Sheridan College

Call for Proposals: SAS Conference 2014

26TH Annual International Society for Animation Studies Conference
June 16-19, 2014
Corus Quay Toronto & Sheridan College Oakville
Hosted by Sheridan College

Deadline for submissions: December 18, 2013

The Society for Animation Studies invites submissions of proposals for its 26th Annual Conference to be held in Toronto and at the Oakville Trafalgar Campus of Sheridan College , June 16-19th, 2014. Animation is at the heart of our college. It is our flagship program and we are very proud of our heritage. Our graduates have excelled in all sectors of the creative economy. As a tribute to them, and in the spirit of the Centenary of celebrated National Film Board of Canada animator, Norman McLaren, we have named the 2014 SAS Conference “The Animator”.

The conference name is also its theme, with the aim of encouraging proposals and discussions that offer insight into the role of the creator, the artist, the animator, within the study of animation. In addition to their contributions to film and television culture, animation artists increasingly occupy positions in a diverse range of industries. With this in mind, “The Animator” invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to present papers and pre-constituted panels on all aspects of animation history, theory and criticism from a diverse set of lenses, disciplines and communities of practice.

Animation is a powerful language for the global creative economy. It is an extensive field of study that brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines. The 2014 conference will include presentations, screenings and roundtables from both the academic and industrial sectors of the international animation community. We are delighted to be able to announce two confirmed keynote speakers, Professor Paul Wells (Loughborough University, UK) and Scott Dyer (Chief Technology Officer, Corus).

In addition, a number of crossover events are planned with TAAFI (Toronto Animated Arts Film International, http://taafi.com/) and other organizations that will join us in celebrating Norman McLaren’s centenary and Canada’s animation heritage.

Suggested Topics

 

We invite proposals on a wide range of animation topics for papers, micro-talks, and posters. Topics may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

  • Norman McLaren*
  • Auteur Animation ‘interpretations and definitions of ‘the animator”
  • Industrial & Independent Animation: practice, process, production
  • Animation in other art forms & industries (e.g. Theater, Music, science, architecture)
  • Animation within Social Movements and Documentary
  • Animation and broadcasting methods (e.g. web, audiences, distribution, advertising)
  • New technologies in animation (e.g. production pipeline applications, 3D printing)
  • Animation and Immersive, Interactive, Experiential applications (e.g. Gaming, Transmedia, Stereoscopy, Augmented & Virtual Reality)
  • Animation and live-action theory/practice relationships (e.g. Visual FX, Pre-viz)
  • Animation and Culture (e.g. pop culture, counter culture, generative animation)
  • Critical and theoretical approaches to animation histories or national movements/identities
  • Animation pedagogy (e.g. theory & practice in curricula, traditional & online learning )
Norman McLaren CFP

 

In celebration of McLaren’s centenary, papers are invited on any aspect of McLaren’s work to form part of a special McLaren 2014 inspired stream of panels. These can include but are not limited to: Experimental animation, direct animation and new techniques, animated music, textual analysis case studies, diaspora, other art forms, stereoscopic animation. While any proposals on these topics are welcomed, we are looking for papers which engage, not just with McLaren and his work, but his legacy and influence in other work. There is a proposal to publish a collection of papers from this thread as an edited collection.

Panel Presentations

 

Panels are 90 minutes and include three 20 minute paper presentations and time for discussion. Panel presentations provide panelists the opportunity to share perspectives, exchange experiences, and engage in discussion with each other and audience members.

Pre-constituted Panel proposals are accepted and encouraged. They should be limited to 3-4 speakers. The chair of the proposed panel is expected to submit abstracts and contact information for all the panelists and co-ordinate communication between the panelists and the conference organizers. Please e-mail the Chair directly and include the following information.:

  • Panel title/theme, plus a 1250-character description for publication.
  • Name and contact information for the panel chair.
  • Titles and abstracts for each paper as noted above.
  • Biography (750-character) contact information for each presenter (mail, email, phone).
  • A high resolution head shot photo of yourself (suitable for print publication – portrait orientation, 250X300pixels, under 1 megabyte in size)Sample Head Shot.
  • International panels representing two or more countries are especially sought.
Micro-talk Presentations

 

Micro talks are 5 minutes in length. The sessions will be 30 minutes in length. It is a timed presentation (e.g. PowerPoint of 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each) that can include images, clips, and text. There will be no Q & A period for the micro-talks.

Poster Presentations

 

Poster Presentations allow scholars to present their papers in print form and respond to questions individually during poster sessions held in a social open forum. For an additional fee of $50CAD we will print the poster for you (32″ x 42.75”on 4mm coroplast)Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3, Sample 4. If you choose to bring your own poster we ask that you please follow the specs above or use the template that will be provided when your poster is accepted.

Acceptance Process

Proposals will be blind reviewed by a panel of SAS members, and acceptance will be announced in early January, 2014. Please be aware that spaces for presentations are limited. Late proposals will not be considered until all other proposals have been read. Late proposals and non-members of SAS at the time of submission will be given lower consideration. Papers not accepted for presentation will be considered for the poster session of the conference.

*NOTE:

Membership/renewal in the Society for Animation Studies for 2014 is mandatory for all conference presenters. For more information on the Society, go to its webpage at http://www.animationstudies.org or contact the SAS treasurer, Robert Musburger, at rmusburger@comcast.net.

Submission Protocol

Interested individuals should use the Proposal Template (link) from the website for their submission (you should receive a confirmation e-mail shortly after submission). You will need the following information:

  • Type of proposal: a 20-minute paper, a 5-minute micro-talk, or a poster presentation and the related topic(s)
  • Title and abstract of no more than 1750 characters, plus a 1250-character version suitable for publication – including keyword designation.
  • A brief biographical statement of no more than 750 characters (suitable for publication) including any research background, website, blog etc.
  • Complete contact information, including name, institutional affiliation (if any), e-mail address and telephone number.
  • A high resolution head shot photo of yourself (suitable for print publication – portrait orientation, 250X300pixels, under 1 megabyte in size)Sample Head Shot.
  • Evidence (such as a scanned image of your receipt or other acknowledgement of payment) that you have joined or renewed your SAS membership for 2014..

Financial aid for travel will be available on a limited basis; details will be forthcoming.

A schedule and further details of the conference will follow in due course at
http://theanimator2014.com/

For questions regarding the conference or submission, please contact conference chair Tony Tarantini at sas2014@sheridancollege.ca
Sheridan College Professor
BA (Animation) Program, Faculty of Animation Arts & Design
1430 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, ON
905-845-9430 ext.2195

Please circulate this CFP to anyone you think might be interested.

Follow us on Twitter @AnimatorSAS2014 and on the Facebook page The Animator: Society of Animation Studies Conference 2014