Comment on Dots by Norman McLaren

After watching this animation, I was attracted to see several of his other animations, and did a bit of investigation. Norman McLaren is a master, and I feel very ashamed that I've only seen one of his short animations before. He had a great influence on Canadian animation and even the world. He received numerous awards in his life, which every animator dream of. And he made more than 60 animations, which also makes me feel very surprised and amazed at his imagination and action. Norman McLaren became interested in cinematic techniques while studying at the Glasgow School of Art between 1932 and 1937 and spent his spare time making films and playing the organ. He thought "Animation is not the art of drawings that move but the art of movements that are drawn". Many of his works were to study the motion and rhythm as the purpose, and did a large variety of experiments about materials and sounds, even using purely abstract graphics, color, coupled with the music to create visual effect. Dots is one kind of the works without character and plot. The whole picture is made by blue, black and red, seemingly simple, but with an unusual approach. Dots was made by drawing by hand directly on frames of film and sound track. This is why it is interesting. Norman was not like the others who animate on paper, he continued to try new technology in animation, so we can always learn from him.