Norman McLaren

McLaren, Norman
Norman McLaren, director of animated films (b at Stirling, Scot 11 Apr 1914; d at Montréal 26 Jan 1987). He followed John GRIERSON to the NATIONAL FILM BOARD in 1941 and remained there, except for 2 UNESCO missions (to China in 1949 and to India in 1952). He participated in the series Chants populaires (1944-46) and produced Begone Dull Care, set to the music of Oscar PETERSON (1949).

Norman McLaren's award-winning 1968 dance film Pas de Deux. From the National Film Board's YouTube channel.

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Constantly innovative, McLaren tried techniques such as drawings scratched directly on film, cutout animation, painting directly on film, etc. During the COLD WAR in 1952, using a technique of stop-motion cinematography called pixilation, he made Neighbours, a political fable on the futility of using violence to resolve conflict. After this - his ultimate ideological statement - his films concentrated more on aesthetics and technique than on content. His work earned him increasing international recognition, and for over 30 years he produced roughly one film per year. Some of the more interesting examples are Blinkity Blank (1954), the didactic Rythmetic (1956), the absurd humour of Il était une chaise (1957) and the fantasy of Le Merle (1958).

Many of McLaren's films were co-directed by Evelyn Lambart. In Lines Vertical (1960), Lines Horizontal (1962) and Mosaic (1965), he opted for an austere, abstract style and exercises in which technology took precedence. He began a series of films about BALLET(see DANCE AND THE MEDIA) and the beauty and harmony of movement with Pas de deux (1967); it was followed by Ballet Adagio (1972) and Narcissus (1983). He also produced more didactic films on the art of FILM ANIMATION, such as L'Écran d'épingles (1973) and Animated Motion (1977).

McLaren's creative genius made him Canada's leading director of animated film. His life work of 72 films was donated in 1985 to the Museum of Modern Art, NY, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles. In 1988, the Association internationale du cinéma d'animation in Canada (ASIFA-Canada) created the Norman McLaren Prize.

Suggested Screening: Creative Process: Norman McLaren (Don McWilliams, 1990).

Author PIERRE VÉRONNEAU

Suggested Reading
NFB, McLaren (1980); Richard T. Vallière, Norman McLaren: Manipulator of Movement (1982).

Links to Other Sites
National Film Board of Canada
Watch full-length films, clips, and trailers - all free for home viewing. Scroll down the page to see links to online animated shorts and films in other categories. From the National Film Board of Canada.

Norman McLaren
A CBC article about UNESCO's selection of Norman McLaren's films to be part of the "Memory of the World Register."

JWR International Directory of Fine Arts & Film
A global directory of prominent personalities and organizations involved with show business and the fine arts. Also offers film and stage reviews, interviews, and much more. Check the menu on the left side of the page to search for specific topics of interest. Part of the "James Wegg Review" website.

Evelyn Lambart
An online collection of animated films created by Evelyn Lambart and other animators. From the National Film Board of Canada.

A Chairy Tale
This Oscar-nominated short film is a collaborative effort by Norman McLaren, Claude Jutra, and Evelyn Lambart. Features musical accompaniment by Ravi Shankar and Chatur Lal. From the National Film Board of Canada.