Sunday, October 21, 2012

The History of Animation: A Lesson, by Serge Bromberg

About Serge Bromberg, via the French Institute:

(fr)

Serge Bromberg est Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, il a été directeur artistique du Festival de film d’animation d’Annecy pendant une dizaine d’années, il est programmateur des séries de films muets pour Arte et réalisateur.  Mais avant tout il est spécialiste dans la restauration des films et son entreprise, Lobster Films a eu l’occasion de travailler sur la restauration de centaines de films, parmi lesquels le premier film sonore de l’histoire du cinéma Le chanteur de jazz, tous les films de Jean Vigo, six film des Kurosawa et plus récemment « Voyage dans la lune » de Georges Méliès. Avec le spectacle « Retour de flamme », il présente au piano d’une manière ludique des extraits de films restaurés.
(ro)
Serge Bromberg este cavaler al Ordinului Artelor şi Literelor, a fost directorul artistic al Festivalului de filme de animaţie de la Annecy timp de 10 ani, este curatorul programelor de filme mute la Arte şi regizor de film. Dar înainte de toate este specialist în restaurarea filmelor şi prin compania sa, Lobster Films a avut ocazia să lucreze la restaurarea a sute de filme, între care primul film sonor din istoria cinematografiei, „Cântăreţul de jazz”, toate filmele lui Jean Vigo, şase filme ale lui Kurosawa şi mai recent, „Călătoria în lună” al lui George Méliès. Prin spectacolul „Retour de flammes”, Serge Bromberg prezintă într-un mod distractiv şi acompaniat de pian, selecţii speciale din catalogul filmelor restaurate.

On Friday, the 19th, I went to Serge Bromberg's very educational and very entertaining lecture on animation films. Organized by the French Institute, the lecture, as well as the cine-concert Retour de flamme (I'll list the films presented during Retour de flamme tomorrow), which I attended the following day, were part of Comedy Cluj, a film festival I wrote about in its first year, rather enthusiastically, I'd say, but one that I've seriously neglected during the following years. I'm tempted to make a few comments on the film selection, but I guess I'll refrain as I do have to consider the fact that my disinterest in this festival might be directly linked to my not living in Cluj anymore. Anyways. I'm posting all the shorts presented during the lecture as found on youtube.

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La joie de vivre/ The Joy of Living (Anthony Gross & Hector Hoppin, 1934)


(Go at Europa Film Treasures for more details + a brief history of this film.)

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Philips Broadcast (George Pal, 1938)

(Go at Europa Film Treasures for more details + a brief history of this film.)

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Ain't She Sweet
(Fleischer, 1933)


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Gertie, the Dinosaur
(Winsor McCay, 1914)



In this version here, the animation is accompanied by intertitles. However, Bromberg pointed out that Gertie was a vaudeville show performed by Winsor McCay himself. And that's how I've seen Gertie both on Friday and on Saturday - not as a film, but as a performance, whip and all, with Bromberg as McCay. I'll have to say, the whip effect is a lot more impressive in a small room than in a big movie theater.

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