Norman McLaren, CC, CQ (11 April 1914 – 27 January 1987) was a Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He was a pioneer in a number of areas of animation and filmmaking, including drawn-on-film animation, visual music, abstract film, pixilation and graphical sound.His awards included an Oscar for the Best Documentary in 1952 for Neighbours, a Silver Bear for best short documentary at the 1956 Berlin International Film Festival Rythmetic and a 1969 BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film for Pas de deux.
François Truffaut was a great admirer of his work.
2
McLaren is mentioned in the novel "Disgrace" by Nobel Laureate J.M. Coetzee. On pages 14 and 15, the character of 50ish Professor David Lurie plays a videotape of McLaren's "Ballet Adagio" to a young student he is seducing, apparently thinking the movement of the dancers will stir the girl's physical desires.
3
He was awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on June 28, 1968 and the C.C. (Companion of the Order of Canada) on June 19, 1973 for his services to communications in Canada.
4
Is renowned as one of greatest geniuses in animation, best known for his films which he developed new animation techniques such as drawing directly on film stock and pixilation.
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Animated Motion #5
1978
Short documentary producer
Animated Motion #2
1977
Short producer
Animated Motion #3
1977
Short producer
Animated Motion #4
1977
Short producer
Animated Motion #1
1976
Short producer
Ballet Adagio
1972
Short producer - uncredited
Synchromy
1971
Short producer
Spheres
1969
Short producer
Opening Speech
1969
Short producer
Pas de deux
1968
Short producer - uncredited
Mosaic
1966/I
Short producer
Canon
1964
Short producer
Lines: Horizontal
1962
Short producer
New York Lightboard Record
1961
Short documentary producer
Lines: Vertical
1960
Short producer
Jack Paar Credit Titles
1959
Short producer
Mail Early for Xmas
1959
Short producer
Serenal
1959
Short producer
Short and Suite
1959
Short producer
Le merle
1958
Short producer
Rythmetic
1956
Short producer
Blinkity Blank
1955
Short producer
Two Bagatelles
1953
Short producer
Around Is Around
1953
Short producer
A Phantasy
1952
Short producer
Neighbours
1952
Short producer
Twirligig
1952
Short producer - uncredited
Now Is the Time
1951
Short producer
Pen Point Percussion
1951
Documentary short producer
Begone Dull Care
1949
Short producer
Boogie-Doodle
1948
Short producer - uncredited
Fiddle-de-dee
1947
Short producer
La poulette grise
1947
Short producer
A Little Phantasy on a 19th-century Painting
1946
Short producer
Hoppity Pop
1946
Short producer
Là-haut sur ces montagnes
1946
Short producer
Let's All Sing Together: No. 3
1945
Short producer
Let's All Sing Together: No. 4
1945
Short producer
Let's All Sing Together: No. 5
1945
Short producer
Let's All Sing Together: No. 6
1945
Short producer
Alouette
1944
Short producer
A Rainy Day
1944
Short producer
C'est l'aviron
1944
Short producer
Chants populaires nº 1
1944
Short producer
Chants populaires nº 2
1944
Short producer
Chants populaires nº 3
1944
Short producer
Chants populaires nº 4
1944
Short producer
Chants populaires nº 5
1944
Short producer
Chants populaires nº 6
1944
Short producer
Keep Your Mouth Shut
1944
Short producer
Let's All Sing Together: No. 1
1944
Short producer
Let's All Sing Together: No. 2
1944
Short producer
Dollar Dance
1943
Short producer
Tic Tac Toe
1943
producer
Five for Four
1942
Short producer
Hen Hop
1942
Short producer
Mail Early
1941
Short producer
V for Victory
1941/I
Short producer
Dots
1940
Short producer
Loops
1940
Short producer
NBC Greeting
1940
Short producer
NBC Valentine Greeting
1940
Short producer
Scherzo
1939
Short producer
Spook Sport
1939
Short producer
Stars and Stripes
1939
Short producer
Love on the Wing
1939
Short producer
Mony a Pickle
1938
Short producer
Book Bargain
1937
Documentary short producer
News for the Navy
1937
Short producer
Defence of Madrid
1936
Short producer
Hell Unlimited
1936
Documentary short producer
Camera Makes Whoopee
1935
Short producer
Polychrome Phantasy
1935
Short producer
7 Till 5
1933
Documentary short producer
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
On the Farm
2003
Video short
Six and Seven-Eighths
2003
Video short uncredited
Narcissus
1983
Short
Animated Motion #5
1978
Short documentary
Animated Motion #2
1977
Short
Animated Motion #3
1977
Short
Animated Motion #4
1977
Short
Animated Motion #1
1976
Short
Pinscreen
1973
Short documentary
Ballet Adagio
1972
Short
Synchromy
1971
Short
Striations
1970
Spheres
1969
Short
Opening Speech
1969
Short
Pas de deux
1968
Short
Mosaic
1966/I
Short
Canon
1964
Short
Christmas Cracker
1964
Short as McLaren
Seven Surprizes
1963
Lines: Horizontal
1962
Short
New York Lightboard
1961
Short
New York Lightboard Record
1961
Short documentary
The Flicker Film
1961
Short
Lines: Vertical
1960
Short
Jack Paar Credit Titles
1959
Short
Mail Early for Xmas
1959
Short
Serenal
1959
Short
Short and Suite
1959
Short
Le merle
1958
Short
A Chairy Tale
1957
Short
Rythmetic
1956
Short
Blinkity Blank
1955
Short
Two Bagatelles
1953
Short
Around Is Around
1953
Short
A Phantasy
1952
Short
Neighbours
1952
Short
Now Is the Time
1951
Short
Pen Point Percussion
1951
Documentary short
Begone Dull Care
1949
Short
Boogie-Doodle
1948
Short
Fiddle-de-dee
1947
Short
La poulette grise
1947
Short
A Little Phantasy on a 19th-century Painting
1946
Short
Hoppity Pop
1946
Short
Là-haut sur ces montagnes
1946
Short
Alouette
1944
Short
C'est l'aviron
1944
Short
Chants populaires nº 5
1944
Short
Keep Your Mouth Shut
1944
Short
Dollar Dance
1943
Short
Five for Four
1942
Short
Hen Hop
1942
Short
Mail Early
1941
Short
V for Victory
1941/I
Short
Dots
1940
Short
Loops
1940
Short
NBC Greeting
1940
Short
NBC Valentine Greeting
1940
Short
Allegro
1939
Short
Rumba
1939
Short
Scherzo
1939
Short
Spook Sport
1939
Short
Stars and Stripes
1939
Short
The Obedient Flame
1939
Documentary short
Love on the Wing
1939
Short
Mony a Pickle
1938
Short segment director
Book Bargain
1937
Documentary short
News for the Navy
1937
Short
Hell Unlimited
1936
Documentary short
Camera Makes Whoopee
1935
Short
Color Cocktail
1935
Polychrome Phantasy
1935
Short
7 Till 5
1933
Documentary short
Animation Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Spheres
1969
Short animator
Opening Speech
1969
Short animator
Mosaic
1966/I
Short animator
Canon
1964
Short animator
New York Lightboard
1961
Short animator
Lines: Vertical
1960
Short animator
Jack Paar Credit Titles
1959
Short animator
Mail Early for Xmas
1959
Short animator
Serenal
1959
Short animator
Short and Suite
1959
Short animator
Le merle
1958
Short animator
Rythmetic
1956
Short animator
Blinkity Blank
1955
Short animator
Two Bagatelles
1953
Short animator
Around Is Around
1953
Short animator
A Phantasy
1952
Short animator
Neighbours
1952
Short animator
Twirligig
1952
Short animator: stereoscopy
Now Is the Time
1951
Short animator
Begone Dull Care
1949
Short animator - as N. McLaren
Over-Dependency
1949
Documentary short animator
Boogie-Doodle
1948
Short animator
Fiddle-de-dee
1947
Short animator
La poulette grise
1947
Short animator
Story of a Violin
1947
Documentary short animator
A Little Phantasy on a 19th-century Painting
1946
Short animator
Hoppity Pop
1946
Short animator
Là-haut sur ces montagnes
1946
Short animator
Alouette
1944
Short animator
C'est l'aviron
1944
Short animator
Chants populaires nº 5
1944
Short animator
Let's All Sing Together: No. 1
1944
Short animator
Our Northern Neighbour
1944
Documentary short animator
Dollar Dance
1943
Short animator
Five for Four
1942
Short animator
Hen Hop
1942
Short animator
Mail Early
1941
Short animator
V for Victory
1941/I
Short animator
Dots
1940
Short animator
Loops
1940
Short animator
NBC Greeting
1940
Short animator
Stars and Stripes
1939
Short animator
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Creative Process: Norman McLaren
1993
Documentary
Synchromy
1971
Short
Opening Speech
1969
Short
Korean Alphabet
1967
Short
Mosaic
1966/I
Short
Two Bagatelles
1953
Short
Neighbours
1952
Short
Now Is the Time
1951
Short
Camera Makes Whoopee
1935
Short
Editor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Begone Dull Care
1949
Short
A Job in a Million
1937
Documentary short
Camera Makes Whoopee
1935
Short
Sound Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Rythmetic
1956
Short sound
Now Is the Time
1951
Short sound
Camera Makes Whoopee
1935
Short sound
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Neighbours
1952
Short
Camera Makes Whoopee
1935
Short
Cinematographer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Rythmetic
1956
Short
Defence of Madrid
1936
Short
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mosaic
1966/I
Short
Man (uncredited)
Visual Effects
Title
Year
Status
Character
Tarantella
1940
Short additional animation
Art Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Camera Makes Whoopee
1935
Short additional decor
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
3-D Rarities
2015
Documentary writer: "Soundtrack" - uncredited
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Narcissus
1983
Short conception
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Begone Dull Care 2015
2015
Short thanks
Mr. Reaper's Really Bad Morning
2004
Short dedicatee
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Cut-Up: The Films of Grant Munro
2003
Video
Himself
McLaren on McLaren
1983
Documentary short
Himself
Animated Motion #5
1978
Short documentary
Narrator (voice)
Pinscreen
1973
Short documentary
Himself
Cinéastes de notre temps
1972
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Eye Hears, the Ear Sees
1970
Documentary
Himself
Opening Speech
1969
Short
Himself
New York Lightboard Record
1961
Short documentary
Himself - seen with man in hat
Pen Point Percussion
1951
Documentary short
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Norman McLaren: Animated Musician
2014
Short
Himself
Animation Favorites from the National Film Board of Canada
1994
Video documentary
Himself (behind Alexeieff) (uncredited)
Creative Process: Norman McLaren
1993
Documentary
Himself
The Magical Eye
1989
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Has Anybody Here Seen Canada? A History of Canadian Movies 1939-1953
1979
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Discusses Origin of Film 'Neighbours' (uncredited)
Grierson
1973
Documentary
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1986
Lifetime Achievement Award
Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films
1984
Special Achievement Genie
Genie Awards
1983
Jury Prize (Short Films)
Montréal World Film Festival
(Special Jury Award). For his life-time achievements in cinema on the occasion of the world ... More