Rolf Giesen’s Puppetry, Puppet Animation and the Digital Age explores the unique world of puppetry animation and its application in the digital age. With the advent of digital animation, many individuals see puppetry and 2D animation as being regulated to a niche market. Giesen’s text argues against this viewpoint, by demonstrating the pure aesthetic value they have, as well as examples of some of the greatest cinematic uses of puppets. Such samples include, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, Ladislas Starevich, O’Brien, Harryhausen and Danforth, Trnka and Švankmajer, Aardman and Laika Studios, ParaNorman, and the Boxtrolls. Even live-action blockbusters, such as the Star Wars saga utilize puppetry for costume applications as noted within the text. The use of puppets not only helps create a wonderous world and memorable characters, but is also one of the purest extensions of an artist.
Key Features
chapter 1 The Origin of Puppets and Homunculi
chapter 2 The Art of Silhouette Plays and Films
chapter 3 2D versus 3D in Nazi Germany
chapter 4 Puppetoons versus Jiří Trnka
chapter 5 The Dynamators
chapter 6 Pixilation and Mocap: People Become Puppets
chapter 7 The Road to CGI
chapter 8 The Decomposition of Images
chapter 9 Aardman or, A Renaissance of Stop Motion
chapter 10 The Isle of Old-Fashioned Animators
Biography
Rolf Giesen, a former visiting professor at the Animation School of the Communication University of China in Beijing, has compiled a special effects collection for Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin and has co-written several animation features. He is president of the Jilin Animation, Comics and Games Museum in Changchun, China.
