A Fantasy (1908)
"Fantasmagorie" (original title)

The first all-animated film in history, a series of scenes without much narrative structure, but morphing into each other.

Director:

Émile Cohl

Storyline

The first all-animated film in history, a series of scenes without much narrative structure, but morphing into each other.

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Plot Keywords:

blown up like balloon | woman's hat | sword | elephant | horse | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

France

Release Date:

17 August 1908 (France)

Also Known As:

Black and White

Company Credits

Production Co:

Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont

Technical Specs

Runtime:

2 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To make this film, Cohl placed each drawing on an illuminated glass plate and then traced the next drawing-with variations-on top of it until he had some 700 drawings. In 1908, chalkboard caricaturists were common vaudeville attractions and the characters in the film look as though they've been drawn on a chalkboard, but it's an illusion. By filming black lines on paper and then printing in negative Cohl makes his animations appear to be chalk drawings.

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Connections

Featured in Animated Century (2003)

User Reviews

Don't judge this too harshly--it's a milestone in animation

If you are a lover of the history of cinema, then FANTASMAGORIE is an absolute must--particularly if you are interested in animation. That's because this short little film is the first animated film and considering everything, it's a darn good one.

Instead of the usual structure, style and narrative, this film is rather unique and free-flowing. A series of drawings morph and change with no apparent rhyme or reason. In many ways, it's more like a work of art than a traditional cartoon and it's all done in black and white.

It must have taken a very, very long time to make and for 1908, it's an incredible little film. Sure, films made just a few years later would make this seem obsolete, but given the context, it's a grand little film.