Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger - Pioneer of Silhouette Animation & Animated feature

Once upon a time, in the city of Berlin, Germany, there lived a young girl named Lotte.

From an early age Lotte had a passion for art and storytelling. She self-taught to cut free-handed paper silhouettes, which she used in her own home-made shadow-theatre.

She loved to create her favourite stories through this and spent hours lost in her imagination.

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As she grew older, Lotte's love of art and storytelling only deepened and she learned Scherenschnitte, the art of cutting shapes and designs in paper with scissors.

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With this education Lotte designed a complex process to make her animation films.

?????She would first create a storyboard, or a visual representation of the story she wanted to tell.

?????She would meticulously cut out each shape of all her characters, objects and backdrops by hand, often using black paper to create a silhouette effect

?????Then these silhouettes would be mounted onto thin sheets of lead or cardboard, then joined together with wire hinges allowing for easy movement.?

?????She used a variety of materials, including paper, fabric, and cellophane, to create layered and detailed backgrounds.

?????Then she would start the process of animation. She would move the cut-out figures in small increments, taking a photograph of each movement along the way. These photographs would then be played in sequence to create the illusion of movement.

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Though she is largely forgotten today, using this technique Lotte Reiniger made about 70 films using stop-motion and live-action for over 60 years including versions of “Cinderella,” “Puss in Boots” and “Hansel and Gretel”

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During the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, Lotte Reiniger faced numerous challenges and difficulties due to her artistic work as the party viewed her work as "degenerate art" and a threat to their vision of German culture.

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Despite facing many challenges throughout her life never lost her passion for animation. She continued to work until the end of her life, creating beautiful and intricate films that continue to inspire and delight audiences to this day.

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She is a “Girl in Shining Armour” showing that a young girl with a dream and a talent for storytelling could overcome any obstacle, and that art had the power to bring joy and wonder to people of all ages and backgrounds. Her story is not just about artistic achievement, but of bravery, perseverance, and dedication.

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PS: Disney Rejection letter

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotte_Reiniger