Soft Edges

Abstract

This chapter examines the use of soft edges in animation practice. Unlike hard-edged forms, such as the contour-based characters found in studio cartoons, figures with patchy forms often appear to not hold together strongly. Consequently, when these forms change shape, their metamorphoses appear passive, coming from without—as opposed to the active, self-directed metamorphoses of cartoon figures. Through a history of cloudy forms in animation, focusing especially on Alexander Alexeieff and Claire Parker’s 1933 short film Night on Bald Mountain, this chapter argues that soft-edged forms provoke a special kind of engagement called “exposure,” which makes concrete our vulnerability to the world of forces that undergirds us.