University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- 2020 Ouroboros: The Evolution From Industrialized Mass Production to Auteurism in American Animation Heather Knott University of Central Florida Part of the Film Production Commons, and the Illustration Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020 University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. STARS Citation Knott, Heather, "Ouroboros: The Evolution From Industrialized Mass Production to Auteurism in American Animation" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-. 78. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/78 OUROBOROS: THE EVOLUTION FROM INDUSTRIALIZED MASS PRODUCTION TO AUTEURISM IN AMERICAN ANIMATION by HEATHER KNOTT B.S. Florida State University, 2007 B.A. University of Central Florida, 2011 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in the School of Visual Arts and Design in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2020 © 2020 Heather Knott ii ABSTRACT The evolution of animation in the United States and its resulting classification varies significantly from its global counterparts. Through a convergence of complex cultural, regulatory, and entrepreneurial influences, the medium's experimental artistic principals have remained firmly rooted in the mass-production style studio pipeline codified by Hollywood. Through the advent of academically centered animation education, the development of the internet, self-distribution, and the growing affordability of industry level hardware and software, the industry has expanded beyond the traditional narrow scope.