A magic hand draws a wacky stick figure on a chalkboard adventure.

Step into the world of early animation with Émile Cohl's Fantasmagorie (1908). This brief film, a whimsical chase featuring a stick-figure clown, is much more than just a cartoon. It's a landmark experiment that pushed the boundaries of what film could be.

Cohl's innovative technique involved creating hundreds of slightly altered drawings, one on top of the next. Filmed on a glass plate, these drawings came alive when projected, creating the illusion of fluid movement. This approach, inspired by the vaudeville chalkboard artists of the time, laid the groundwork for traditional animation techniques that would dominate the industry for decades.

But Fantasmagorie wasn't just about technical innovation. Cohl embraced the fantastical, delighting audiences with the endlessly morphing world around the clown. This playfulness and disregard for narrative conventions are hallmarks of experimental film, a movement that continues to challenge and redefine the cinematic experience.

So, next time you watch an animated film, remember Fantasmagorie. It's a reminder of the daring spirit that fuelled the birth of cinema, a spirit that continues to inspire filmmakers today.