Animation Timeline: Lotte Reiniger



Fig. 1 - Portait photograph of Lotte Reiniger (1899–1981)

'Cinderella' (1922) was one of Reiniger's first animations, created entirely from intricately cut-out pieces of paper built up in multiple layers. In the opening of her animation she shows a hand cutting out a character from a piece of paper with scissors paying homage to her hard work and talent to bring the story to life. "Just as any storyteller provides an introduction that bridges the gap between the real and story worlds, so Reiniger draws us in by showing how she brings her figures to life." Audiences appreciate the animation for the extravagant detail achieved and it works beautifully depicting the fairy tale genre of story telling. The characters are cleverly designed in there shape and size that audiences can easily distinguish who is who in the story. Also the detail in the cutting clearly defines objects to understands what is going on in the action.Each scene is framed in an oval in which the characters move which appears almost like a light shining in the wall casting a elegant ghost like shadows acting out the fairly tale. The darkness of the shadow create a Gothic feeling of style.      

Cinderella (1922)

Fig 2 - Screen shot from 'Cinderella' (1922).



List of Illustrations

• Fig. 1 - Portait photograph of Lotte Reiniger. Online at: http://lolitasclassics.blogspot.com/2009/06/lotte-reiniger-1899-1981.html 
• Fig 2 - Screen shot from 'Cinderella' (1922). Online at: http://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/3-cinderella/

Bibliography

• North, D (2009). Lotte Reiniger's Cinderella (1922).  http://drnorth.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/lotte-reinigers-cinderella-1922/ (Accessed on the 22.03.11)