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Visual and Media Cultures Colloquium - Sheila Sofian

"Creative Challenges in the Production of Documentary Animation"
Monday, October 28, 2013 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Porter Room D245
Porter College, UCSC
Presented by: 
Arts Division
Film and Digital Media
History of Art and Visual Culture

Sheila M. Sofian is an Associate Professor in the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. A producer, director, and animator, Sofian’s work in the area of documentary animation has won her recognition and support from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Media Arts Fellowship, and the Pew Fellowship in the Arts. She holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts.

Description of Talk:
Is it appropriate to use animation in nonfiction films? When does animation enhance the audience's understanding of the topic and when does it distract or dilute the content?  Does the use of animation in documentary filmmaking reveal the filmmaking process in a more overt fashion than live action filmmaking, and what controversies arise as a result? How does the use of animation in nonfiction films challenge convention? Sofian will discuss these issues and others she has encountered when producing and exhibiting her films, and examines the creative process of documentary animation production and the unique challenges faced when producing non-fiction animated films.

For more information: visualmedia@ucsc.edu

Free and open to the public.