3-D plastione aovd I puppet pe<%! •

by Neil Warren

The world of animation, Disney, and the cartoon character. But what of the three-dimensional group - the puppet ? Puppets? Immediately you associate strings, marionettes, or even a 'Punch and Judy'. Yet the process of puppet animation is much more involved than simply pulling strings... and it's fighting for recog­ nition and a place in Canada's film industry and culture. In Europe, as everybody knows, puppetry is a tra­ dition, particularly due to the influence of Jiri Trinka and his followers. They created a sort of 'theatre of the old', where the emotional magic of ani­ mation gave life and personality to a totally 'dead' thing, and people could lose themselves in these . Well, a part of this culture and magic is finally starting to develop in this country. More independent groups are breaking away from the conventional cell work, and exploring new areas in the three-dimensional field.

Neil Warren is a 'plasticine' puppet ani­ mator presently freelancing for CBC and independent groups. Graduated from Cones- toga College, Film in 1975, he is working on a children's short ('plasticine') for TV at the moment, as well as a promotional First Hunt from the Inuit series, Animette Canada's fourth series of puppet-animated film. His first professional experience was films with Animette, Canada.

38/Cinema Canada Take, for example, 'plasticine'. The Kubiks both worked profession­ That miracle substance that you can ally in Czechoslovakia - Milo in the bend, shape, mold into almost any­ film business and Ali on the stage, thing. When combined with the film in opera. All's first encounter with medium, it can be given 'life' and three-dimensional animation came accomplish any number or fantasies. through Slovak Cinematography, a The material is becoming increasing­ group trying to establish a special ly popular in commercials, childrens' studio strictly for puppet work. In shows, and even current events pro­ August of 1968, the Kubiks left the grams, mainly due to its abstract country with their daughter Milada appearance and malleability. The and son Peter, to settle in Canada. major problem encountered with They hoped to continue their careers 'plasticine' is its lack of resistance in filmmaking in totally new conditions to heat, but with several large fans in a different cultural climate, and surrounding your miniature set, you after the usual hardships, they secur­ can keep your actors 'cool' enough to ed work with the CBC in Toronto. manipulate. The Kubiks have been in the animation Cineplast, formed by Marc Chinoy business for six years now, and this in 1969, used the 'plasticine' tech­ is the first serious initiative by the nique to a great extent. Peter Dewd- professional press to discuss their ney, who is now with Nelvana Ltd., work. Otherwise, nobody seems in­ worked with Chinoy on a number of terested. They are not publicity-seek­ projects, the first being a series of ing people, but need to be known in animated inserts for Sesame Street. order to continue working. The Ku­ The beginning films were very ab­ biks see puppet animation in its stract, using a transformation tech­ Experiment, from the series Welcome to pioneering stage here, useful for nique of one character flowing into Our Small World, puts its emphasis on commercials, promotional and edu­ teaching, with lessons in chemistry, math*^- cational • films. Unfortunately, there another - with a complete absence of matics and basic shapes sets and props. After a series of these is still that fight for recognition to be segments, Cineplast became involved won against cartoons. with commercial work in, variously, to th£ medium, and in a sense, learn what the puppets are trying to teach Animette, Canada has produced four advertising for beer, childrens' vita­ series of films distributed commer­ mins, and paper towels. They drifted - and that's what the producers, Ali and Milo Kubik, find rewarding. The cially in Toronto. Each series pro­ towards other media with these pro­ vides children with fables that rough­ jects, including plastics and paper, but money is minimal, the publicity is almost nil, but it's mainly love of the ly parallel their own experience. The in 1972, returned to 'plasticine' when first. Adventures in the High Grass, Taurus Films of Germany approached work that keeps them going. And there are never enough of these films for involves a community of bugs and the company with a pilot for a propos­ their experiences in ecology and na­ ed series titled Wildman. The complet­ kids. By definition, three-dimensional ture. The second. Welcome to Our ed program was successful and launch­ Small World, involves the same ed the series. As a result, Cineplast animation is an exacting process giv­ ing simulated life to an inaminate ob­ characters in a variety of stories moved to Munich, leaving a few mem­ concerning elementary science. The ories, and the challenge for other ject, via single-frame exposure. It is a technique involving hours and hours third series, with the stylization 'plasticine' animators in Canada to closer to human proportions, takes a take over where they left off. of tedious work in tiring body positions.' The principles of live-­ trip to the farm with Lisa and Her Yet animators of this sort are making are basically involved, except Friends. The emphasis in these films scarce at the moment. I believe there that in animation, one or two people is on human values. The final series, is a group involved in Quebec, as well are in charge of everything. Sets, Inuit involves 13 films based on Es­ as Ray Ethier of Crawley Films, Ot­ props, characters are all on a minia­ kimo folklore. Each is a separate, tawa, and myself. Peter Dewdney, ture scale, with their boundaries con­ original tale written by Ali Kubik. who spent several months with Chinoy fined to a huge table top. Actors are The stories encompass a wide range in Munich, felt that North Americans constructed from wood and metal ball of elements, both fantastic and im­ are less receptive to the 'plasticine' and socket armatures. (I suppose the aginative, and the Kubiks felt that in /puppet medium than Europeans, but advantage over is that the doing the series, they would be con­ this attitude is already changing, and characters are not capable of form­ tributing to the enrichment of Cana­ hopefully the technique will develop ing a union.) Perspective is very im­ da's culture. and expand here in Canada within the portant, as well as a certain amount In the four series, a total of 52 next few years. of stylization in the puppets. The Ku- films were produced by Animette, Ca­ biks try not to be bound by reality, as Equally as popular as 'plasticine' nada. That's almost four and a half their intention is not to imitate life, animation is the puppet group. Ani­ hours of film shot frame by frame. mette, Canada produces puppet films but to create an imaginary world with imaginary creatures who do not talk, Mathematically, that is 270 minutes, for children, at a small production but rather speak through pantomimed which equals 15600 seconds. As there company located in Thornhill, Onta­ actions. It creates a visual, almost are 24 frames per second, it was rio. Its goal is to create a visionary universal language. The characters necessary to make 374,000 clicks world with imaginary characters to are simple, yet possess an air of of the camera shutter and miniature which children, its main audience, gentleness and purity without being movements of the puppets. This cal­ will relate. Directed to an age group too wholesome. They are in a totally culation gives us an idea what puppet close to dolls and puppets, their films different class from the science- animation means in reality, and present a simple moral or message to fiction and commercial animated pup­ clearly shows the amount of patience the small fry, without being too over­ pets common in US features and shorts. Ali Kubik must possess to bring her bearing. A child's psyche can relate 'actors'to life. pi

August 1976/39