The Persistence of Animation
21st Society for Animation Studies Conference
Call for Papers

The Society for Animation Studies invites submissions of proposals for individual papers and panels for its 21st Annual Conference, which will be held at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design, 10-12 July 2009. Founded in 1987, the Society is an international membership organization that supports and encourages animation scholarship through various means, including its annual conferences. This year’s event will include presentations, workshops, screenings and keynote addresses. In addition, there will be an exhibit of animation art and documents from the Don Bluth Collection from SCAD’s Jen Library in Savannah.

The theme of this year’s conference is “The Persistence of Animation,” with the aim of encouraging proposals that offer insight into the ways animation permeates our film and television culture, as well as society as a whole. However, papers and pre-constituted panels on all aspects of animation history, theory and criticism are also welcome.

We are particularly interested in proposals for 20-minute papers in the following areas:

• Definitions of animation.
• Case studies of specific animation artists, styles or movements.
• The relationship between live-action and animation filmmaking.
• Animation in visual effects, broadcast design/motion graphics and video games.
• The integration of animated images into social and cultural practices.
• Cross-generational perceptions of animation.
• Animation and cyber space.
• Animation and pedagogy.
• Technology and animation.
• Critical and theoretical approaches to animation history.
• Animation and sequential art (comic strips, graphic novels, etc.).

Each individual paper submission must include the following information:
• Title and abstract of no more than 250 words, plus a 100-word version for publication.
• A biographical statement, up to 100 words, indicating how the proposed paper fits into your overall research agenda and experience.
• A head shot of yourself suitable for publication.
• Complete contact information, including name, institutional affiliation (if any), postal address, e-mail address(es) and telephone number(s).

Alternatively, panel proposals of 3-4 speakers each are also encouraged. The chair of the proposed panel is expected to submit abstracts and contact information for all the panelists. Please include the following information:

• Overall panel title/theme, plus a 100-word description for publication.
• Name and contact information for the panel chair (clearly identified).
• Titles and abstracts for each paper as noted above.
• Biography (100-word) and contact information for each presenter (mail, email, phone).
• Photo of each presenter suitable for publication.

Proposals will be blind reviewed by a panel of SAS members, and acceptance will be announced by 6 February 2009. Please be aware that spaces for paper presentations are limited. Late proposals will not be considered until all other proposals have been read.

Proposals must be submitted as an email attachment, in MS Word or RTF formats to Harvey Deneroff at sasc@scad.edu by 9 January 2009.

Membership in the Society for Animation Studies is required if your proposal is accepted for presentation at the conference. (For more information on the Society, go to its webpage at http://gertie.animationstudies.org.) Financial aid for travel will be available on a limited basis; details will be forthcoming.

The conference is being put on by the SCAD’s Animation Department (located in both Atlanta and Savannah) and its Cinema Studies Department in Savannah. SCAD-Atlanta is located in the city’s Midtown area, convenient to the Woodruff Arts Center (which includes the High Museum of Art), Center for Puppetry Arts and the historic Fox Theater. In addition to Animation and Cinema Studies, SCAD offers programs in such animation-related areas as Broadcast Design and Motion Graphics, Sequential Art (including Storyboarding), Visual Effects, and Interactive Design and Game Development, as well as Film and Television.
For more information, please check our blog: http://blog.scad.edu/sasc/, or contact:

Harvey Deneroff
Animation Professor
Savannah College of Art and Design
1600 Peachtree St., NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-2403 USA
+1-404 253-2755 (phone)
+1-404 253-2723 (fax)
+1-404 373-2318 (home)
+1-404 917-9530 (mobile)
sasc@scad.edu
hdenerof@scad.edu .
harvey@deneroff.com

-or-

Charles daCosta
Animation Professor
Savannah College of Art and Design
P.O. Box 2072
Savannah, GA 31402-2072 USA
+1-912 525-8518 (phone)
+1-912 525-8572 (fax)
+1-786 797-4710 (mobile)
charliechristian@gmail.com
cdacosta@scad.edu