Ithaca College

Chrissy Guest, Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies, presented her research on the under-representation of women working behind the scenes in the field of animation at the Animation and Film Festival held at Niagara County Community College on May 5th.

The presentation included excerpts from Guest’s documentary film, Beyond Ink & Paint: The Women of Animation. The film examines the studio culture surrounding women working in animation over the past 50 years. The filmmaker weaves together a narrative tapestry of nearly 60 prominent women working across varying forms of animation and studio models to create a unique perspective on the past, present and future of animation. The film chronicles the formation of the Women in Animation (WIA) organization from its conception in 1995, to its membership decline in the early 2000s, and its reinvigoration in 2013.

Over the course of the film, the academic practices used to educate potential animation artists are analyzed and supported by a national survey study of professional animation talent. The study was conducted by the filmmaker to examine the gap between the 60% of women attending animation schools and the 23% of creative animation jobs held by women in the United States, according to WIA. Various animation studio trainee programs, hiring and promotional practices and other factors in career trajectory for women are also brought into question. This film will inspire the next generation of animators through the personal stories of those that have impacted the animation industry’s past and by those that are fast becoming its future. 

https://www.beyondinkandpaint.com/