The Agency and Effect of Technical Equipment on Animation Production in Studios Se-Ma-For and FS Kudlov in the 1970s and 1980s

This study examines the animation studios FS Kudlov in Gottwaldov and Se-Ma-For in ŁódĹş in the 1970s and 1980s through the lens of Actor-Network Theory (ANT). The goal is to demonstrate ANT as a tool for understanding the role of human and non-human actors (such as equipment, materials, and spaces) in shaping work processes. In Se-Ma-For, the “reprojector kit” used by Zbigniew Rybczyński for the Oscar-winning Tango (1981) prompted innovative techniques, while in FS Kudlov, a work process supplementing a copy machine influenced Karel Zeman’s work. Both studios faced constraints due to limited technology access in the Eastern Bloc, relying on creative adaptation. Se-Ma-For formed new working groups around the reprojector kit, whereas FS Kudlov integrated new equipment into existing networks, aided by in-house laboratories. ANT offers a broader perspective, where the human actors (directors, cameramen) and non-human actors (equipment, textured paper, darkrooms etc.) were equally crucial, highlighting their interdependence. By analyzing archival materials, oral histories and equipment, materials and spaces themselves, this study underscores the synergy between human and non-human actors, which was essential in shaping the unique innovative work processes of both Se-Ma-For and FS Kudlov.