November theme: The Animated Documentary Then and Now

Guest curated by: Nea Ehrlich and Cristina Formenti

Deadline: October 22nd, 2020

Animated documentaries are not a new phenomenon but their visibility has definitely proliferated in recent decades. For its November theme, Animation Studies 2.0 aims to examine the changes in the creation, marketing, and acceptance of animated documentaries across the decades. Whereas animated documentaries may have seemed oxymoronic to some not very long ago, today they are a usual part of documentary film festivals and are increasingly created in feature-length form. It could also be argued, however, that their acceptance or perceived veracity is still overshadowed by live-action film and photography. This claim is strengthened by the continued use of and reliance on varied documentary conventions such as photographs and audio interviews, mostly attempting to add credibility to the animated visuals (which therefore would seem to lack enough credibility without such additions). As the genre gains visibility in mainstream culture for this month’s theme, we invite posts from practitioners and theorists alike addressing from any perspective the changes occurred around and within the animated documentary production with the passing of the decades. Has practice changed and if so, in what ways? Has marketing and acceptance changed (whether in formal institutionalized or informal ways)? These are only some of the questions we hope to find answers to.

Topics may include but are not limited to:

·      changes in the production of animated documentaries;

·      animation techniques and their use to create animated documentaries across time;

·      marketing an animated documentary in the past and now;

·      the evolving acceptance of the animated documentary form;

·      the animated documentary and the changes in spectatorial practices.

Posts of between 600 and 900 words, which discuss any aspect of the above topic are welcome. Contributors are encouraged to include clips and at least one image to support their posts. Please also include a short bio and 3 keywords. All permissions are the responsibility of the contributor. Please contact the managing editor Cristina Formenti (cristina.formenti@unimi.it) with submissions or questions.