Norman McLaren

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Norman McLaren, C. C., C. Q. (b. April 11, 1914 - d. January 27, 1987) was a Scottish-born animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

McLaren was born in Stirling, Scotland, where he studied set design at Glasgow School of Art. His early experiments with film and animation included actually scratching and painting the film stock itself, as he did not have ready access to a camera. His earliest extant film, Seven Till Five (1933), a "day in the life of an art school" was influenced by Eisenstein and displays a strongly formalists attitude. McLaren's next film, Camera Makes Whoopee (1935) was a more elaborate take on the themes explored in Seven Till Five, inspired by his acquisition of a Ciné-Kodak camera, which enabled him to execute a number of 'trick' shots. McLaren used pixillation effects, superimpositions and animation not only to display the staging of an art school ball, but also to tap into the aesthetic sensations supposedly produced by this event.

After finishing his studies in Glasgow and making a few films in London, McLaren moved to New York City in 1939, just when World War II was about to begin.

At the invitation of John Grierson, he moved to Canada in 1941 to work for the National Film Board, to open an animation studio and to train Canadian animators. During his work for the NFB, McLaren created his most famous film, Neighbours (1952), which has won various awards around the world, including the Canadian Film Award and the Academy Award. Besides the brilliant combination of visuals and sound, the film has a very strong social message against violence and war. In addition to film, McLaren worked with UNESCO in the 50s and 60s on programs to teach film and animation techniques in China and India. His five part "Animated Motion" shorts, produced in the late 70s, are an excellent example of instruction on the basics of film animation.

McLaren is famous for his experiments with image and sound as he developed a number of groundbreaking techniques for combining and synchronizing animation with music.

The Canadian Film Board recognized McLaren's genius by naming the CFB head office building the Norman McLaren Building.

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In 1968 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and promoted to Companion in 1973. In 1982, he was the first anglophone to receive the Prix Albert-Tessier, given to individuals for an outstanding career in Québec cinema.

In 2006, the NFB marked the 65th anniversary of animation with an international retrospective of McLaren's restored classics and a new DVD box set of his complete works.

  • (1949) Special Award for Dots
  • (1950) Special Award for Begone Dull Care
  • (1952) Special Award for Around is Around
  • (1952) Special Award for Now is the Time
  • (1952) Special Award for After the Storm
  • (1953) Special Award for A Phantasy
  • (1953) Special Award for Neighbours
  • (1958) Arts and Experimental for A Chairy Tale
  • (1962) Arts and Experimental for Lines Horizontal
  • (1965) Arts and Experimental for Canon
    • Shared with Grant Munro
  • (1968) Special Award for Pas de deux

  • (1984) Gold Star Award for Narcissus

  • (1985) Special Mention for Narcissus

  • (1985) First Prize - Madame de Stael Prize, (France, May 1985) for Narcissus

  • (1984) Golden Sheaf Award - Best Experimental Film for Narcissus, Short Film and Video Festival (Canada, October-November 1984)

  • (1984) Golden Peacock for the Best Short Film of the Festival for Narcissus

  • (1984) Honorable Mention - Visual Essays for Narcissus

  • 1953 Academy Award (Oscar) Best Short Subject, One-reel for Neighbours (1952)
  • 1958 Academy Award Best Short Subject, Live Action Subjects for A Chairy Tale (1957)

  • 1960 BAFTA Film Award Best Animated Film for Short and Suite
    • Shared with Evelyn Lambart

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