MES160-1200, Spring 2025
Animation across time & cultures
MES160-1200, Spring 2025

Syllabus

TITLE OF COURSE: World History of Animation

COURSE NUMBER & SECTION: MES160-1200, Spring 2025

SCHEDULE: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12PM – 1:15PM | Online (Synchronous). Please check Brightspace for Zoom link and passcode. 

PROFESSOR: Anna Pinkas | email: apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu | Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:15PM – 2:45PM (please visit Brightspace for Zoom link or email to set an appointment)

CREDITS: 3 | CLASS HRS: 3 BASIC SKILLS: Pass ESL54 or ENG 88/ Pass ACR 94 or writing Index 55+ | PRE AND CO-REQUISITES: None

DESCRIPTION: World History of Animation introduces students to seminal works of animation across time and cultures. The course discusses the evolution of the art form through the lens of technical innovations, socio-political contexts, and aesthetic movements. Students will study works ranging from large productions to independent and experimental shorts, and the influence of different international productions on one another, including Asian and European works and creators. 

COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES :

Description Measurement
1. Identify vocabulary used in the field of animation, such as frame rate, storyboarding, concept art, celluloid, stop motion, CGI, rendering etc. Informal Classroom Speaking and Writing Exercises, Paper, Quizzes, Film Journals, Final Presentation
2. Recognize how technical innovations have changed the aesthetic, financial considerations, and distribution of animated works. Informal Classroom Speaking and Writing Exercises, Paper, Quizzes, Film Journals, Final Presentation
3. Differentiate animation genres, techniques and modes of production of different eras and nations. Informal Classroom Speaking and Writing Exercises, Paper, Quizzes, Film Journals, Final Presentation
4. Compare and contrast the visual style, target audience and intent of animated works across time and cultures. Informal Classroom Speaking and Writing Exercises, Paper, Quizzes, Film Journals, Final Presentation
5. Identify issues of difference among animators/studios and the ways difference has affected their animated works. Informal Classroom Speaking and Writing Exercises, Paper, Quizzes, Film Journals, Final Presentation

GENERAL EDUCATION LEARNING OUTCOMES

Description Measurement
Communication Skills – Students will write, read, listen and speak critically and effectively. Student behaviors include being able to: Express ideas clearly in written form; Employ critical reading skills to analyze written material; Exhibit active listening skills; Give an effective oral presentation. Informal Classroom Speaking and Writing Exercises, Paper, Quizzes, Film Journals, Final Presentation
Arts & Humanities- Students will be able to develop knowledge and understanding of the arts and literature through critiques of works of art, music, theatre and literature. Informal Classroom Speaking and Writing Exercises, Paper, Quizzes, Film Journals, Final Presentation
Information & Technology Literacy – Students will collect, evaluate and interpret information and effectively use information technologies. Student behaviors include being able to: Conduct research using appropriate research strategies; Make effective use of technology. Using the OER website, Zoom and Brightspace
Values- Students will be able to make informed choices based on an understanding of personal values, human diversity, multicultural awareness and social responsibility. Informal Classroom Speaking and Writing Exercises, Paper, Quizzes, Film Journals, Final Presentation

REQUIRED TEXT: This is an OER/ZTC (Open Educational Resources/Zero Textbook Course) course. Free class materials (including films, readings etc.) are available at https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/mes160-1200-spring-2025/

OTHER RESOURCES:  The films on this syllabus are available for free on KANOPY Streaming Videos and/or online. Please follow these instructions to login to KANOPY (you must use your BMCC ID and password to gain access through this URL: https://bmcccuny.kanopy.com). Students must also use Open Lab & Brightspace to access other course content and grading

USE OF TECHNOLOGY: Students will use OpenLab and email to submit their weekly journal entries, midterm paper, and final presentation. They will use Brightspace to complete the Quizzes. Faculty will upload grades and comments there too, along with any other course material they see fit. Students will need to login to OpenLab and Brightspace regularly. If you do not have (or cannot remember) your id and password for both/either, contact the BMCC helpdesk right away: 212-220-8379 helpdesk@bmcc.cuny.edu ; RoomS141 (199 Chambers Street). You may also rest your password by going to https://cunyportal.cuny.edu/ and clicking on “Account & Password Reset”. All Students are required to use their full BMCC email address when signing into the computers, Wi-Fi, BMCC Portal and other BMCC IT Services requiring authentication. (For example, John Doe would now sign in as john.doe@stu.bmcc.cuny.edu)

TUTORING: Take advantage of BMCC’s one-on-one tutoring services (free!) (available online and in-person). Visit https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/students/lrc/ for more information.

GRADING: Grading is based on successful completion of the quizzes, journal entries, midterm paper, final presentation, and class participation. Assignments must be handed in on time. Points will be deducted for work that is handed in late.

  • Class participation 10%
  • Quizzes 20%
  • Journal entries 20%
  • Midterm paper (3-4 pages) 25%
  • Final presentation (5-7 mins) 25%

Camera: All students enrolled in this synchronous remote course are required to have their cameras on during class. Class Participation: 10% of the grade for this course comes from your participation: arriving to class on time, taking notes, asking questions about the materials covered, answering when called upon, completing in-class exercises, watching the films shown. Please be on time and notify the professor if you will be absent. While this is an online class, it will meet synchronously every week and you are expected to attend each session. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to catch up on the material you missed and to make sure you meet assignment deadlines. NOTE: the use of cell phones during class is NOT allowed. Please be respectful of others in class who may find this distracting. The use of cell phones will be reflected in your class participation grade AND the professor reserves the right to ask you to leave the classroom, particularly during the film screenings. Quizzes: There will be three multiple choice quizzes. They will be announced, taken on Brightspace during class, and open book. Questions will need to be answered in 20 minutes (automatic timer on Brightspace). Journal entries: Please complete all journal entries in a timely manner. We will review them at the beginning of each class. They are meant for you to reflect on the previous week’s films, share your thoughts with the class, and brainstorm ideas for your midterm paper and final presentation. Midterm paper: The short paper will be a critical analysis paper, NOT a research paper. The goal is to cultivate visual literacy by naming the choices made by the filmmakers and then analyze how these choices impact the viewer. Guidelines and topics will be handed out in advance. You will be asked to submit an outline and draft for prior to the full version. Improper citation and not following the guidelines will count against the final grade. Any missing paper will result in a Zero for that assignment unless the student is able to provide a reasonable explanation in a timely communication to the instructor. Final presentation: Each student will give a presentation on the animated film of their choice at the end of the semester. The presentation should be 5-7 minutes long, include slides with text and images as well as video clips. Students will need to submit an outline of the presentation at least 2 weeks prior.

WEEKLY BREAKDOWN (Subject to change) [Note: See “Topics” menu for a list of films and readings assigned each week. Not everything will be shown in class; students are responsible for reviewing ALL listed material]

Week 1 (Tue 1/28 & Thu 1/30) : Course introduction | Definition and techniques

  • Overview of Syllabus, course materials, and online streaming platforms
  • What is animation?
  • Persistence of Vision
  • Frame Rate
  • ASSIGNMENT: JOURNAL ENTRY: Students will set up their journals on OpenLab and post their first entry

Week 2 (Tue 2/4 & Thu 2/6) : Sequential art, optical toys and early animation

  • Animated Cave Paintings
  • Shadow Puppets
  • Magic Lanterns
  • Optical Toys
  • Émile Reynaud’s Théâtre Optique
  • Eadweard Muybridge’s Locomotion Studies
  • Arthur Melbourne-Cooper: Pioneer of stop-motion
  • John Stuart Blackton’s Lighting Sketches
  • George Méliès: Pioneer of VFX
  • The End of an Era
  • ASSIGNMENT: JOURNAL ENTRY 

Week 3 (Tue 2/11 & Thu 2/13) : Beginnings of the Animation Industry

  • DISCUSSION OF SHORT PAPER GUIDELINES AND GRADING RUBRIC
  • Émile Cohl
  • Winsor McCay
  • Comics and Early Animators
  • Effects of WW I on the Film Industry
  • Bray Productions and Cel animation
  • Fleischer Brothers
  • Distribution
  • Pat Sullivan and Felix the Cat
  • Advent of Sound
  • Stop motion developments
  • ASSIGNMENT: REVIEW FOR QUIZ 1

No MES160 on Tuesday 2/18 (follows Monday schedule)

Week 4 (Thu 2/20 & Tue 2/25) : Animation as Modern Art 

  • QUIZ 1  (will cover content from week 1 – 3) (2/25)
  • Overview of Modern Art
  • Absolute Film
  • Lotte Reininger & the First Animated Feature Film
  • Berthold Bartosch’s “L’Idée” – From Woodcuts to Animation
  • Alexeieff & Parker’s Pinscreen Animation
  • Soviet Film Theory
  • ASSIGNMENT: SHORT PAPER THESIS OR OUTLINE. Please review the short paper guideline and grading rubric and submit a thesis or outline as a journal entry by next week. The short paper requires an in depth analysis of one of the animations screened in the first 5 weeks. Students will be asked to contextualize the film in terms of cultural movements, and analyze the role of gender, race, class and ethnicity in the work. (addresses SLO #2, #3, #4, and #5) (See guidelines and rubrics) 

Week 5 (Thu 2/27 & Tue 3/4)  : Disney – from Mickey Mouse to Bambi

  • Ub Iwerks
  • Move to California
  • Mickey Mouse
  • Silly Symphonies
  • Marketing
  • Reorganization
  • Studio Practices
  • 12 Principles
  • Snow White
  • Features in the 40s
  • ASSIGNMENT: SHORT PAPER DRAFT. Please submit via email

No MES160 on Thursday 3/6 (follows Wednesday schedule)

Week 6 (Tue 3/11 & Thu 3/13) : Fleischer Studio, Warner Bros & MGM 

  • SHORT PAPER DRAFT DUE (3/11, please email to apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu)
  • The Fleischer Studio
  • Warner Bros Studio
  • MGM
  • ASSIGNMENT: WORK ON THE SHORT PAPER. Address the feedback you received on your draft.

Week 7 (Tue 3/18 & Thu 3/20) : WWII & propaganda

  • Overview of media control
  • Depiction of the “other” in WWII animation
  • War animation
  • ASSIGNMENT: COMPLETE THE SHORT PAPER. Please submit via email

Week 8 (Tue 3/25 & Thu 3/27) : International Development in Post War Animation

  • SHORT PAPER DUE (3/25, please email to apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu)
  • Overview of the Post War Global Context
  • Great Britain
  • Canada
  • France
  • Japan
  • China
  • Soviet Union (USSR)
  • Czechoslovakia
  • The Zagreb School
  • ASSIGNMENT: JOURNAL ENTRY
  • REVIEW FOR QUIZ 2

Week 9 (Tue 4/1 & Thu 4/3)  : Mid-Century Shifts in American Design

  • QUIZ 2  (will cover content from week 4 – 8)  (4/3)
  • Overview of mid-century art & design
  • Background design evolution at Warner Bros. & Disney
  • Disney Strike
  • UPA Studio
  • The Blacklist
  • Storyboard Studio
  • Rise of animated advertising
  • ASSIGNMENT: JOURNAL ENTRY

Week 10 (Tue 4/8 & Thu 4/10) : The Rise of Television

  • DISCUSSION OF FINAL PRESENTATION GUIDELINES AND GRADING RUBRIC
  • Overview of Television’s Rise
  • Puppets in Early Children Programming
  • New Studios Dedicated to TV Animation
  • Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc.
  • Educational Programming
  • Product-driven Shows
  • Disney and TV
  • TV Animation for Adults
  • Music-videos
  • Japanese TV Animation
  • ASSIGNMENT: JOURNAL ENTRY

No classes 4/12 – 4/20 Spring Recess

Week 11 (Tue 4/22 & Thu 4/24) : New audiences, early CGI experiments and gaming

  • Postwar formal experimentation
  • Early CGI experiments
  • Overview of 1960s and 70s youth movement
  • Animated feature films for the youth audience
  • From arcade games to personal consoles
  • Types of games
  • Online gaming
  • Indie games
  • Issues in gaming
  • ASSIGNMENT: FINAL PRESENTATION THESIS OR OUTLINE. Please review the final presentation guideline and grading rubric and submit a thesis or outline as a journal entry by next week. The presentation requires the student to pick an animated film or tv show and analyze it. As in the short paper, students will be asked to contextualize the film in terms of cultural movements, and analyze the role of gender, race, class and ethnicity on the work. The presentation should include slides with text, images and video clips. (addresses SLO #2, #3, #4, and #5) (See guidelines and rubrics)

Week 12 (Tue 4/29 & Thu 5/1): Disney Renaissance & the rise of CGI 

  • Disney’s Competition in the US
  • Disney’s Renaissance
  • Overview of Early CGI Technology
  • Pixar
  • Pixar’s competition
  • Disney & CGI
  • Live-Action or Animation?
  • The “Uncanny Valley”
  • ASSIGNMENT: START WORKING ON YOUR FINAL PRESENTATION

Week13 (Tue 5/6 & Thu 5/8): Japanese Animation

  • Influence of traditional art
  • Manga and Anime
  • Osamu Tezuka
  • Anime themes and iconography
  • Toei Animation
  • Studio Ghibli
  • Anime and Western audiences
  • ASSIGNMENT: CONTINUE WORKING ON YOUR FINAL PRESENTATION
  • REVIEW FOR QUIZ 3

Week 14 (Tue 5/13 & Thu 5/15) : Authorship in animation

  • QUIZ 3 (5/15)
  • Animation festivals
  • Animation education
  • Financial support
  • Contemporary independent animators
  • Representation in contemporary animation
  • ASSIGNMENT: COMPLETE YOUR FINAL PRESENTATION (submit slides via email)

Week 15 (Tue 5/20 & Thu 5/22) : That’s All Folks!

  • FINAL PRESENTATIONS

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