This course will address the history of animation as an art form and an industry. Emphasis will be on key figures, movements, and technologies associated with the field of animation from the pre-silent days until the present day. The class will be primarily devoted to screenings of films and discussions of their importance to the overall history. We will consider the works’ forms and techniques, their narrative or poetic content and the historical and cultural context in which they were created. The class will cover animation from a global perspective: we will look at the major American studios and concurrent developments in Europe and Asia. We will examine historical trends to help us understand the animation field today and to speculate on the future of animation.