Jiri Trinka

1. Jiri Trinka Veronica Corneau Anna Gladkikh Film 344 Section 10

2. Background • Born on February 24, 1912 in Pilsen, Czech Republic • His father was a plumber and his mother was a dressmaker • Went to School of Applied Arts in Prague(Academy of Architecture, Art, and Design) • Worked as a children’s book illustrator • Best known as puppeteer and animator

3. His Years as an Illustrator • First illustration - Mr. Boska: The Tiger of VitezslawŠmejc in 1937 • Famous illustrations include: The Brothers Grimm, several works of Shakespeare, and folktales from JiríHorák and Jan Pálenícek • Illustrated over 130 stories • Illustrations for Bajaja by Vladimir Hoan, the story was later turned into an animation

4. Early Years as an Animator • 1936 – Created puppet theater but disbanded due to war • 1945 – Joined up with JiríBrdečka and Eduard Hofman, created “Grandfather Planted a Beet” • 1946 – Formed a new studio now known as the Jiri Trnka Studio • Animals and Bandits, The Springer and the SS Men, The Gift • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKjKTKX4BXI • Began using puppets in 1946

5. Puppet Animation First puppet animation “The Czech Year” 1947 Short film comprised of six parts Illustrated folk customs of the time Won award at Venice Film Festival Studio began receiving subsidies from the government in 1948 Made second film “The Emperor’s Nightingale” 1949 Based on story by Hans Christian Anderson Continued to make short puppet animations throughout the year

6. The fifties • Experimenting with new techniques: • - 1951 “Golden Fish” • - “The Merry Circus” uses stop motion and 2-dimensional paper cutouts; • 1953 -Old Czech Legends – quarter-length movie, 7 episodes about history of Czech people. Challenges. • 1959 - “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, his last feature by Shakespeare. Used plastic puppets.

7. The sixties • Only a few short films, pessimistic notes • 1962 – “The Passion” • - “Cyber Grandma” – a satire • 1965 – “The Hand”(Ruka) ( he considered it his greatest work, a short). It was his last film. Ruka is a protest against the conditions imposed by Czechoslovak communist state to artistic creation. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qzvCZojnWQ • 1969 – he died of a heart condition 57 years old.

8. Animation Techniques • Trinka experimented with different animation techniques: from traditional cartoons in his first shorts to animation with shadow puppets; • Preferred method – stop-motion puppet work • Even he did not invent puppet animation, his style was different: He did not alter the appearance of dolls to display their emotions, but instead worked with lighting and framing. • Music played an important role to him. In all his films the composer of the music – Vaclav Trojan.

9. Summary • One of the most famous European cartoon makers, “The Walt Disney of Eastern Europe” • Illustrator and puppet maker • Most of the movies for adults • “Puppets films are truly unlimited in their possibilities: they can express themselves with the greatest force precisely when realistic expressions of the cinematographic image often faces insurmountable obstacles”.

10. References • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ji%C5%99%C3%AD_Trnka • http://www.awn.com/mag/issue5.04/5.04pages/dutkatrnka.php3 • http://www.radio.cz/en/section/czech-history/jiri-trnka-100th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-a-great-czech-animator • http://www.rembrandtfilms.com/jiritrnka.htm • http://www.spjst.org/jiritrnka.html • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qzvCZojnWQ