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Sens describes most of his films as mild social commentary, usually made within an interpersonal context: “To me, the content is more important than the technique, and I enjoy making my points with humor. Paradoxically, the restrictions in terms of content and humor are less stringent in commercial work than in most educational projects. Often educational groups are so intent on getting across the facts, they can become too didactic. Personally, I like to lighten difficult clinical or technical information and convert it into a more generalized type of film.”
Sens’s ability to achieve this type of balance is evident in the series of films about learning disabilities which he made for Simon Fraser University. Ordinarily a difficult and even painful subject, Sens, using a combination of stills and cell animation, manages to both enliven and enlighten.
Teaching at UBC has enabled Sens to supplement his earnings as a filmmaker and to enrich his style and perception: “I get a different perspective from my students. An engineering student, for example, has a very different approach to animation than I do, and I can get new ideas from this type of orientation.”
Both Sens and his cameraperson, Richard Bruce, agree that since funding is such a problem for filmmakers /animators, they would like to see a system implemented that would be similar to that of the medieval guild. In this type of apprenticeship system, a beginning animator could learn by actually making films, and be ensured of some form of monetary support during this time period.
Another of the small independent companies in Vancouver is SynchPop Animation Studios, founded by filmmakers Mal Hoskin and Wayne Morris, and accountant Paul Royce. Both Hoskin and Morris attended VSA. During that time, they were cosubjects in a CBC television documentary about young filmmakers in Canada. Animated films produced by Morris and Hoskin during their student years received distribution by Universal Films.
After graduating from the Vancouver School of Art, Hoskin taught a course at VSA for three years. In 1974, he founded Synch-Pop Studios with Morris and Royce.
Since the establishment of the company, Hoskin and Morris have produced, among other films, sequences for the CBC’s French section of Sesame Street, animated segments of a navy training film, a film about physical fitness (made in collaboration with Al Sens), and various commercials
and advertising shorts. These films include Metric System and Metric Slide Show for the Provincial Educational Media Centre of B.C., the ’74 Tax Guide for Canadian Cinegraph of B.C., and commercials for Rainier Beer, the Rolf Harris Show, What's the Good Word?
Wayne Morris has worked as an animator, scriptwriter, and director on various productions. He has also worked on films for the NFB; Citizen Harold, Tilt, BC Centennial Clips, and For the Good of Mankind.
As Hoskin states, ‘““We like having our own company and being in control of our situation. Our talents mesh well, and complement each other. Wayne concentrates on character animation, whereas I tend to prefer abstract and logo work. Then again, Wayne has a fairly definite style, whereas mine is subject to constant change.”
Morris remarks, “Our style is basically traditional cell animation. I’m personally interested in characterization and the dramatic possibilities of scripted animation, rather than just film technique. I have a well-established animation style, which I’m quite happy with. In developing this style, I'd say that I was influenced by American cartoons — Disney characters, and Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, etc. I think what Id really like to see is that type of animation technique applied to a dramatic situation; or a situation with a sociopolitical content; a kind of animated Pogo strip.”
One of Vancouver’s independent animators is Audrey Doray, a wellknown artist and sculptor. Doray views herself primarily as a painter and sculptor, who began working in animation as a result of her frustration with the static image: “I was
always fascinated by the idea of motion. I experimented with different materials in terms of light pattern and movement; for example, paintings with sound tracks and moving sculptures. Gradually, I realized that my work involved a cyclical repetition of
The goat from Zodiac by independent animator Audrey Doray
image patterns. I thought animation would enable me to accomplish this type of image flow on a smaller and more manageable scale.”
Doray’s first film Zodiac involved cell animation of drawings depicting the interaction between the 12 signs of the zodiac and the four basic elements; fire, air, earth and water.
Her current project, as yet unfinished, is entitled Poppy Talk. As Doray describes the film, “It concerns the lyrical yet somber contrasts between a poppy and an iron gate. The whole concept can be viewed on different levels; the poppy as the symbol of the battlefield, as a part of the cycle of nature, a mystical symbol, or a representation of the pop culture.” The film is to be a combination of animation and live action, color and black and white.
Unlike many other Vancouver animators, Doray works solely on an independent basis: “I feel that my films are highly personal, and this is probably the reason that except for occasional] technical assistance, I tend to work alone.”
At the present time, Doray has temporarily abandoned animation for the production of a slide/sound documentary about China, which she visited a year ago: “I could see making an animated film about China or a film with animated sequences. Animation could be a very powerful political tool. For example, an animated newsreel or certain Czech animated films I have seen are extremely simple and direct but also incorporate a statement about the human condition.
“T like animation to be compressed; short and relatively simple. Otherwise, I feel there is a danger of information overload, from too much stimulus. Through my work in sculpture, I’ve learned that it is very important to pay attention to the projection span of a potential audience. I appreciate a director like Antonioni, who holds a shot and give you time to absorb all the information which is in that particular shot.”
In general, the animation scene in Vancouver is an active one, which given the opportunity could become even more vital and exciting. Many other filmmakers such as Howard Peddlar, Norman Drew, Marv Newlands, John Taylor, Ken Wallis, Richard Watson, an Malcolm Collett are also working in the animation field. Students too numerous to mention individually, as well as amateur animators, are also busy honing their skills in courses at the Vancouver School of Art, UBC and SFU. With this type of training combined with the highly personal west coast style, Vancouver animators will continue to contribute interesting dimensions to Canadian animation. ©
August 1976/37