Norman McLaren's films

The poetry of films, conducive to artistic awakening — colors, shapes and sounds inspire children to experiment...

The children's films we select were not specifically created for them. We offer short films that children, at school or at home, don't easily get to discover, but which are perfectly suited for the youngest viewers. The Canadian director's films are, in this regard, an excellent example.

Boogie-Doodle

Norman McLaren, 1940 — 3 min 21 s

An animated film made without a camera. "boogie" and "doodle" come together for a rhythmic experience in vivid colours.

Chorégraphie, Danse

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Dots

Norman McLaren, 1940 — 2 min 24 s

Red and blue. Sound and visuals created directly on the film strip.

Chorégraphie, Abstrait

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Fiddle-de-dee

Norman McLaren, 1947 — 3 min 23 s

Ripples, glimmering and violins. The dance of colours.

Chorégraphie, Abstrait

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Blinkity Blank

Norman McLaren, 1955 — 5 min 17 s

Spasmodic imagery: the director plays with retinal persistence, engraving images onto blank film.

Danse, Abstrait

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Le Merle

Norman McLaren, 1958 — 4 min 43 s

A charming cut-paper choreography of a bird, discovering animal body parts — beak, neck, legs — in a highly original way.

Musical, Abstrait

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Short and Suite

Norman McLaren, 1959 — 5 min

A masterpiece of abstraction by the grand master of animation. A cocktail of colours to inspire children to draw and make films.

Chorégraphie, Danse

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Pas de deux

Norman McLaren, 1968 — 13 min 34 s

An experimental film featuring a choreography between two stars of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet: Margaret Mercier and Vincent Warren. Dressed in white, the two artists dance in the dark.

Chorégraphie, Danse

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Synchromy

Norman McLaren, 1971 — 5 min

A true synchronisation of image and sound.

Chorégraphie, Abstrait

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About the director

McLaren (1914–1987), considered one of the great masters of animation, was a highly inventive filmmaker. He paid particular attention to rhythm and movement, experimenting with many techniques such as scratching film, painting on film, live-action, stop motion, pixilation, and drawing animation.

In the film "Dots," for example, he drew directly on the film with a pen — both images and sound — without a camera or recording device.

Grand master of world animation cinema

Filmmaker and animator, Oscar winner in 1953 with the film "Neighbours" (Academy Award for Best Short Documentary), a major figure in the animation world.

He worked at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) between 1941 and 1983 and made nearly 60 avant-garde films infused with painting, music, dance and movement. The films were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World international register in 2009.

To watch the director's short films for free, visit theNational Film Board of Canada.

Why are Norman McLaren's films suited for young children?

Norman McLaren did not make his animated films for children — his context was experimental. His films are not narrative but plastic, musical and abstract.

However, experimental film is not incompatible with children's film, and the poetry of his films is conducive to wonder and artistic awakening.

The play of colors, shapes and sounds, and the originality of the music, allow children to discover different worlds and inspire them to experiment.

App for children

The NFB created a wonderful app: "McLaren's Workshop". You can watch 51 classics and 11 documentary films for free.

Children can make their own animated films using paper elements and original backgrounds created from his classic, Le Merle.

Download the L'Atelier McLaren app