Unsettling the City: Canadian Animators and Their Interpretations of the Urbanscape

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to uncover independent Canadian animators’ interpretations of urbanscapes, as displayed in their films and in their own words. Through a series of interviews that were conducted with 10 independent filmmakers, this thesis provides insight into contemporary Canadian animators' artistic identity, material animation processes, and representations of urban environments. The body of this thesis is organized into three chapters: the Art, the Artist, and the City. In Chapter 1, “The Art,” the artists’ experiences and understandings of materials, skills, and processes are explored. Broader perceptions of the animation medium are also discussed, for example, the role of play in the creative process, how animation is distinguished from other forms of film, and animation’s relationship to dreaming. In the second chapter, “The Artist,” the animator’s role is explored. In their own words, the artists situate themselves and their artworks in broader society, sharing how they perceive their purpose in communities, their motivations and inspirations, and the relationship that is formed between themselves as artists and their audiences. This chapter also locates the animator inside a long tradition of avant-garde artists and documents the artists’ reactions to Roland Barthes’ theory of “death of the author.” Finally, in Chapter 3, “The City,” the artists share their opinions on urban life, the ways they conceptualize urban environments, how they are shaped by the cities they live in and, most importantly, how they in turn shape and interpret those cities in their creative works. This thesis argues that contemporary independent animators both intentionally and unintentionally interpret the city through their creative practices, inadvertently creating spaces where the status quo in our modern urban lives can be questioned and reframed.