Animation Journal call for papers

Call for Papers

2009 special issue information: sound in animation

Submissions to Animation Journal are accepted on a continuous basis, though it is advisable to submit by February 1 for consideration that year. Manuscripts should be double-spaced and follow the Chicago style manual. Papers are blind refereed, so the authorís name should not appear on the body of the manuscript but only on an attached cover sheet. E-mail a copy of the paper to the Editor as a Microsoft Word file or as a Rich Text Format document. If images make the document too large to send, you can include a PDF (with images) along with a .doc or .rtf copy (without images).

Experimental approaches are welcome. Editorials, reviews, discussions of works-in-progress and other non-refereed submissions are also published. Of particular interest are graphic essays (drawn panels with commentary), as well as primary documents of historical significance that could be published with an introduction.

The Editor is happy to respond to proposals and general queries, as well as writing at any stage of completion. It should be noted that contributors to Animation Journal are not paid for their work, though they do receive free and discounted copies of the issue in which their writing appears. They also retain the copyright to their work, after first-time publication by Animation Journal.

For more information, contact:

Maureen Furniss, Editor
Animation Journal
School of Film/Video
California Institute of the Arts
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia, CA 91355-2397 USA

2009 SPECIAL ISSUE - Working Title: Thwack! Hearing the motion in animation

Guest Edited Issue of Animation Journal

Editor: Rebecca Coyle

Sound plays a crucial role in screen animation, assisting and extending expressive tools. Sound and music operate with motion, storytelling and space, enabling animation to leap out of the screen and into the viewer¹s imagination. Analysing why and how this occurs requires research and critical tools. Animation Journal will address this need with a special issue devoted to the sound of on-screen animation. The issue will recognise the convergence of two increasingly popular study areas animation and screen music.

Animation film and television music and sound have remained relatively under-researched. While many studies of, for instance, Disney productions has been supplemented by some recent research especially in relation to US cartoon music - there is still a dearth of scholarly studies of animation music and sound. Much of the research that does exist is dispersed, reflecting the inter-disciplinary nature of animation sound studies, bridging film, television, screen music, media industries, animation, popular music and new technology studies.

Scholarly articles on the sound of animated film and television productions are sought for this special issue of Animation Journal. Articles to be included will identify analytical approaches to on-screen animation sound, and demonstrate the value of experiencing animation with our ears as well as our eyes. This issue will not diminish the importance of the visual but rather show how these audiovisual productions offer a shared engagement of sight and sound.

Articles accepted for the special issue will focus on all components of sound including music (composed original or re-arranged, instrumental or songs), sound effects, dialogue and sound design, or in-depth analysis of one or more of these domains. Submissions from authors in various countries/continents are encouraged. Articles may analyse the sound of productions from independent or mainstream studios and cover one or several film or television products, focusing on, for example:

The relationship of sound/music and image in specific examples;
Production processes informing music and sound;
Sonically auteurial directors
Techniques employed by a composer or sound designer
Case studies of a studio¹s output;
Industrial issues relating to animation music and sound
Nationally-specific approaches to music and sound in animation film or television;
Themes, concepts and issues explored through the sound in animation film and/or television;
Other relevant topics as agreed.

While musical analyses may be included in the articles, these must be integrated into a discussion of the audiovisual text. Along the lines of the Journal¹s usual practice, innovative approaches to writing are encouraged, eg the use of panels mapping images with sound, graphic essays.

Timeline:

Articles accepted at any time up to submission deadline 1st March 2009

Refereeing process March-May 2009

Editing process June-July 2009

Journal publication October 2009

Abstracts:

Authors interested to submit articles 4000-7000 words in length for the journal should email the guest editor Rebecca Coyle rebecca.coyle@scu.edu.au a 200 word abstract and author profile.

Guest Editor Profile:

Dr Rebecca Coyle is located in the Media studies program at Southern Cross University, Australia. Coyle¹s research centres on media and cultural production, and critical analysis. Most recently, her publications have clustered around cinema music and sound, and she is editing a book on animation film music and sound (Drawn to Sound: Animation Film Music and Sonicity, due for publication by Equinox UK in mid-09). Since 2007, she has been leading a team of researchers on a four-year ARC Discovery Project DP0770026 Music production and technology in Australian Film: enabling Australian film to embrace innovation. She is on the Editorial Boards for three international journals, has guest edited issues and refereed several articles/chapters for various journals and books. Visit http://works.bepress.com/rebecca_coyle/ for more detail.