Magic Paper
On the international art of cutout animation.
Happy Thursday! In this issue of the Animation Obsessive newsletter, we’ve brought a meditation on the beauty of cutout animation, the art of moving paper (and cardboard, and more) with stop-motion filming.
Cutouts don’t have a glowing reputation right now. Online, it’s not uncommon to see modern cutout animation written off — it’s become associated with rushed, low-cost cartoons. But this is a wonderful form with a deep history behind it, stretching back before animation itself.
It’s an international form, too. One that’s cropped up in countries around the world. And, each time cutout animation appears, it changes shape to suit the needs and tastes of the artists involved. Even more than cel animation, cutouts can adapt.
Today, we’re touching on all of this, and looking at how artists from Prague to Shanghai to Moscow have made cutout animation their own. Enjoy!