Norman McLaren

Director · 1914 – 1987 · Stirling, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Norman McLaren, CC, CQ (11 April 1914 – 27 January 1987) was a Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He was a pioneer in a number of areas of animation and filmmaking, including drawn-on-film animation, visual music, abstract film, pixilation and graphical sound. His awards included an Oscar for the Best Documentary in 1952 for Neighbours, a Silver Bear for best short documentary at the 1956 Berlin International Film Festival Rythmetic and a 1969 BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film for Pas de deux.

Movies12

Movie7.3
Documentary
A portrait of John Grierson, the first Canadian Government Film Commissioner and founder of the National Film Board in 1939. Interweaving archival footage, interviews with people who knew him and footage of Grierson himself, this film is a sensitive and informative portrait of a dynamic man of vision. Grierson believed that the filmmaker had a social responsibility, and that film could help a society realize democratic ideals. His absolute faith in the value of capturing the drama of everyday life was to influence generations of filmmakers all over the world. In fact, he coined the term 'documentary film'.
Grierson
1973 · 3 votes
Movie5.5
Animation
A man sets a ping-pong ball into motion and it becomes fruitful and multiplies.
Mosaic
1965 · 11 votes
Movie6.2
DocumentaryAnimation
Pinscreen animation makes use of a screen filled with movable pins, which can be moved in or out by pressing an object onto the screen. The screen is lit from the side so that the pins cast shadows.
Pinscreen
1973 · 5 votes
Movie7.0
AnimationComedy
Norman McLaren attempts to give the opening speech for the first Montreal International Film Festival, but his microphone won't cooperate.
Opening Speech
1969 · 13 votes
Movie10.0
Documentary
For all who enjoy ballet, this English-language film presents an insight into the dance that only dancers ordinarily see. It is an engaging film portrait of the famous Canadian husband-and-wife team, Anna Marie and David Holmes. We see their busy lives as international dance stars, their private interests and, above all, their dedication to the absolute refinement of ballet movement.
Tour en l'air
1973 · 1 votes
Movie8.0
Documentary
The Eye Hears, the Ear Sees is a 1970 documentary exploring the career of Norman McLaren, a Scots-Canadian animator known for his pioneering work in experimental animation, using innovative techniques to blend visual art with sound design.
The Eye Hears, the Ear Sees
1970 · 1 votes
Movie6.0
Documentary
Cinéastes de notre temps : Norman McLaren
1972 · 1 votes
Movie6.1
AnimationDocumentary
A documentary showing Norman McLaren working on the hand-drawn sound process he uses for his short film, Loops.
Pen Point Percussion
1951 · 9 votes
Movie6.0
Comedy
Stop-motion, pixillation and other trick photography methods are used to depict situations on a farm.
On the Farm
2003 · 1 votes
Movie5.5
DocumentaryAnimation
New Yorkers watch as Norman McLaren's animated promotional film for Canadian tourism plays on the giant pixelboard overlooking Times Square. The caption below the board reads: "Canada... Wonderful World At Your Doorstep". McLaren himself is a member of the crowd.
New York Lightboard Record
1961 · 6 votes
Movie6.7
Documentary
Norman McLaren was a cinematic genius who made films without cameras, and music without instruments. He produced sixty films in a stunning range of styles and techniques, collecting over 200 international awards, and world recognition. In Creative Process, director Donald McWilliams demystifies the process of artistic creation. Drawing on McLaren's private film vaults, a gold mine of experimental footage and uncompleted films, McWilliams explores McLaren's methods, including his celebrated "pixillation" technique, and his daring forays into animated surrealism.
Creative Process: Norman McLaren
1990 · 6 votes
Movie6.5
An opening address, a tribute and highlights of a long and productive career--McLaren on McLaren is Norman McLaren on camera. The occasion is the opening of a prestigious festival in Arnhem, the Netherlands, in November, 1983, marking the tenth anniversary of Holland Animation. The renowned animator pays homage to those who merged their arts with his, and to the National Film Board, which gave him forty-two years of artistic freedom.
McLaren on McLaren
1983 · 2 votes