Yuriy Norshteyn
Encyclopedia
Yuriy Borisovich Norshteyn , or Yuri Norstein (born September 15, 1941) is an award-winning Soviet and Russia
n animator
best known for his animated shorts, Hedgehog in the Fog
and Tale of Tales. Since 1981 he has been working on a feature film called The Overcoat
, based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol
of the same name.
Yuriy Norshteyn was born to a Jewish family in the village of Andreyevka, Penza Oblast
, during his parents' World War II
evacuation. He grew up in the Maryina Roshcha suburb of Moscow
. After studying at an art school, Norshteyn initially found work at a furniture factory. Then he finished a two-year animation course and found employment at studio Soyuzmultfilm
in 1961. The first film that he participated in as an animator was Who Said "Meow"? (1962).
After working as an animation artist in some fifty films, Norshteyn got the chance to direct his own. In 1968 he debuted with 25th October, the First Day, sharing directorial
credit with Arkadiy Tyurin. The film used the artwork of 1920s-era Soviet artists Nathan Altman
and Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin
.
The next film in which he had a major role was The Battle of Kerzhenets
(1971), a co-production with Russian animation director Ivan Ivanov-Vano
under whose direction Norshteyn had earlier worked on 1969's Times of the Year.
Throughout the 1970s Norshteyn continued to work as an animator in many films (a more complete list can be found at IMDB), and also directed several. As the decade progressed his animation style became ever more sophisticated, looking less like flat cut-outs and more like smoothly-moving paintings or sophisticated pencil sketches.
Norshteyn uses a special technique in his animation
, involving multiple glass planes to give his animation a three-dimensional look. The camera is placed at the top looking down on a series of glass planes about a meter deep (one every 25–30 cm). The individual glass planes can move horizontally as well as toward and away from the camera (to give the effect of a character moving closer or further away).
For many years he has collaborated with his wife, the artist Franchesca Yarbusova, and the cinematographer Aleksandr Zhukovskiy.
Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Norshteyn's animations were showered with both state and international awards. Then, in a bitter twist of irony, he was fired from Soyuzmultfilm
in 1985 for working too slowly on his latest film, a (presumably) feature-length adaptation of Gogol's Overcoat
. By that time he had been working on it with his usual small team of three people for two years and had finished ten minutes.
In April 1993, Norshteyn and three other leading animators (Fyodor Khitruk
, Andrey Khrzhanovsky, and Edward Nazarov) founded the Animation School and Studio (SHAR Studio) in Russia. The Russian Cinema Committee is among the share-holders of the studio.
To this day, Norshteyn is still working on The Overcoat
—his ardent perfectionism has earned him the nickname "The Golden Snail". The project has met numerous financial troubles and false starts, but Norshteyn has said that it currently has reliable funding from several sources, both from within and outside of Russia. At least 25 minutes have been completed to date. A couple of short, low-resolution clips have been made available to the public: http://www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/timeline/quicktime/overcoat1.html and http://www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/timeline/quicktime/overcoat2.html. The first 20 minutes of the film have also toured among various exhibits of Norshteyn's work in Russian museums. The full film is expected to be 65 minutes long.
Norshteyn wrote an essay for a book by Giannalberto Bendazzi about the pinscreen animator
Alexandre Alexeïeff
titled Alexeieff — Itinerary of a Master.
In 2005, he released a Russian-language book titled Snow on the Grass. Fragments of a Book. Lectures about the Art of Animation, featuring a number of lectures that he gave about the art of animation. That same year, he was invited as "guest animator" to work on Kihachiro Kawamoto
's puppet-animated feature film, The Book of the Dead
.
On August 10, 2008, the full version of the book Snow on the Grass was released (the "incomplete" 2005 book was 248-pages). The book, which was printed in the Czech Republic and funded by Sberbank
, consists of two tomes, 620 pages and 1700 color illustrations. http://animator.ru/index.phtml?p=show_news&nid=932
The studio stopped working on The Overcoat for nearly a year while Norshteyn worked to release the book.
Hayao Miyazaki
considers Yuriy Norshteyn "a great artist" and cited Hedgehog in the Fog as one of his favourite animated films.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
best known for his animated shorts, Hedgehog in the Fog
Hedgehog in the Fog
Hedgehog in the Fog is a 1975 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Yuriy Norshteyn, produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. The Russian script was written by Sergei Grigoryevich Kozlov, who also published a book under the same name...
and Tale of Tales. Since 1981 he has been working on a feature film called The Overcoat
The Overcoat (animated film)
The Overcoat is an upcoming animated feature film that has been the main project of acclaimed Russian director and animator Yuriy Norshteyn since 1981. It is based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol with the same name....
, based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism...
of the same name.
Biography
Penza Oblast
-External links:* *...
, during his parents' World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
evacuation. He grew up in the Maryina Roshcha suburb of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. After studying at an art school, Norshteyn initially found work at a furniture factory. Then he finished a two-year animation course and found employment at studio Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm is a Russian animation studio based in Moscow. Over the years it has gained international attention and respect, garnering numerous awards both at home and abroad. Noted for a great variety of style, it is regarded as the most influential animation studio of the former Soviet Union...
in 1961. The first film that he participated in as an animator was Who Said "Meow"? (1962).
After working as an animation artist in some fifty films, Norshteyn got the chance to direct his own. In 1968 he debuted with 25th October, the First Day, sharing directorial
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
credit with Arkadiy Tyurin. The film used the artwork of 1920s-era Soviet artists Nathan Altman
Nathan Altman
Nathan Isaevich Altman was a Jewish, Russian and Soviet avant-garde artist, Cubist painter, stage designer and book illustrator who was born, grew up and began his art studies in Ukraine, Russian Empire.-Early life:He was born in Vinnytsia, Russian Empire to a family of Russian...
and Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin
Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin, was an important Russian and Soviet painter and writer.-Early years:...
.
The next film in which he had a major role was The Battle of Kerzhenets
The Battle of Kerzhenets
The Battle of Kerzhenets is a 1971 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano and Yuriy Norshteyn. The film is set to music by Rimsky-Korsakov and uses Russian frescoes and paintings from the 14th-16th centuries .-Plot:The story is based on the legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh...
(1971), a co-production with Russian animation director Ivan Ivanov-Vano
Ivan Ivanov-Vano
Ivan Pyetrovich Ivanov-Vano was a Soviet animator and Russian animation director, sometimes called the "Patriarch of Soviet animation"....
under whose direction Norshteyn had earlier worked on 1969's Times of the Year.
Throughout the 1970s Norshteyn continued to work as an animator in many films (a more complete list can be found at IMDB), and also directed several. As the decade progressed his animation style became ever more sophisticated, looking less like flat cut-outs and more like smoothly-moving paintings or sophisticated pencil sketches.
Norshteyn uses a special technique in his animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, involving multiple glass planes to give his animation a three-dimensional look. The camera is placed at the top looking down on a series of glass planes about a meter deep (one every 25–30 cm). The individual glass planes can move horizontally as well as toward and away from the camera (to give the effect of a character moving closer or further away).
For many years he has collaborated with his wife, the artist Franchesca Yarbusova, and the cinematographer Aleksandr Zhukovskiy.
Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Norshteyn's animations were showered with both state and international awards. Then, in a bitter twist of irony, he was fired from Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm is a Russian animation studio based in Moscow. Over the years it has gained international attention and respect, garnering numerous awards both at home and abroad. Noted for a great variety of style, it is regarded as the most influential animation studio of the former Soviet Union...
in 1985 for working too slowly on his latest film, a (presumably) feature-length adaptation of Gogol's Overcoat
The Overcoat (animated film)
The Overcoat is an upcoming animated feature film that has been the main project of acclaimed Russian director and animator Yuriy Norshteyn since 1981. It is based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol with the same name....
. By that time he had been working on it with his usual small team of three people for two years and had finished ten minutes.
In April 1993, Norshteyn and three other leading animators (Fyodor Khitruk
Fyodor Khitruk
Fyodor Savelyevich Khitruk is one of the most influential animators and animation directors in Russian animation.-Biography:Khitruk was born in Tver, Russian Empire and came to Moscow to study graphic design at the OGIS College for Applied Arts. He graduated in 1936 and started to work with...
, Andrey Khrzhanovsky, and Edward Nazarov) founded the Animation School and Studio (SHAR Studio) in Russia. The Russian Cinema Committee is among the share-holders of the studio.
To this day, Norshteyn is still working on The Overcoat
The Overcoat (animated film)
The Overcoat is an upcoming animated feature film that has been the main project of acclaimed Russian director and animator Yuriy Norshteyn since 1981. It is based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol with the same name....
—his ardent perfectionism has earned him the nickname "The Golden Snail". The project has met numerous financial troubles and false starts, but Norshteyn has said that it currently has reliable funding from several sources, both from within and outside of Russia. At least 25 minutes have been completed to date. A couple of short, low-resolution clips have been made available to the public: http://www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/timeline/quicktime/overcoat1.html and http://www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/timeline/quicktime/overcoat2.html. The first 20 minutes of the film have also toured among various exhibits of Norshteyn's work in Russian museums. The full film is expected to be 65 minutes long.
Norshteyn wrote an essay for a book by Giannalberto Bendazzi about the pinscreen animator
Pinscreen animation
Pinscreen animation makes use of a screen filled with movable pins, which can be moved in or out by pressing an object onto the screen. The screen is lit from the side so that the pins cast shadows...
Alexandre Alexeïeff
Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker
Alexandre Alexandrovitch Alexeieff was a Russian-born artist, filmmaker and illustrator who lived and worked mainly in Paris...
titled Alexeieff — Itinerary of a Master.
In 2005, he released a Russian-language book titled Snow on the Grass. Fragments of a Book. Lectures about the Art of Animation, featuring a number of lectures that he gave about the art of animation. That same year, he was invited as "guest animator" to work on Kihachiro Kawamoto
Kihachiro Kawamoto
was a Japanese puppet designer and maker, independent film director, screenwriter and animator and president of the Japan Animation Association from 1989, succeeding founder Osamu Tezuka, until his own death...
's puppet-animated feature film, The Book of the Dead
The Book of the Dead (film)
is a 2005 Japanese stop motion animation feature film directed by Kihachirō Kawamoto. It is his second feature film, the first being the Rennyo and His Mother and is based on the novel of the same name by Shinobu Orikuchi...
.
On August 10, 2008, the full version of the book Snow on the Grass was released (the "incomplete" 2005 book was 248-pages). The book, which was printed in the Czech Republic and funded by Sberbank
Sberbank
Sberbank Rossii is the largest bank in Russia and Eastern Europe. The company's headquarters are in Moscow and its history goes back to Cancrin's financial reform of 1841...
, consists of two tomes, 620 pages and 1700 color illustrations. http://animator.ru/index.phtml?p=show_news&nid=932
The studio stopped working on The Overcoat for nearly a year while Norshteyn worked to release the book.
Filmography
- 25th October, the First Day , in collaboration with Arkadiy Tyurin.
- The Battle of KerzhenetsThe Battle of KerzhenetsThe Battle of Kerzhenets is a 1971 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano and Yuriy Norshteyn. The film is set to music by Rimsky-Korsakov and uses Russian frescoes and paintings from the 14th-16th centuries .-Plot:The story is based on the legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh...
, in collaboration with Ivan Ivanov-VanoIvan Ivanov-VanoIvan Pyetrovich Ivanov-Vano was a Soviet animator and Russian animation director, sometimes called the "Patriarch of Soviet animation"....
. - The Fox and the Hare .
- The Heron and the CraneThe Heron and the CraneThe Heron and the Crane is a 1974 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Yuriy Norshteyn, produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. Runtime: 10 minutes. It is based on a folk tale.-External links:...
. - Hedgehog in the FogHedgehog in the FogHedgehog in the Fog is a 1975 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Yuriy Norshteyn, produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. The Russian script was written by Sergei Grigoryevich Kozlov, who also published a book under the same name...
. - Tale of Tales .
- Participated in Winter DaysWinter Daysis a 2003 animated film, directed by Kihachirō Kawamoto. It is based on one of the renku in the 1684 collection of the same name by the 17th-century Japanese poet Bashō....
. - The OvercoatThe Overcoat (animated film)The Overcoat is an upcoming animated feature film that has been the main project of acclaimed Russian director and animator Yuriy Norshteyn since 1981. It is based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol with the same name....
Awards and praise
- 19711971 in filmThe year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
—Karlovy Vary International Film FestivalKarlovy Vary International Film FestivalThe Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary , Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival gained worldwide recognition over the past years and has become one of Europe's major film events....
: The Battle of Kerzhenets named Best Animated Film - 1972—Zagreb World Festival of Animated FilmsZagreb World Festival of Animated FilmsAnimafest Zagreb, also known as World Festival of Animated Film in Zagreb, is an annual festival dedicated to animated film held in Zagreb, Croatia. Initiated by the International Animated Film Association, the event was established in 1972 at the time when Croatia was part of SFR Yugoslavia)...
: Grand Prize for The Battle of Kerzhenets (shared with Ivan Ivanov-VanoIvan Ivanov-VanoIvan Pyetrovich Ivanov-Vano was a Soviet animator and Russian animation director, sometimes called the "Patriarch of Soviet animation"....
) - 1972—Tbilissi: The Battle of Kerzhenets named Best Animated Film
- 1972—Bombay Film Festival: "Diplom" for The Battle of Kerzhenets
- 1975—Annecy International Animated Film FestivalAnnecy International Animated Film FestivalThe Annecy International Animation Film Festival was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring every two years, the festival became annual in 1998...
: Special Jury Prize for Heron and Crane - 1975—New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
): First Prize for Heron and Crane - 1976—Frunze All-Union Film FestivalAll-Union Film FestivalThe All-Union Film Festival was one of the most important film festivals of the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1958 and held regularly from 1964-1988. It was held annually from 1972 onwards, and bi-annually before that...
: Hedgehog in the Fog "best animated film" - 1976—Teheran Children's and Youth Film Festival: Hedgehog in the Fog "best animated film"
- 1977—OdenseOdenseThe city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
(DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
): Grand Prize for Heron and Crane - 1979—USSR State PrizeUSSR State PrizeThe USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....
for Tale of Tales (awarded just prior to its release to Norshteyn, Yarbusova, and Zhukovsky) - 1980—LilleLilleLille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) International Festival of Films Jury Grand Prize for Tale of Tales - 1980—Zagreb World Festival of Animated FilmsZagreb World Festival of Animated FilmsAnimafest Zagreb, also known as World Festival of Animated Film in Zagreb, is an annual festival dedicated to animated film held in Zagreb, Croatia. Initiated by the International Animated Film Association, the event was established in 1972 at the time when Croatia was part of SFR Yugoslavia)...
: Grand Prize for Tale of Tales - 1980—Ottawa International Animation FestivalOttawa International Animation Festival-History:In 1976, the Canadian Film Institute founded the biennial Ottawa International Animation Festival . First held August 10 to 15, 1976, the OIAF created a gathering place for North American animation professionals and enthusiasts to ponder the craft and business of animation...
(CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
): Best Film Longer Than Three Minutes Award for Tale of Tales - 1984—Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Olympic Arts Festival: Tale of Tales voted by large international jury to be the greatest animated film of all time - 1991—Annie AwardAnnie AwardThe Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
for Distinguished Contribution to the Art of Animation - 1995—RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Independent Triumph Award (acknowledging 'the highest achievements in art and literature') - 1996—People's Artist of RussiaPeople's Artist of RussiaPeople's Artist of Russia, also sometimes translated as National Artist of Russia, is an honorary title granted to citizens of Russia.It succeeded both the all-Soviet union award People's Artist of the USSR , and more directly the local republic award, People's Artist of the RSFSR , after the...
- 1996—1st Open Russian Festival of Animated Film1st Open Russian Festival of Animated FilmThe 1st Open Russian Festival of Animated Film was held in 1996 at a boarding house called "Birch Grove" near the town of Tarusa, Russia. Because of the extreme scarcity of Russian animation in the post-perestroika era, submissions from the last three years were accepted...
, Breakthrough Prize for Russian Sugar (commercial) - 2002—Zagreb World Festival of Animated FilmsZagreb World Festival of Animated FilmsAnimafest Zagreb, also known as World Festival of Animated Film in Zagreb, is an annual festival dedicated to animated film held in Zagreb, Croatia. Initiated by the International Animated Film Association, the event was established in 1972 at the time when Croatia was part of SFR Yugoslavia)...
: Tale of Tales again voted by large international jury to be the greatest animated film of all time - 2004—JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Order of the Rising SunOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
considers Yuriy Norshteyn "a great artist" and cited Hedgehog in the Fog as one of his favourite animated films.
See also
- History of Russian animationHistory of Russian animationThe History of Russian animation is very rich, but is so far a nearly unexplored field for Western film theory and history. As most of Russia's production of animation for film|cinema and television was created during Soviet times, it may also be referred to as the History of Soviet...
- Films that have been considered the greatest everFilms that have been considered the greatest everWhile there is no general agreement upon the greatest film, many publications and organizations have tried to determine the films considered the best. The films mentioned in this article have all been mentioned in a notable survey – be it a popular poll or critics' poll...
- Franchesca Yarbusova
External links
- Official website
- Yuriy Norshteyn at animator.ruAnimator.ruAnimator.ru is a Russian website chronicling the films, people and studios of the animation industry in Russia, the former Soviet Union and the CIS. It also includes a forum, a news block, a photo-gallery and an animators labour exchange...
(full filmography) - Magia Russica, a Documentary Film about Russian Animation in Soviet Times, including In-depth interview with Yuriy Norshteyn and a tour in his studio
- In-depth interview with Yuriy Norshteyn about his segment in "Winter Days" (English translation)
- The Animation of Yuriy Norshteyn at the Keyframe - the Animation Resource
- "20 Years of Toil, 20 Minutes of Unique Film" Washington Post
- "Sweet little mystery" The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Saturday April 16, 2005 - Yuri Norstein. The tale is a lie, what it tells is the truth