Czech animation has been a tradition for over 100 years. Czech animators are considered pioneers in film animation. Czech animation dates back to the 1920s, and its "Golden Era" spans between the 1950s and the 1980s. Notable Czech animators include Jiří Trnka, Karel Zeman, Břetislav Pojar, Jan Švankmajer, Vera Neubauer, Hermína Týrlová, and Jiří Barta. Czech animators have employed cel animation, cutout animation, puppet animation, and clay animation. 3D animation is seldom used due to lack of finances and trained 3D animators. This led to a decline in the years following 1989.[1][2]
Though the "Golden Era" has ended for Czech animation, a new generation of animators remain who sustain Czech animation traditions.[3] Training in Czech animation is supported by some Czech universities, such as The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, The Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, and The University of West Bohemia.[4][5]