Call For Papers

The Society for Animation Studies invites submissions of proposals for papers to be presented at its 14th Annual Conference in Glendale, California, September 26-29, 2002. The conference, which is being presented with the assistance of the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission, will be held at the North Los Angeles/Glendale Hilton Hotel, Glendale Community College and the landmark Alex Theatre. The presentation of papers will be supplemented by screenings and panels featuring animation filmmakers and industry executives. The opening day will be dedicated solely to a series of special events, that may include studio/historical tours and screenings.

This year's theme is "Childhood" and how it relates to animation, both as art and industry, and will also be the focus of a special panel discussion featuring filmmakers and industry executives. Papers and preconstituted panels on all aspects of animation history, theory and criticism are also welcome. Presentations are limited to 20 minutes. Proposals, consisting of a abstract outlining the purpose, methodology and conclusions of the proposed paper, should be submitted by May 15, 2002; the Selection Committee will review all proposals and respond by May 31, 2002. Those wishing to chair a panel should also submit their request by the same date. While the conference is open to both members and non-members of SAS, all those presenting papers or chairing panels are required to become members.

Other suggested topics this year include:

Walt Disney - Commemorating his 100th birthday.
Boundaries - Explorations of various boundaries in animation involving business/art, childhood/adulthood, sexuality, media (animation/live action/comic strips, etc.), geography, disciplinary, etc.
Drawn vs. Digital Animation - Examination of the shift from traditional to digital animation, including its aesthetic and economic implications.
National Cinemas - Studies of individual countries and regions, such as India, Latin America and New York City, as well as the role international organizations such as Cartoon.
Critical Analyses of Individual Films, TV Series & Filmmakers
Politics & Animation - The uses of animation for propaganda and other ideological considerations.
Commercials & Industrial Films
Direct-to-Video - Investigations into the growth of production for the home video market.

Glendale, located at the foot of the Verdugo Mountains, is the third largest city in Los Angeles County, and is a major production center for animation along with contiguous areas of Burbank and Los Angeles. The Glendale Arts & Culture Commission was formed to promote the arts and humanities in Glendale and is working with the local animation community to create a nonprofit animation center.

The Society for Animation Studies, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary, is an international membership organization open to scholars and filmmakers interested in animation history, criticism and theory. Information on the Society and updates on the conference can be found at http://asifa.net/SAS/ or www.awn.com/sas/.

Proposals can be submitted by email to harvey@deneroff.com, faxed to 1-818-346-1948, or mailed to:

SAS Conference Committee
20722 Lull St.
Canoga Park, CA 91306-2035 USA

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