing is in Italian, you don't need to speak or understand any to enjoy it (though I'm sure that would add to it - it's obviously very funny).It's a very different take on The Frog Prince and I suggest you 'fast forward' to the one minute mark where the action begins. There's a bit of Italian dialogue right after the frog appears that I suggest you be patient through but after that it speeds up considerably. You'll very quickly get the idea and should enjoy the surprise conclusion*.

The style is somewhat reminiscent of Lotte Reiniger's silhouette animation but clearly has a more modern sensibility behind it. I've seen a short article on it a few months back but haven't been able to relocate it in my limited time (if anyone spots it, feel free to add a link in the comments).

Enjoy!


(I'll be back to sniffing out fairy tale news for you just as soon as my sniffer is available again.)

* You may be interested to know there is a Romanian fairy tale in which has a similar ending. You can read it HERE. I'm not sharing the title as it's a spoiler for the film. ;)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Fairy Tale News New Year's Bumper Edition!

"I believe in the truth of fairy-tales more than I believe in the truth in the newspaper."

- Lotte Reiniger
(Silhouette AND quote)


Hello and welcome to 2010 - a year that promises to be exciting for fairy tale enthusiasts everywhere. (Yay!)

I've been away from the blog longer than planned due to unexpected commitments and am still unable to return to daily blogging this week BUT the Fairy Tale News Hound is bursting with news she simply must share!

So: to bring you up-to-date and give you lots of fairy tale news (despite the fact I really shouldn't be online) I thought we could do something a little different...

A Fairy Tale News 'New Year's Stories' Bumper Edition!

Check out the collection of posts today for lots of story summaries and links, newspaper style. You have the following 'sections' (i.e. posts) to browse through (or you can hop straight there from here):

General (& latest) fairy tale news headlines (that I haven't seen posted elsewhere)
Blog posts and/or articles discussing/using fairy tales
Friends and other fairy tale people online
Fairy tales in performance arts
Fairy tale artists & illustrators (past & present)
Fairy tale journals/magazines/online 'zines
Fairy tale films & movies
Fairy tale influenced books (and reviews)
Newly discovered online fairy tale retellings
Fairy tale fashion news

Home & garden fairy tale style

Fairy tale sports
Fun fairy tale finds
Fairy tale funnies
Fairy tale weather & the natural world
Fairy tale music/audio
Food and dining fairy tale news
Classifieds/ads for fairy tale people
Careers - fairy tale knowledge required!
From the archives: fairy tale articles to read again (or for the first time)
End notes & recap

Snow White On Flowers
by Marina B.

Enjoy the "issue".
I'll catch up with you soon and be back to daily blogging before long.
:)

Monday, August 3, 2009

Once Upon A Time A Little Girl...

Once upon a time, many years ago (on today's date), a little girl was born who loved fairy tales... and yes, that little girl was me. :)

Today, I leave you with a reminder of the awesome Lotte Reiniger (1899 - 1981) who loved two things I do - fairy tales and animation.

This amazing German woman directed the first full length feature animation in 1926, long before Walt Disney brought us Snow White. The film, titled "The Adventures of Prince Achmed", can most definitely be classed as an Arabian Nights fairy tale and is full of her beautiful silhouette work.Late last year the British Film Institute released a two-DVD set of her animated fairy tale films, spanning 1922 to 1961.

Here's the list of tales and when they were released:

* Cinderella (1922)
* The Death Feigning Chinaman (1928)
* The Golden Goose (1944)
* Aladdin and his Magic Lamp (1954)
* The Frog Prince (1954)
* The Gallant Little Tailor (1954)
* Sleeping Beauty (1954)
* Snow White and Rose Red (1954)
* Cinderella (1954)
* Puss in Boots (1954)
* The Magic Horse (1954)
* The Grasshopper and the Ant (1954)
* The Three Wishes (1954)
* Thumbelina (1954)
* The Caliph Stork (1954)
* Hansel and Gretel (1954)
* Jack and the Beanstalk (1955)
* The Little Chimney Sweep (1956)
* The Frog Prince (1961)

It's available HERE through the BFI website and through Amazon.co.uk (hint, hint Mudsock dearest!)

I'll bring you more of her gorgeous art another day but for now have some cake. :)