Animation is a powerful medium for cultural critique, utilizing caricature, fantasy, and exaggeration to address sensitive issues without causing significant offense. The animated adult series Masameer County (2021) exemplifies this by transgressing societal boundaries and exposing taboo topics. This blog…
Book Review
The Flesh of Animation
by Jack Parry • July 19, 2024 • 0 Comments
The Flesh of Animation: Bodily Sensations in Film and Digital Media by Sandra Annett is an insightful exploration of the intertwining of the physical body and the ‘flesh’ of animation. The author plays with the concepts of body and flesh…
Profane Animation
“Dad Baby” and the Theotokos – Exploring the scandal of childbirth
by Erin Jones • July 16, 2024 • 0 Comments
There are few things more sought out by desperate American parents than the “banned” episodes of Bluey. We not only want the extra content for our kids, but for a show so intentional about world-building and Easter egg hiding (literally)…
Profane Animation
Horrifying Figures: Phil Tippett’s Mad God (2021) Reaffirms Stop-Motion’s Visceral Materiality
by Rachel Catlett • July 9, 2024 • 0 Comments
If a work of art is the sum of its parts, then the stop-motion animation Mad God (Tippett, 2021) has a very large sum indeed. Director Phil Tippett crafted this cinematic fever dream as a mad god himself, stitching together…
In Memoriam of Dr. Millie Young
A Note of Farewell: in memory of Millie Young
by Pedro Serrazina • July 5, 2024 • 0 Comments
In addition to the Society for Animation Studies (SAS) community celebrating the life and work of Millie Young in Sydney during SAS35, her friend Pedro Serrazina closes the tribute to Millie in the Animation Studies 2.0 with a personal message.…
Animation and video-generating AI
Generative AI: A New Frontier on Creative, Authorship, and Ethical Issues
by Eliane Gordeeff • July 3, 2024 • 0 Comments
Nowadays, AI (artificial intelligence) is the top technological subject, and as suggested by Alan Warburton (2024), its consequences are compared to those of personal computers when they were introduced into our lives. However, the AI revolution is more profound due to…
Animation and video-generating AI
Moderating AI-based adult animation
by Aurélie Petit • June 18, 2024 • 1 Comment
In the last couple of years, adult content platforms have faced the spread of user-generated synthetic visual sex media created by generative AI algorithms. This type of content is often referred to as the controversial ‘deepfake pornography.’ As a response,…
Animation and video-generating AI
Ships in a Coffee Cup, Tempest in a Teapot
by Mihaela Mihailova • June 11, 2024 • 0 Comments
Upon the release of OpenAI’s video-generation model Sora in February 2024, a wave of fear and awe swept public discourse on the future of filmmaking. The sleek photorealistic videos shared by the company elicited a flurry of hyperbolic statements regarding…
Animation and video-generating AI
Transforming the Synergy of Technology, Artistry, and Collaboration with AI in Live-action supported Animation Performance
by Emily Tang • June 4, 2024 • 0 Comments
This text explores the integration of live-action performance within the realm of animation by highlighting the transformative journey from traditional methods to the incorporation of advanced technologies such as AI. Live-action performance has been an essential component in the production…
In Memoriam of Dr. Millie Young
Thoughts on Millie Young’s Fulldome Practice
by Timothy Jones • May 28, 2024 • 0 Comments
For many of us, the annual Society for Animation Studies (SAS) conference is more than an opportunity to share research. We get to meet friends that we do not see any other time. Their ideas inspire us and their enthusiasm…