Tag: Women in animation

Animated, Directors, Female Characters, Female Filmmakers, Women in Film

Animated April: Spotlight on Naoko Yamada

For Animated April we are focusing on a range of women in animation both past and present. You may recall that Naoko Yamada’s animated feature “A Silent Voice” made our top 50 films of the decade last year. To those who aren’t familiar with her work, we have decided to look back at her career and the works that placed her on the map. She remains one of the few female anime directors in Japan who is working today.

Born in 1984, Yamada has always maintained an interest and passion for art. As a child, she enjoyed drawing and would copy images from the “Patlabor” and “Dragonball” anime series. After finishing High School, Yamada went on to study at Kyoto University of Art and Design, where she studied oil painting and was a member of the special effects club. Continue reading Animated April: Spotlight on Naoko Yamada

jmamennLeave a comment
Animated, Female Characters, Female Filmmaker, Female Filmmakers, Female Writer

Animated April: Spotlight on Merida from “Brave”

Merida from Pixar’s “Brave” (2012) is perhaps one of Disney’s most overlooked princess. Which is strange considering she’s one of the best role models and her existence is one of the biggest milestone achievements of the whole group. “Brave” is set in the Scottish Highlands and follows a young princess who would rather practice her archery than listen to her mother’s lessons. She defies their customs and refuses a betrothal, leading her to make a deal with a witch to change her mother. But when her mother is actually changed into a bear, she sets about reversing the spell and fixing their strained relationship. Merida is voiced by Kelly Macdonald, while Queen Elinor is voiced by Emma Thompson. Continue reading Animated April: Spotlight on Merida from “Brave”

Nicole AckmanLeave a comment
Animated, Directors, Female Filmmaker, Women in Film

Animated April: Spotlight on Lotte Reiniger

Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger was a German film director and the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation. Perhaps her most famous film is “The Adventures of Prince Achmed”  (1926) which is considered to be the oldest surviving animated feature film. “Prince Achmed” features a silhouette animation technique that Reiniger had invented which involved manipulated cutouts made from cardboard and thin sheets of lead under a camera. She went on to film over 40 films using this technique and her work went on to influence many filmmakers. Reiniger led an extraordinary life, even escaping the Nazi party in 1935 before having to return to Germany in 1944 and being forced to make propanganda films. Continue reading Animated April: Spotlight on Lotte Reiniger

jmamennLeave a comment
Animated, Film Industry, Women in Film

Animated April: Spotlight on Bianca Majolie

Upon doing research for ITOL’s Animated April, a month dedicated to women in animation and female representation in animated films, I came across a name that I had never heard before: Bianca Majolie. As a fellow Bianca, I decided to research into this woman whose work with Walt Disney in the 1930s has pretty much been forgotten about by the history books. At a time where many women were working in the Ink and Paint Department, Majolie was the first woman hired for the Walt Disney story department and helped developed story ideas for some of Disney’s most beloved classic animated films such as “Peter Pan”, “Bambi” and “Cinderella”. Continue reading Animated April: Spotlight on Bianca Majolie

jmamenn2 Comments
Animated, Female Characters, Spotlight, Women in Film

Animated April: Mary Blair- Colours and Emotions

Walt Disney Animation Studios has dominated the animation industry and set standards, expectations, and provided joy for audiences for almost a century. An industry mostly controlled by men was shook up by an extremely influential woman, who would eventually become a legend in the animation world. Her name was Mary Blair. Mary Blair started as a watercolour artist before she became one of the most influential colourists and stylists of all time. Continue reading Animated April: Mary Blair- Colours and Emotions

jmamennLeave a comment