Abstract

I begin by asking what it is for a moving image to be animated, and thus, what it is for something to be an instance of animated cinema. I next distinguish different kinds of cinematic animation, and explore why, traditionally, so little philosophical attention has been paid to animated cinema per se, and why recent developments in cinematic technology have begun to remedy this deficiency. I comment here on the exchange between Stanley Cavell and Alexander Sesonske over the status of animated movies. I then examine certain epistemological dimensions of animated cinema, and look at the conditions under which animated cinema can be art. I conclude by reflecting on the significance of the use of digital technology in the production of animated cinema.