Norman McLaren
(1914 - 1987)
- animator, filmmaker
(aka W.N. Mclaren)
- born April 11, 1914, Stirling, Scotland
- died January 27, 1987, Quebec
- educated Glasgow School of Fine Art in interior design
- by 1935 had switched to film
- made several independent films, and worked as a cameraman for a Spanish Civil War documentary
- McLaren was put on the staff of the British GPO Film Unit by John Grierson in 1937
- followed Grierson to the National Film Board of Canada in 1941
- pioneer of animation techniques including stop motion and drawing directly onto celluloid
- noted for his inventive and eclectic use of music, disdain for the boundaries of the film frame, and meticulous working methods
- has won 147 awards for short films, more than any other film-maker in screen history
- award winning films include:
- more information from the NFB
back to the Well Known Canadians Page