In may of 1941, at the height of the Golden Age of American Animation, Max and Dave Fleischer of Fleischer Studios were approached by their new owner and distributor Paramount Studios to do an animated superman series in response to the superheroes growing popularity. The series would go on to encompass seventeen separate animations over the course of the following two years, and would later be recalled as some of the best animation ever created.

A significant change in style and content can be seen after the Fleischer brothers were ousted for infighting and their operation renamed Famous Studios, in spring of 1942. The first nine Fleischer-produced shorts draw heavily upon science fiction material and uphold a high level of detail and artistry in the animated images, whereas the later eight shorts at times tread the line of cheap war propaganda and display a subtle slipping of the Fleischer's quality of animation. There are also small differences in the intro sequences, namely the replacement of "Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound" with the advent of Superman flying instead of jumping.

Projéct selected the animations for Filmusik for several reasons:

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the entire series has fallen into the public domain, making it legally accessible for use (the public accessibility of materials is important to Filmusik. Read more under the "Mission" page).

Secondly, these shorts have a short duration and uniformity: Each animation, being roughly nine minutes in length and sharing an intro sequence, general plot devices, and overall tone, will provide a steady yet engaging backdrop against which to appreciate the differing compositional styles of Filmusik's composers.

Thirdly, the animations are visually appropriate for all age groups, but not overly specific to one in particular. The accompanying music will be both supportive to the on-screen action and compositionally complex and interesting in its own right, allowing for audiences of varied musical education and interest to enjoy Filmusik for whatever reason and at whatever level they feel comfortable.

Included here as an example is the first of the 17 Animations with it's original 1939 score and sound effects: