Incredible stories from the women that shaped the animation industry, drawing upon both their victories & challenges facing them today.
ABOUT THE FILM
The world of animation is conceptually a world where anything is possible, limited only by the imagination. And yet women who imagine an open door to the animation industry don’t always find one…no matter what talent, education and passion they bring to the drawing board.
The film tells the story of female animation pioneers in both past and present days, looking into the challenges they have faced and the progress they have made while exploring the obstacles that still exist. Highlighting the determination and passion that moved women out of the ink & paint department and into the role of animator and beyond, the film seeks to inspire the next generation of animation storytellers, while questioning the inequality between men and women within the creative workforce of animation.
The film is both a historical and current-day perspective, inviting today’s animation artists to learn from the experience of earlier generations to gain a better understanding of the foundation upon which they can build their future…to see where they’ve come from to appreciate where they stand and where they still have to go…ideally finding those open doors to wherever their imaginations take them.
When Christine Guest was developing curriculum during her tenure as a professor in Media Arts at Ithaca College, she became acutely aware of the gender inequality issues within the film and television industry, but she was surprised to find the divide existed even more deeply within the animation industry: women make up 60% of the college level animation student body, but they only occupy 23% of the creative leadership roles in the animation world. This discovery inspired Guest to put her talents into making a documentary film aimed at inspiring social change within the entertainment industry, starting with the field of animation.
ABOUT THE WOMEN OF ANIMATION The stories of many diverse women will be told through on-camera Interviews, b-roll, archival footage, animation clips and photos. While not every moment of every interview can be edited into a single film, the footage gathered will be preserved in archives for future generations to appreciate in their entirety.
Interview participants (yes, including a few men) to date include:
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Christine Guest has approached media from several angles over the course of her career, having worked as a photojournalist, producer, director, writer, art director, news assignment editor and numerous other roles behind the scenes. She channels her practical experience and knowledge into future generations by teaching at Ithaca College in New York where she not only works with students in an academic setting, but also develops new curriculum, immersive work experiences and degree programs in this ever-innovating industry.
Guest earned her M.F.A. in Creative Writing and her B.S. Cultural Studies, Television and Radio Production. She is passionate about inspiring future filmmakers who want to tell stories through moving pictures, whether live-action or animated.
While small grants and allowances from Ithaca College offset some of the costs, equipment, facilities and time necessary to create a documentary film, Guest must meet her interviewees all across the United States, and that requires travel time and expenses for her and an efficient yet effective crew. A film about animation also requires the licensing of clips, which Guest hopes the studios will supply at a reduced rate so that she can tell the story of the women in her film while showcasing their work…but there will certainly be fees involved with obtaining the rights for using such material.