December 18, 2024 | Sight and Sound
Why did I choose the most explanatory chapter from Oyallon-Koloski’s videographic book Storytelling in Motion? Because I think that her visualizations of Laban Movement Analysis using the stylized acting of Hollywood musicals should be mandatory viewing for character animators.’
Oswald Iten, Film Scholar
Jenny Oyallon-Koloski, assistant professor 51³Ô¹Ï & Cinema Studies, had a video essay from her book, Storytelling in Motion: Cinematic Choreography and the Film Musical, featured in .
Oyallon-Koloski’s video essay, , comes from chapter two of her book, which provides a videographic introduction to Laban Movement Analysis and the taxonomic principles that guide Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies.
Using examples from Singin’ in the Rain, An American in Paris, Top Hat, Stormy Weather, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Meet Me in St. Louis, Oyallon-Koloski breaks down the core categories of this movement system: Body, Effort, Space, and Shape. She also explains the intersections between elements through specific examples that illustrate how the performers in these films deliberately combine and isolate aspects of figure movement to convey their characters’ intentions.
The annual poll, which gives contributors the chance to share their personal highlights of videographic criticism, included 47 voters from 17 countries, drawn from the varied fields of videographic criticism, including academia, online publication and film festivals.
Film scholar Oswald Iten, who voted to include Oyalllon’s Koloski’s video essay on the list, said it should be considered “mandatory viewing for character animators.”
Watch her video essay: