Students and their parents can spend spring break getting animated at the American Museum of the Moving Image from Saturday, April 3 through Tuesday, April 13. “Get Animated” will offer special screenings and activities including daily weekday m
These special events are included with museum admission, which also includes “Behind the Screen,” the museum’s dynamic core exhibition that explores how movies and television programs are made, marketed, and exhibited. On weekends, the museum presents gallery talks with highlights of the exhibition and demonstrations of professional filmmaking techniques, including one about animation and computer graphics. “<Alt>Digital Media,” a hands-on introduction to the digital moving image and software-based art, and “BLIP: Arcade Classics from the Museum Collection” are also included with admission.
Please note that during spring break, in addition to regular hours, the museum will be open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, April 5 and 6, and April 12 and 13.
Schedule for April 3-13
12:30 p.m. (weekdays)
Amimation Workshop
A museum educator will demonstrate traditional techniques of drawing and cel animation, using the interactive animation stations to create a live ‘lightning draw.’ Examples from animated films including “Gertie the Dinosaur” (1914) will be presented and kids will have an opportunity to draw their own flipbook. Recommended for kids ages 8 to 12.
1:15 p.m. (weekdays and weekends)
Computer Graphics Demonstration
In “Behind the Screen,” a museum educator will demonstrate state-of-the-art computer generated imaging in which Maya software is used to digitally “draw” and animate a bouncing tennis ball. Recommended for teens and adults.
2 p.m. (weekdays)
Disney’s Teacher’s Pet
Disney, 2004, 68 mins. Directed by Timothy Bjorklund. With the voices of Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer, Debra Jo Rapp, Jerry Stiller, Wallace Shawn. Adapted from the Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning cartoon by Gary Baseman, this animated musical tale follows the adventures of Spot, a talking dog that wants to be a boy (wonderfully voiced by Nathan Lane). With his ears tucked under a cap and wearing human clothes, Spot has been passing himself off as Scot and going to school with his owner and classmate. When Spot hears about a mad scientist who has turned animals into real humans, he jumps at the chance to make this new transformation with unexpected and hilarious consequences.
Ongoing (weekdays and weekends)
Blip: Arcade Classics from the Museum Collection
Ten of the most popular video arcade games of all time are resurrected in BLIP. Sure to induce nostalgia in those who were teenagers between 1974 and 1984, the exhibition also provides a history lesson to those who have come of age in the era of the Game Boy and the Playstation. Games include Asteroids, Centipede, Defender, Frogger, Ms. Pac-Man, Tempest, and other favorites. Each visitor receives six free tokens with Museum admission. Additional tokens may be purchased for 25 cents each.
