Use the NFB catalogue identity
NFB's collection record identifies Neighbours,1952, directed and produced by Norman McLaren, as an animation film. The current catalogue gives a duration of eight minutessixseconds. An older NFB study guide gives eight minutesten. Preserve which reference supplies a duration instead of silently treating a small metadata difference as proof that one copy has been cut.
For a shortlist, write “Neighbours, Norman McLaren,1952, NFB” and retain the catalogue link. That resolves the title collision more reliably than the English title alone. A similarly named television series, another film or an unrelated neighbourhood documentary cannot be substituted merely because the result has the same word on its cover.
Human performers can still be part of animation
NFB credits the film with popularising pixilation, a stop-motion animation technique using human performers. The presence of real people therefore does not mean the work should be classified as ordinary continuous-motion live action. This matters when the viewing task is learning about animation methods rather than finding any film with actors.
Describe the technique at the level the source supports. The catalogue identity and study guide establish the format; this article does not claim a frame-by-frame inspection, a technical restoration comparison or firsthand analysis of the film's photography. If a course or research task needs those details, use the actual film and appropriate production evidence.
Choose the work before choosing a supplied file
Compare the creator, original year, title and approximate duration with the supplied item. A trailer, educational excerpt or commentary about the film can be useful but is a different object from the complete short. Keep any language or presentation notes attached to the specific edition rather than assuming that a title match establishes them.
The NFB record includes routes for watching or checking editions, but their presence does not verify a particular Canadian account or a third-party player's copy. Use the publisher's current item page for the actual access question. The useful result of this research is an exact film reference and an honest technique distinction, with the two published duration values left visible rather than explained through an invented version history.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- NFB Collection: Neighbours — Official indexed record:1952,Norman McLaren,animation,8 m 6 s,pixilation; no video watched.
- NFB study guide: Neighbours — Official indexed olderstudyguide:1952 and 8 m 10 s; smalldurationdifference reported withoutinventingcut/restorationexplanation.
