THE RENAISSANCE OF PUBLISHING?

Alchemy, aestheticism, animation

J. Marušić and others: Alchemy of Animation, Zagreb: Meandar

The book Alchemy of animation covers a number of completely diverse topics because, for instance, there is no Croatian translation of the history of animation, nor has any Croatian author written one so far. Furthermore, neither the critics, nor the historians or theoreticians have done any kind of systematic analysis of the genre. The most interesting parts of the book are those explaining and elaborating on the process of making an animated film: from the software of animated film, as Marušic calls it, to the technology itself including common, to film critics entirely unknown, secrets of the trade — the book presents a useful manual and a textbook. The author gives a particularly interesting insight into the problem of the relationship between author and producer cinematography, while the success of the Zagreb school of animated film in the world is partly assigned to particular political circumstances of the time.
Questionable definitions of art and unsupported praise instead of short discussion are main shortcomings of this book, but its virtues, among others an attractive style of writing of all the contributors to the book, still prevail.

Dario Marković