October 28th is International Animation Day #AnimationDay. If your #Homeschooling your children take the opportunity today to teach them about Animation as we celebrate International Animation Day by watching movies from our childhood. Although David said he would prefer to watch #Cartoons. What about you?
On International Animation Day, on October 28th, it’s time to get in touch with your inner child and remember when you thought the best thing you could do in life was to watch cartoons. Of course, maturity and sophistication have elevated your appreciation for moving static images so that, today, you share a worldwide interest in this creative art form and vibrant industry.
In 2002, the International Animated Film Association (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation) created International Animation Day to commemorate the day when animation had its first public appearance.
That was October 28th,1892, at the Grévin Museum in Paris, when Charles-Émile Reynaud and his Théâtre Optique presented his first production, “Pantomimes Lumineuses.” It was a collection of three cartoons, ‘Pauvre Pierrot,’ ‘Un bon bock,’ and ‘Le Clown Et Ses Chiens.’
It was 1888 when Reynaud patented Théâtre Optique, a machine that produced images on a screen using 36 mirrors, two magic lanterns or supplementary lights that were the source of a stationary background, and a projector. The images were painted on a long band that would be wound up on two spools that had to be rotated by hand. Working the spools demanded some skill, so it was usually Reynaud’s hand.
Each of the three animations consisted of 500 to 600 individually painted images and ran for about 15 minutes. Reynaud acted as the projectionist and a piano player accompanied him. Actors on the side provided the dialogue. The show ran until 1900 and was seen by half a million people.
By then, animation had begun to evolve. The next step forward was ‘lumière style,’ which replaced hand-drawn images with photographs for a more realistic visual experience. Audiences embraced the more modern style and lost interest in the performances at the Grévin Museum. Reynaud had presented 12,800 shows.
Reynaud did not adapt to change, and he suffered the consequences. In 1913, disillusioned and ruined financially, he smashed the last Théâtre Optique machine with a hammer and threw most of his films into the Seine.
International Animation Day Activities
- Take the opportunity today to relive your childhood by watching one of the classic animated films of whatever is your yesteryear: “Bambi” (1942), “Lady and the Tramp” (1955), “Aladdin” (1992), “Spirited Away” (2004), “Frozen” (2013), etc. Or gleefully repeat “Moose And Squirrel!” as you follow the adventures of “Rocky and Bullwinkle” on YouTube.
- Using the camera on your smartphone and several tubs of Play-Doh you’ve just bought, see if you can recreate Gumby walking which should be easy; he’s practically a stick figure!
- Visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame and pay homage to the Simpsons, who got their Hollywood star in 2000. Since then, The Simpsons show has become the longest-running scripted American TV show, on the air since 1989.
Facts About International Animation Day
- During the Cold War, ASIFA organized film festivals in Eastern Europe to bridge the East and West through animation.
- ASIFA promoted festivals by publishing the first magazine exclusively about animation, written in French, English, and Russian.
- ASIFA’s first international animation festival was in Annecy, France, in 1960, and is now the major international destination for more than 100,000 people in the animation industry.
- The Hiroshima International Film Festival was founded in 1985 as ASIFA’s way of commemorating the 40th anniversary of the bombing at the end of World War II.
- Winners of the Grand Prix at Animafest Zagreb in Croatia automatically qualify for the Academy Award and the European Animation Award.
Why We Love International Animation Day
- No, matter your age you can still watch cartoons as we get older because cartoons let us enjoy a temporary escape from being a grown-up.
- Cartoons have always been great babysitters and cartoons help kids with cognitive and language development, enhance their creativity, and promote laughter, which releases those good endorphins.
- As a sophisticated adult consumer of animation, you can experience work from other Countries. Animation can provide a window into other cultures and customs, even while treating common human problems.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
