The Magic Lantern is delighted to collaborate with The Drouth magazine to present a retrospective of the work of acclaimed Scottish animator, Norman McLaren. Born in Stirling in 1914, William Norman McLaren went on to become one of the most critically successful filmmakers of all time. Although he may never have been a household name in Britain his work was well respected around the globe garnering him an array of international accolades including an Academy Award.
The programme will be introduced by Dave Morgan, and will coincide with his article about Norman McLaren in, and the launch of, the next issue of The Drouth.
Seven Till Five (1933, 12 mins)
McLaren's first existing film, a ‘day in the life’ of Glasgow School of Art.
Begone Dull Care (1949, 7mins 47secs)
Following the end of war McLaren decided to revisit the style of some of his earliest abstract films. Reminiscent of the work of Len Lye, Begone Dull Care was created in collaboration with jazz musician Oscar Peterson.
Boogie Doodle (1940, 3min 18secs)
One of several hand drawn films that McLaren produced during his time in the US. With no money and little access to production facilities he resorted to drawing directly on the film stock with pen and ink.
Neighbours (1952, 8mins 6secs)
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animation Neighbours expresses the futility of violence and was prompted by Canada’s entry into the Korean War.
La Poulette Grise (1947, 5mins 32secs)
McLaren’s ‘chain of mixes’ technique allowed him to animate pastel drawings. La Poulette Grise is one of the most impressive examples of the style, and formed part of the Chants Populaires series of films.
Blinkity Blank (1955, 5mins 15secs)
Created by etching images into black leader. Not every frame is animated, meaning that many images appear as subliminal flashes.
Lines Vertical (1960, 5mins 39secs)
Probably the most minimal exploration of pure movement that it would be possible to conceive, the film consists solely of a series of vertical lines drifting across the screen.
Pas De Deux (1968, 13mins 21secs)
One of the most beautiful films that McLaren produced, Pas De Deux uses optical printing to transform a dance sequence into a sculptural expression of light and movement.
Running Order TBC
www.themagiclantern.org www.thedrouth.com
