Primanima Jumpstart workshop participants at the Animarkt Stop Motion Forum – Summary from Zoé Nagy
As part of the Primanima Jumpstart programme, I was invited to Poland for three days of the Animarkt Stop Motion Forum. I was initially involved as a participant in the Ask the expert programme, but I also had the opportunity to take part in many other fascinating professional activities and to get to know the unique city of Lodz, where the Forum is located. During the Ask the expert programme on the afternoon of 6 November, I had the opportunity to consult three experts on my film concept, each of them for half an hour.
I first met with producer Olivier Catherin. As the film was still in its relatively early stages, we discussed the story and the message of the film, and the direction I might take to develop them further. When I questioned him, he also told me about the producer's job and its responsibilities for a film. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to consult with scriptwriter Anna Bielak, who helped me to eliminate the occasional pitfalls in the film's story and to build a strong dramaturgical structure. Finally, I had the opportunity to talk to art director Eva Calland-Waller, who advised me on the style and visuals of the film. She offered some references and we had a conversation about how the visual world of the film could help the dramaturgy of the film, what direction I should take in the development process to make the final result what I had envisioned.
I had previously planned to make the film using only 2D animation techniques, but as a result of the event and the consultations, I am increasingly open to using stop-motion elements in the film, which might work well to separate certain worlds in the film itself. I was then able to attend several masterclasses, such as Mats Grorud's "How to tell true stories in animation?", where he talked about his process of adapting a real story into animation. I also listened to a presentation by Hector Fauso and Jonatan Gusman from Polar Studios, who explained the process of visual effects and corrections behind stop-motion films, and gave tips on how to make post-production easier for yourself or others following stop-motion shooting.
Altogether, it was a great experience and the consultations boosted my film project.
Zoé's film project Eruption was selected for the 2023 CEE Animation Forum. You can discover the projects of all the participants in the Primanima Jumpstart programme here.