Tatebanko & Cut out Animation

Tatebanko is a forgotten Japanese art of creating amazing dioramas and scenic perspective from paper. Tatebanko was popular and widely admired from the Edo period ( 17th century ) to the early 20th century.

It is basically a technique of creating pictures and sceneries using layers of paper or similar material and adding depth to a 2 dimensional model.

For my model, I have employed the Tatebanko style to add depth to my model rather than making the traditional box model. These layers add to the sense of perspective, look lively and are a creative way of constructing a diorama.

Along with Kirigami, which I have mentioned in my previous posts, the idea is to create a unique style of model making and diorama construction, and create a demonstration of the same via a short motion animation trailer.

I would also be using cut out animation, invented and developed by Quirino Cristiani (July 2, 1896 – August 2, 1984) who was an Argentine animation director and cartoonist, responsible for the world's first two animated feature films as well as the first animated feature film with sound. He used cardboard cut outs to create animation and special effects for his film and my plan is to adapt that to the current trend of paper cut out a la Andersen Studio and film a short montage movie.

References:
http://www.tatebanko.com/about/index.html [Accessed 10th June 2011] [Online; Live]

http://wwww.quirinocristianimovie.com [Accessed 17th June 2011] [Online; Live]

Bendazzi, G., (Taraboletti-Segre, A., translator); Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation; Indiana University Press;(paperback reprint, 2001)