3 credit hours
This course will study all forms of animation from around the world. Animations and the animators who create them, will be analyzed in a historical and cultural context. Theories of techniques, technological developments, and criticism of animation are all studied in relation to historical developments, cultural influences and styles in the visual and performing arts. Each class will start by “setting the stage” by reviewing what is going on in the world around the animators that have influenced their work. Outside influences that will be discussed will include politics, what big movies were released, who were the big starts of the era, what technological breakthroughs/inventions were introduced, etc. Re-occurring cultural themes discussed throughout the semester will be labor relations, sexism, racism, and the growing global marketplace and demand for animation.