The Stories Behind Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed
The word “animation” defines as the technique of photographic successive drawings to create an illusion of movement, bringing a sense of life and vigor. Animation is usually associated with a sequence of drawings, bringing fluidity and character to a sketch. The same is said to miniature models, by the use of stop-motion; but what about cutouts? Certainly cutouts cannot give the appearance of flexibility and elegance as that of an animated drawing would. At least, Emile Cole would agree due to the lack of a cutout’s limited range of motion. However another artist would later prove the latter, going by the name of Lotte Reiniger. Born in Berlin, to cultured parents, Reiniger
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Later she was introduced to a clique of other avant-garde filmmakers in The Berlin Institute for Cultural Research. Such filmmakers included Walter Ruttmann, Berthold Bartosch, and Hans Richter. Philip Kemp’s biography of Lotte Reiniger cited Richter’s compliment to Reiniger saying she “belonged to the avant-garde as far as independence production and courage were concerned”. As each animator experimented in their own shorts, Reiniger was mainly inspired by timeless fairytales classics told by Hans Christen Anderson and the Grimm Brothers. Her work became well known to animators and she became the center of attention, even more so when she was proposed by Louis Hagen to do a feature-length film. Her shorts Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty) and Aschenputtel (Cinderella), which were produced in 1922, were only a sneak-peak of what were to come in her next big production: The Adventures of Prince …show more content…
When Prince Achmed’s arrows go out of bounds, he follows the lost arrow that leads him to a magical door into Pari Banu’s kingdom. After pleading for their love to one another and finding they are of royalty, they get married and plan to rule side by side, together. However they must keep this a secret from the Sultan of India, Achmed’s father. During the prince’s return, his father becomes suspicious of his ways and orders a court magician to spy on him. After finding out his son’s secret, the Sultan believes he can exploit Pari Banu’s kingdom. Asking several requests, almost deeming impossible, the Sultan asks to see Pari Banu’s brother, who kills him and all those who plot against the prince. As a result Prince Achmed becomes the new Sultan of India. Seeing as the original did not follow that of the Magic Horse, Reiniger changed the whole scenario to fit her
Dynamic characters are built by dynamic movement in film. Whether the character is sitting down giving a lecture, or is a ballerina dancing on stage, character are born through movement. Movement in emotion, or physical, a characters action and re-actions are what draw audiences into their story. The characters in the movie Take the Lead gain power through their character transformations through dance, their movement on the dance floor directly impacts the way they carry themselves through life. In this paper I will explore three scenes, each scene will show different levels of progression in each character’s life, and I will show how the characters gain more power in their own lives the more successful they become with the movement of dance.
One of the main things I noticed in this movie was that the movie never stopped. It was always about ballet and working to improve things related to ballet the entire movie. The point I am trying to make is that even when the dancers and the choreographers
The element that stood out the most to me was how effectively the music and the footwork corresponded. The best examples of this are seen through the dancers solos. Especially Albrecht's solo, his feet glide on the stage at the same tempo as the music. Similarly, Giselle's graceful footwork is truly amazing. I really like the similarities between the choreographed footwork and the music, it makes Giselle seem much more elegant and beautiful. This also seems to make the work look more put together and in sync because the dancers are dancing in harmony with the orchestra. The choreography by itself is amazing. The footwork is rapid and intricate, however, at the same time it is delicate and graceful. The ballerina (Giselle) made it look very easy to do the choreography, when it rea...
If composers are the masters of time, then the choreographer George Balanchine is the master of visual realization of that time in human terms. A master in both the kinesthetic and musical frames of creativity, he did not devote his energies to music visualization by assigning a certain number of dancers to represent strings, others the brass, and still others woodwinds or percussion but by creating a visual analogy in space that restates the musical structure with the trained dancer's body. He claimed that "Ballet... should not be an illustrator of even...the most substantive of literary sources. It will speak for itself. The ballet is flowers, beauty, poetry...I am, if you please, an advocate of pure art." Balanchine's most intense desire was "to make audiences see music and hear dancing."
use of the camera the sound and the mise en scene. I will analyze the
The writer uses imagery, because he wants to let the readers into his mind. By describing the scene for the readers, makes the readers fell like they were there. Therefore, it gives us a better ability to emphasize with him.
Mise en scene is a French theatrical term meaning “placing on stage,” or more accurately, the arrangement of all visual elements of a theatrical production within a given playing area or stage. The exact area of a playing area or stage is contained by the proscenium arch, which encloses the stage in a picture frame of sorts. However, the acting area is more ambiguous and acts with more fluidity by reaching out into the auditorium and audience. Whatever the margins of the stage may be, mise en scene is a three dimensional continuation of the space an audience occupies consisting of depth, width, and height. No matter how hard one tries to create a separate dimension from the audience, it is in vain as the audience always relates itself to the staging area. Mise en scene in movies is slightly more complicated than that of an actual theater, as it is a compilation of the visual principles of live theater in the form of a painting, hence the term “motion picture.” A filmmaker arranges objects and people within a given three-dimensional area as a stage director would. However, once it is photographed, the three-dimensional planes arranged by the director are flattened to a two-dimensional image of the real thing. This eliminates the third dimension from the film while it is still occupied by the audience, giving a movie the semblance of an audience in an art gallery. This being so, mis en scene in movies is therefore analogous to the art of painting in that an image of formal patterns and shapes is presented on a flat surface and is enclosed within a frame with the addition of that image having the ability to move freely within its confines. A thorough mise en scene evaluation can be an analysis of the way things are place on stage in...
This paper will explore what it is about anime that makes it so appealing to even a Western audience, creating an international fan base. Although manga can be traced to American origins, the comics that the Americans brought over have been intensely modified to create essentially a new form of media. Manga and anime have become a significant component of Japanese culture, and often times they integrate Japanese culture and society. Yet, regardless of its Japanese origin, anime is still viewed on the other side of the planet. The question then becomes what is it that makes it so appealing to a foreign audience? This paper will rely heavily on Susan Napier’s book, From Impressionism to Anime: Japan as Fantasy and Fan Cult in the Mind of the
My initial idea for this paper was to focus on the technical aspects of the film—the hybrid of animation and live action. I first saw this technique used in The Three Caballeros (Ferguson & Young, 1944) and was going to research this film, but the amount of literature on t...
Animations is simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures, or frames. Cartoons on television is one example of animation. Animation on computers is one of the chief ingredients of multimedia presentations. There are many software applications that enable you to create animations that you can display on a computer monitor.
Ballet in Louis XIV's court was characterized by extreme ornamentation and gaudiness. The ballet master, Jean Baptiste Lully, sought to show the dignified style of the Sun King. The themes of ballets at court range...
Through hundreds of productions of The Nutcracker, that have thrilled several crowds, audiences have experienced the fear from oversized mice and the thrill of the Land of Sweets. Written by Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker is danced around Christmas annually. The Nutcracker was inspired by and based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s novel, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (“The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet”). A girl named Clara receives a nutcracker as a Christmas present who comes to life to fight the Mouse King. Clara journeys through the Land of Sweets as audiences are mesmerized by the dancers with the extravagant, flamboyant, exaggerated, and bizarre costumes, props, and heavy make-up perform the famous piece. But why has this ballet maintained its mass appeal since its first performance in 1892? Perhaps it is because in an effort to outstage previous performances, directors continue to integrate elements of expressionism like plot distortion and stylized acting to create a fantasy world.
Ballet is beautiful, touching and tells an enchanting story or expresses deep emotion. There will always be people who love dancing and dedicate their lives to it, losing their problems in the magic of performing. There will always be people to continue choreographing ballets, those with expansive creative genius. There will always be people to compose music for ballets, whose fount of ideas never runs dry. Of course, there will always be people to attend a ballet performance; the seats will be filled with ballet lovers anticipating the spellbinding charm of the dancing. Ballet is always changing its costumes, portrayal, music, and dancing, but its purpose and goal still remain the same. Ballet’s rich history and background are always expanding and adding new dancers, choreographers, and composers to
Often, actors fight against the staging or movement direction they are given; actors must be able to justify movement within their own mind in order to perform it authentically. Theater directors must be mindful of both the picturization of a moment and its sincerity; bridging the two can be a difficult task. Nevertheless, it is my job to honor the actor's instincts and create an eye-pleasing visual moment. Approaching this dilemma, I always start
When walking through an art museum, there are rarely paintings of caricatures on display. Though some artists have developed avant guarde or impressionist styles, these are not considered cartoons for the simple fact that they never were displayed on the silver screen. Yet paintings of Disney characters sell for thousands at auction if they are authentic. Disney separates itself from other animation studios with their signature style and tedious techniques, like traditional artists. Since Disney has been making animated films for years, it has become a huge part of American culture. Many people even classify the older, hand-drawn films to be moving works of art. On the other hand, animated TV shows from Japan known as Anime, are not considered to be works of art. Often starting as a comic like sterilization known as manga, anime has captured the hearts of millions of viewers. Like any art form, there are a variety of styles to choose from; ranging from breathtaking to humorous. Like the renaissance painters or even Disney, Anime itself has shared many of the same traits. However, the world over dismisses it as a childish pastime, rather than the art form that it is. Both Anime and Art are a culmination of style, cultural representation, and emotional expression.