The First Animated Film

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the first feature-length cartoon film "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" that was made by the animator Lotte Reiniger, using cutout silhouette figures and a technique called stop-motion animation. The paper describes the film's creation, destruction in the war and subsequent restoration. The paper maintains that contemporary animators somehow fail to reproduce the same captivating magic that Reiniger achieved in this film.

From the Paper:

"Animation is an art with a rich history of artists whose patience and attention to detail in their work has led to many timeless treasures of film for adults and children alike. These works have lasted through time from the 1930's to today, and are still enjoyed as if they were brand new. It is widely known that the first feature-length animated film was Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White. It was the first commercially successful full-length animated film and the earliest that still exists entirely in its original form. However, a feature that pre-dates Snow White was made by an animator named Lotte Reiniger using cutout silhouette figures and a technique called stop-motion animation. This film was made in 1926 and is called The Adventures of Prince Achmed."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bendazzi, Giannalberto. Cartoons: one hundred years of cinema animation. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. 31-33. Not much information about The Adventures of Prince Achmed, but contains a letter from Reininger herself describing her work's focus and purpose in her own words.
• Grant, John. Masters of Animation. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications. 179-180. Makes reference to Walt Disney's Snow White's erroneous title as the first feature-length animated film, and contains lots of biographical information about Lotte Reininger. Also lists other works.
• Moritz, William. "Lotte Reininger." Animation World Network Magazine. June 1996. On-line. Available from www.awn.com Directory: http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html. Lots of biographical information that is repeated elsewhere, except for a timeline and comprehensive list of Reininger's work. Also contains illustrated breakdown of the basic articulated silhouette figure used in Reininger's animations, as well as a portrait of Reininger herself.
• Pidhajny, Carl R. "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" Milestone Film and Video Press Kit. 2001. On-line. Available from www.milestonefilms.com Directory: http://www.milestonefilms.com/pdf/AchmedPK.pdf. Detailed synopsis of the film, and in-depth information about the recent discovery and restoration of the film for its release on DVD in 2001. Also includes several stills and written introduction, "Scissors Make Films" by Lotte Reininger.
• Raganelli, Katja. "Lotte Reiniger: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film". The Adventures of Prince Achmed. DVD. An informative, 60-minute documentary on the life and professional career of Lotte Reininger, including details on the film-making techniques used by Reininger and her production team.

More papers on The First Animated Film:

• Comparison Essay # 101845 : "Disneyfication of "Beauty and the Beast"
• Essay # 9947 : "History of Animation"
• Film Review # 147875 : "Three Animated Television Series"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: