Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1021376
D E PA R T M E N T 29 KEYFRAME WHETHER THEY LIE UNDISCOVERED IN BASEMENTS OR LANGUISH IN ARCHIVES, PRE-1950'S CARTOONS, LIKE OTHER MOTION PICTURES OF THAT ERA, WERE PRINTED ON FILM STOCK THAT IS NOT ONLY FLAMMABLE, BUT DETERIORATES OVER TIME. THE CLOCK IS TICKING FOR THESE OLD ANIMATED FILMS, AMONGST THEM RARE AND HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT CARTOONS. NO ONE HEARS THAT TICKING LOUDER THAN THOSE INVOLVED WITH ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD'S ANIMATION PRESERVATION PROJECT. ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD PRESIDENT JERRY BECK HEADS UP THE PROJECT, WHOSE MISSION IS TO SEEK OUT AND RESCUE ENDANGERED CARTOONS WITH THE AIM OF PRESERVING THEM ON 35 MM SAFETY FILM STOCK. How ASIFA-Hollywood is saving endangered cartoons before they are lost forever By Karen Briner A self-described cartoon fanatic, Beck is an animation historian who has written 15 books on the subject and also teaches animation history at CalArts. While some studios have taken the initiative to preserve and restore their old collections, he says, others focus on their new creations and tend to forget the older ones. In addition, many of the older cartoons were aimed at adults. Since some of them are not suitable for children and may contain racist or sexist attitudes, these factors combined have led to their neglect. As a historian, Beck believes they need to be restored regardless of their content because they remain a part of animation history. He's become acutely aware of how easily these old cartoons can disappear, meeting a fate like the majority of silent-era movies, which were abandoned, left to deteriorate, and are now lost forever. FALL 2018 29