Some of the most beloved characters in film and television inhabit
two-dimensional worlds that spring from the fertile imaginations of
talented animators. The movements, characterizations, and settings in
the best animated films are as vivid as any live action film, and
sometimes seem more alive than life itself. In this case, Hollywood's
marketing slogans are fitting; animated stories are frequently
magical, leaving memories of happy endings in young and old alike.
However, the fantasy lands animators create bear little resemblance to
the conditions under which these artists work. Anonymous animators
routinely toiled in dark, cramped working environments for long hours
and low pay, especially at the emergence of the art form early in the
twentieth century. In _Drawing the Line_, veteran animator Tom Sito
chronicles the efforts of generations of working men and women artists
who have struggled to create a stable standard of living that is as
secure as the worlds their characters inhabit. The former president of
America's largest animation union, Sito offers a unique insider's
account of animators' struggles with legendary studio kingpins such as
Jack Warner and Walt Disney, and their more recent battles with
Michael Eisner and other Hollywood players. Based on numerous archival
documents, personal interviews, and his own experiences, Sito's
history of animation unions is both carefully analytical and deeply
personal. Drawing the Line stands as a vital corrective to this field
of Hollywood history and is an important look at the animation
industry's past, present, and future. Like most elements of the modern
commercial media system, animation is rapidly being changed by the
forces of globalization and technological innovation. Yet even as
pixels replace pencils and bytes replace paints, the working
relationship between employer and employee essentially remains the
same. In _Drawing the Line_, Sito challenges the next wave of
animators to heed the lessons of their predecessors by organizing and
acting collectively to fight against the enormous pressures of the
marketplace for their class interests—and for the betterment of
their art form.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780813171487
Publisert
2016
Utgiver
Vendor
The University Press of Kentucky
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter