Another great piece. Your exploration of Begone Dull Care was both informative and captivating. I especially appreciated how you delved into the unique artistic process behind the film and emphasised its impact on animation history. Your ability to connect McLaren's work with broader themes in animation enhances your appreciation for this timeless piece.
This newsletter's ability to bring experimental in with anime and American and indie animation is such a pleasure to behold, a real range of interests within the subject of 'animation' which becomes a complex term to nail down when you discover how much diverse work so many artists have made over the centuries.
A random note that when discussing the abstract opening sequences of Fantasia, it's useful to point out Oskar Fischinger's early influence in the development of that movie, before Disney fired him for refusing to make stories. Fischinger and McLaren are very similar in the sense of being firmly committed to synesthesia-like film painting at risk of alienating audience expectations, though Fischinger strongly felt his work was objective about it — the procedure of showcasing synesthesia WAS the intellectualization in some sense.
Thank you -- that's really kind. It's always our goal to put all different forms of animation in dialogue with each other, and to reflect the reality that this medium has cross-pollinated from the start. (Plenty of Japanese animators, for example, were watching McLaren's stuff back in the '60s!)
As for Fischinger, great points. He had a big impact on both Fantasia and McLaren, who saw Fischinger's Study No. 7 as a student. His work is beautiful, but absolutely, there's a bit of a different philosophy behind it. Fischinger was a theorist and ideologue in a lot of ways (some say he ONLY appreciated abstract art), whereas McLaren liked to play and try his hand at everything. Both masters of their crafts, though, for sure.
I’m coming to this late from a recommendation by another writer ( thank you!) but I’m really glad I got to see this incredible film ( and thank you). I have to think the 60s underground film makers, especially Stan Brakhage , were influenced by this.
Really happy you enjoyed the film! And you're almost certainly right -- McLaren's influence was hard to avoid in experimental film circles during that time.
Ah, really cool to learn about this -- O Canada slipped by us until now! Playing the NFB catalog (let alone this film) on Cartoon Network is a wild idea, but there's so much potential there.
It would be very cool to see the old NFB shorts -- or even the new ones -- on mainstream TV again. A lot of that stuff is accessible (McLaren's Le Merle is impossible to hate).
Love, love, loved this issue. It's kicking off my week right. Thank you yet again.
Thanks a ton -- happy that this one resonated!
Another great piece. Your exploration of Begone Dull Care was both informative and captivating. I especially appreciated how you delved into the unique artistic process behind the film and emphasised its impact on animation history. Your ability to connect McLaren's work with broader themes in animation enhances your appreciation for this timeless piece.
Thanks, Jon! Much appreciated.
This newsletter's ability to bring experimental in with anime and American and indie animation is such a pleasure to behold, a real range of interests within the subject of 'animation' which becomes a complex term to nail down when you discover how much diverse work so many artists have made over the centuries.
A random note that when discussing the abstract opening sequences of Fantasia, it's useful to point out Oskar Fischinger's early influence in the development of that movie, before Disney fired him for refusing to make stories. Fischinger and McLaren are very similar in the sense of being firmly committed to synesthesia-like film painting at risk of alienating audience expectations, though Fischinger strongly felt his work was objective about it — the procedure of showcasing synesthesia WAS the intellectualization in some sense.
Thank you -- that's really kind. It's always our goal to put all different forms of animation in dialogue with each other, and to reflect the reality that this medium has cross-pollinated from the start. (Plenty of Japanese animators, for example, were watching McLaren's stuff back in the '60s!)
As for Fischinger, great points. He had a big impact on both Fantasia and McLaren, who saw Fischinger's Study No. 7 as a student. His work is beautiful, but absolutely, there's a bit of a different philosophy behind it. Fischinger was a theorist and ideologue in a lot of ways (some say he ONLY appreciated abstract art), whereas McLaren liked to play and try his hand at everything. Both masters of their crafts, though, for sure.
Thanks for this really appreciate the work that went into this “be gone dull care” was my number 5! https://jazzcow.substack.com/cp/143634783
Glad you liked the piece! The music in Begone Dull Care is so good -- thanks for spreading the word about it.
Very cool film! And what a process!
Glad you liked the piece! (And thanks very much for sharing it!)
Here's the Wikipedia article about those golden days:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Canada_(TV_series)
I’m coming to this late from a recommendation by another writer ( thank you!) but I’m really glad I got to see this incredible film ( and thank you). I have to think the 60s underground film makers, especially Stan Brakhage , were influenced by this.
Really happy you enjoyed the film! And you're almost certainly right -- McLaren's influence was hard to avoid in experimental film circles during that time.
You never disappoints anyone. Another masterpiece from you Loved this!!
Thank you very much!
Another great topic from you. So beautifully written.
Thank you!
Wonderfully written, and love the nicely formatted anim news, short and informative!
Thank you very much for the kind words! So happy you enjoyed it.
I remember this! I saw it on "O Canada" back when that was on Cartoon Network.
Ah, really cool to learn about this -- O Canada slipped by us until now! Playing the NFB catalog (let alone this film) on Cartoon Network is a wild idea, but there's so much potential there.
Maybe something like this could see the light again on MeTV Toons (keeping fingers crossed).
It would be very cool to see the old NFB shorts -- or even the new ones -- on mainstream TV again. A lot of that stuff is accessible (McLaren's Le Merle is impossible to hate).