Matches Appeal, by Arthur Melbourne-Cooper, is a landmark in the development of animation as it is widely considered to be the earliest surviving example of animation, dating back to 1899. Also, despite some current negativity towards commercial animation, Melbourne-Cooper's short appeal firmly roots animation in the world of advertising.
The short piece of stop motion animation, which simultaneously advertises Bryant & May matches while appealing for help for soldiers fighting in the Boer War, caused a sensation when it was first shown. While by today's standards the film is not particularly remarkable or innovating, 1899 was not long after the advent of film and cinema, so for a population still marvelling at moving pictures, to see an inanimate object such as a match apparently come to life and write must have been quite spectacular.
Understandably, given that Cooper was working with articulated matches, their movement is quite stiff and linear, without the attention to timing and spacing which would later develop as the animation industry grew. However, stick man had adequate movement to serve their purpose, and provided a basis for both Arthur Melbourne Cooper and other animators to work upon.
The short piece of stop motion animation, which simultaneously advertises Bryant & May matches while appealing for help for soldiers fighting in the Boer War, caused a sensation when it was first shown. While by today's standards the film is not particularly remarkable or innovating, 1899 was not long after the advent of film and cinema, so for a population still marvelling at moving pictures, to see an inanimate object such as a match apparently come to life and write must have been quite spectacular.
Understandably, given that Cooper was working with articulated matches, their movement is quite stiff and linear, without the attention to timing and spacing which would later develop as the animation industry grew. However, stick man had adequate movement to serve their purpose, and provided a basis for both Arthur Melbourne Cooper and other animators to work upon.
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