We arrived at Fromatthütte the end of August, prepared for ten days of experiments, cold showers and fun! After the two hours walk from the station to the chalet, we were exhausted and sweaty, but also ready to get to know each other as participant of the Out of Home Animation workshop. There were ten animation students in total; four people for HSLU, two students from Kassel in Germany and six people from MoMa in Hungary. To complete this cast of characters we had two students form the video department with us, filming our every move for a documentary on the workshop, Maya, who spend ten brave days babysitting all of us, and Daniel and Daria, who oversaw most of the organizing… but mostly made sure we wouldn’t starve.

The silence of the Alps was a treasure for creativity! With most of us barely able to connect to Wi-Fi and having very finite amount of electricity to spare we had to learn to improvise and create under very different conditions from what we get at school. Those restriction pushed us to try new things and think outside of our comfort zone. Experimental animation is always a matter of trials and errors, but Out of Home Animation at Fromatthütte felt like a space where every project was allowed to exist without being judged.

That creativity was guided by Maja who was here to counsel us on our individual projects, and fueled by the different workshop we got to take part in. We got a guided tour of the different plants around the chalet and had a chance to try to technic of cyanotype, that is used to make blueprints and impressions of plants and flowers. Thomas also joined us for two days, helping us with our recordings and sharing his usual contagious enthusiasm for sound.

But beyond the creative side of the workshop, the setting was just a wonderful opportunity to get to know students from different schools in Europe and learn about their experience and views on animation. The night around the campfire were fun and precious and left some strong impressions in my mind. I think everyone who has the time and chance should try to take part in the Out of Home Animation workshop another year. It’s so nice to get disconnected from the city and be creative surrounded by nature.

Text/images: Eugénie Bouquet

Read some of the lovely reviews participants left us!

Ich war rundum begeistert vom Out of home Animation Workshop. Gut fand ich, dass den Studierenden die Kochplanung abgenommen wurde, wir jedoch Teil davon waren und mithelfen mussten/konnten. Der Mix aus Arbeiten und Exkursionen/Wanderungen war ebenfalls sehr angenehm, die Wanderung zum See am letzten Tag wäre jedoch vielleicht an einem anderen Tag entspannter gewesen (Workflow-mäßig). Ich weiß, dass es aus den Umständen entstand, dass Thomas nur einen Tag da war, aber ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass es hilfreich gewesen wäre, noch eine Person dabei zu haben die sich mit Sound auskennt, also mit den Programmen, oder wenn Thomas etwas länger geblieben wäre. Aber das ist alles Kritik auf sehr hohem Niveau, es war ein toller Workshop mit tollen Menschen an einem wunderbaren und inspirierendem Ort. 

Henrike Büsser, Kunsthochschule Kassel

Es war eine sehr schöne Erfahrung. Draußen ( und vor allem in den Bergen) ist, glaub ich der richtige Ort zum animieren. Man hat einfach in alle Himmelsrichtungen so schöne Gegend. Mir kamen immer viele Ideen in den Kopf. Mit den Dingen zu arbeiten, die man dort findet, ist eine sehr erfüllende und auch beruhigende Aufgabe. Und alle machen auch so komische Sachen. Das hilft mir sehr, nicht so viel zu zweifeln. Es war schön mal keinen Kontakt mit der Außenwelt zu haben, und sich für die Zeit in diesem (ziemlich großen) Mikrokosmos auszuleben. Es entstand auch eine sehr starke Verbindung zu den Leuten durch das enge Zusammenleben. Vielleicht waren alle so entspannt, wegen der guten Luft und mangelndem Internet. Und es gab immer gutes Essen.  *****

Niels Walter, Kunsthochschule Kassel

Sorry, ich dachte, ihr wollt nur Feedback von den „aktiven“ Teilnehmenden. Wenn ich darüber nachdenke war diese Einteilung jedoch nicht besonders sinnvoll, fühlte ich mich doch aus als Teil des Doku-Teams jederzeit Teil der gesamten Gruppe. So konnten auch wir die gleichwohls gemütliche und arbeitsame Stimmung geniessen, uns mit der Kamera in der Natur verlieren und eigene Hemmungen und Hindernisse (wie mit kaltem Wasser zu duschen) überwinden. Die Zusammenarbeit für die Doku mit Maja war sehr angenehm. Sie liess uns Freiheiten, liess uns ihr Vertrauen spüren und half wenn nötig mit (in Form von Szenen nachspielen, Generator anschmeissen etc.) :p 

Manchmal hätte ich mir fast gewünscht, dass es tatsächlich keinen Handy-Empfang auf der Hütte gab, aber auch so war es toll, gemeinsam zu plaudern, spielen und essen, was für mich auch ein wesentlicher Teil des Projektes war. Die weiteren Treffen zurück in der Stadt und am Fantoche unterstrichen diese tolle Stimmung und machten den Abschied schwer.

Zu dieser Atmosphäre trug auch das grandiose Essen einen wesentlichen Teil bei. Auf Allergien und Wünsche wurde liebevoll Rücksicht genommen – und es war wirklich einfach saufein. 

Léon Hüsler, BA Video, Hochschule Luzern ­– Design & Kunst

Out of home was wonderful! Being surrounded by lovely people in an incredibly beautiful landscape, with great food and lots of time for fun and inspiring animation projects: That was 10 days incredibly well spent, didn’t even miss my 3d software. 10/10 would go out of home again!

Lukas Bieri, BA Animation, Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst

“Out Of Home 2021 è stata un’esperienza mistica che in dieci giorni ha unito in maniera unica e irripetibile un gruppo di persone molto eterogeneo per nazionalità, lingua e carattere che se non fosse per il workshop probabilmente mai si sarebbero incontrati. 

Tra prati punteggiati di marmotte grasse, notti cavalcate da miriadi di stelle e risuonanti dell’eco delle campane delle mucche, tra “Älpler Magronen“ interpretati alla ungherese, docce alla “natural“ con la pelle d’oca e tantissimo ancora, … sono nate idee che hanno punzecchiato ognuno di noi finché non hanno trovato ascolto. Noi l’ascolto glielo abbiamo dato e numerosi sono i video che ne sono nati. 

Quindi, riassumendo in maniera molto “terre à terre“, chi ha l’opportunità di partecipare a OOHA e la butta via deve proprio essere un Babbeo.“

“Out Of Home 2021 was a mystical experience that in ten days united in a unique and unrepeatable way a very heterogeneous (in terms of nationality, language and character) group of people who would probably never have met if it were not for the workshop.

Among fields dotted with fat marmots, nights ridden by myriads of stars and ringing with the echo of cow bells, “Älpler Magronen” interpreted in a Hungarian style, “natural” showers with goose bumps and lots more … ideas were born and teased each of us until they were heard. We listened to these ideas and are numerous the videos that have come out of it.
So, to summarize in a very “terre à terre” way, whoever has the opportunity to participate in OOHA and throws it away must be an idiot.“

“Out Of Home 2021 ist ein mystische Erlebnis gewesen. Während 10 Tagen wurde eine Gruppe von Menschen, sehr verschiedenartig in der Nationalität und Sprache und Charakter, auf eine einzigartige und umwiederholbare Weise verbunden: wenn es nicht für den Workshop wäre, hätten wir uns sehr wahrscheinlich nie getroffen.

Zwischen Wiesen von fette Murmelis getüpfelt, zwischen Nächte von Myriade von Sternen geritten und von Kuhglocken Echos nachklingeln, zwischen Älplermagronen auf eine ungarische Art interpretiert, zwischen natürlichen Duschen mit Gänsehaut und noch so viel viel mehr … Ideen sind geboren, die uns gepackt haben, bis sie gehört wurden. Wir haben auf sie gehört und zahlreiche sind die Videos, die in diese Zeit entstanden.

Zusammenfassend, auf eine sehr “terre à terre“ Art: wer die Angelegenheit, an OOHA teilzunehmen, nicht nutzt und wegwirft, ist sehr wahrscheinlich ein Dummkopf.”

Arianna de Angelis, BA Animation, Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst

This workshop has made it very easy for me to step out of my comfort zone, which I usually struggle with. These extreme circumstances for animation forced me to think outside the box and made it feel almost natural to use techniques I’ve never worked with before. Apart from the magical landscape the workshop is set in and the delicious food we made, the most precious thing OOHA gave me were friendships, which I didn’t expect to be this deep and meaningful.

Márton Csutorás, mome Budapest

Ich fand es grundsätzlich total super organisiert und denke, dass alles, was im Voraus passiert ist so bleiben kann. Höchstens ein oder zwei Mails weniger und mehr gebündelt (aber das ist Erbsenzählerei, wenn alle ihre Mails lesen, dann klappt das). Das Essen war auch sehr luxuriös! Also mega luxuriös! Und einen Material-Transport würde ich auch nochmal machen, mit Tiefgaragen-Demolierung!

Auf der Hütte war es total angenehm mit weniger Teilnehmenden. Ich weiss nicht, wie viele die letzten Jahre dabei waren, aber so, dass alle an die zwei Tische draussen passen, finde ich eine überschaubare Gruppe. Da hat man in den zehn Tagen genug Zeit, um alle kennenzulernen und man steht sich nicht so sehr im Weg rum in der Hütte. Was cool wäre: Ein zweiter Raum um die Compis zum Arbeiten stehen zu lassen (Bei gutem Wetter ist aber draussen essen auch super, haben wir ja auch so gemacht). Die Hütte müsste nicht grösser sein, ich finde es ist eigentlich genug Platz für unsere Gruppengrösse.

Vielleicht könnten die Studierenden noch mehr motiviert werden, ohne Computer zu arbeiten? Ich hab im Endeffekt ziemlich viel dort gemacht, was aber vielleicht auch nicht zu vermeiden ist, wenn man einen fertigen Film mit nach Hause nehmen möchte. Dass das Fantoche im Anschluss war, fand ich auch eine super Motivation!

Also, ich würd’s in jedem Fall wieder machen, wenn es genau so bleibt!

Lukas Wind, BA Animation, Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst

Taking part in OOHA workshop was one of my best life decision. The fresh air, the cow orchestra, the hobel cheese, the pepperminze tee, the campfire, the smell of the wooden hut, the smell of my clothes after the workshop, being alone on the top of a rock, being together in the morning drinking coffee. Animating in the nature for few hours and then drinking a beer and watching the sunset with these beautiful people is the best thing in the world. Thank you!

Dominika Demeter , mome Budapest

The out of home workshop was a unique and truly genuine experience. One moment it hit me, that I just get up and go out to play in the mountains with lovely people all day, and that’s it. The feeling of inspiration and tranquility lingers as I get used to my normal life again.

It’s that time of year again:

On Wednesday, 22 September 2021 at 6pm, the new first year students marched from our in-house cinema (where they watched “Despicable Me”, as tradition demands) to the outdoor party, accompanied by the Imperial March Music. This is our yearly Kükenfest (translated directly: baby chicken festival!)

The brisk evening began with a short speech by our head of studies, Jürgen Haas, followed by a speed-dating round, where the first years and second years had 20 seconds to introduce themselves to each other.

Welcome gifts

The welcome gifts this year were a beautiful “Bergli” pin and a T-Shirt with a print of the 2021 Bachelor Film “Manchmal weiss ich nicht wo die Sonne” by Samantha Aquilino. The “Küken” then pulled the names of their godmother or godfather out of a construction hat.

Easter Egg Hunt

The game of the evening was a character design competition based on easteregg hunt. The Apéroverein (a kick-butt group of students keen on organizing parties in the department) hid 35 eggs filled with fun facts and “easter eggs” about the school and animation in general. Six groups were formed where the godmothers/-fathers and their “Küken” would search for those eggs together. After ten minutes of searching for as many eggs as they could the groups came together again. They then had to create a character design with all the fun facts that they found.

Finally, in the darkness and with many phone flashlights to help light the scene, every group presented their character designs.

The members of the Apéroverein who are in the 3^rd year had the honour of judging the six character designs and gave out 6 Jürgen-approved-awards. All the creations are now hanging in the 1^st years’ common space.

Artworks

From then on, the official part of the evening was done but the party had only just begun. With Jane Mumford as the grill master (without her we would have starved since the fire wouldn’t start until she showed up). Food was served and music was played. Everybody talked, laughed, and at 10 pm started to dance.

We warmly welcome all students of 2021 and hope that they will enjoy their stay at the Animation Department of Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst!

After a double postponement and a lot of anticipation, the 2020 graduates finally had their films shown on a big screen to their peers, teachers, friends, and family in a late premiere screening. Of course, a few restrictions had to be applied but with them came the weird, forgotten and magical sensation of being in a cinema…without a mask. What a blast.

The projection was preceded by some minor microphone difficulties and a few touching words from none other than our headmaster Jürgen. Then the public could finally enjoy the awaited show. Every project was proudly applauded and some “woaws” and “woohoos” were shouted here and there.

Many familiar faces were present and a lot of catching up had to be done between each other. For this, as expected from the animation department, a little premiere apéro was prepared. People could then share a drink and a friendly chat in a familiar classroom full of freshly created poster by the students who will hopefully show their own films in a not so far away future.

In July I had the pleasure to take part in the second edition of the Living Lines Workshop. It is the 2D counterpart of the LuMAA, brought to life by the two alumni Amélie Cochet and Louis Möhrle, also known as Studio PIAF.

Unlike the year before, the course would take two weeks instead of just one week. The first one being focused on the creative and conceptual aspects of animation such as compositing, framing, montage and storyboarding and the second one dedicated to the art of animation itself. The participants were a mix of current and former students of the HSLU animation department, students from the HEAD in Geneva and several creative-minded people from different places that were interested in animation.

So, after a warm welcome on Monday morning and after having managed the first technical problems that were bound to happen, each person drew a quick portrait to introduce themselves. The schedule was tightly packed, so we lost no time and dived into the first input. The following days would all be structured like this, having an input in the morning and time in the afternoon to work on exercises or on an individual sequence. It was the overall goal of the workshop to do a short animated sequence or a series of exercises.

Let’s dive in

The first few days were taught by Veronica L. Montaño and Frederic Siegel. As a first-year student it was very nice to finally be able to put a face to those well-known names whose graduation films popped up several times in the theory lessons. They explained to us the different steps of animation preproduction and we did fun tasks on storyboarding and character design. Additionally, we got a lot of valuable insight on their work in their self-founded studios and creative collectives. Fast forward to Friday, Nino Christen took over for Veronica and Frederic. By that time everyone had developed their idea for what they wanted to animate in the following week, so with Nino’s help we started doing animatics and layouts.

At the start of the second week we were joined by three more participants and immediately went on to the 12 principles of animation, again with Nino. The rest of the day we had time to work on a short loop and it was amazing to see what everyone accomplished in this limited amount of time. For the next two days Justine Klaiber coached us individually when we were working on our sequences and last but not least we spent Thursday and Friday morning learning FX-animation with Etienne Mory and adding that knowledge quickly to our own animations before time was up.

The end of the Living Lines Workshop came very fast and even though I would have liked to spend more time working on my clip in such a motivating and productive environment, I was also excited to finally get to see everyone’s work on a big screen. There was lots of amazing stuff and it was also a really rewarding experience to see your own work of the last two weeks (it was far from finished though). Afterwards we spent a well-deserved, relaxed apéro-evening together to conclude the workshop, where even the weather managed to be fairly decent compared to the rest of the days.

In hindsight I can say that my time in the Living Lines Workshop was well-spent and I am happy I signed up. It was a great opportunity for me to push myself and especially as a first year student I learned about things like layouting and FX-animation that I had never tried before. But probably the most important part was the close contact with the lecturers that all had a lot of experience to share. I had a lot of fun and I wish Louis and Amélie all the best for their next workshop!

Animation Unplugged is a project between the Animation and the Film Music department of the Filmuniversity Babelsberg from Potsdam. This year, despite corona, four of our students joined the project!

Day 1

It started with a meeting on Zoom. Everyone was a bit sad that it was not possible to meet in person like the previous years, but after a small introduction we moved on. After all, an idea had to be written down in a few hours if we wanted to have a finished film by the end of the week. All 20 of us started to write word associations for an hour and went on by telling each other the stories behind them. The next step was to transform one of those stories into a Storyboard for the film, and that was when things got serious. Some of us finished whole animatics at the end of Monday, some wrote scrips and as for me, I struggled with the idea itself.

So at the last Zoom Meeting on Monday afternoon I only was able to tell my story in keywords. At that moment one could really feel how different everybody was! We didn’t just have animation students from the Bachelor, but also from the Master, Students from Scriptwriting or the Film department who wanted to try out animation. As the only first year BA Student I felt a little intimidated, but I could learn a lot from the different ways people came up with stories and realized them.

Day 2-4

The next days passed in a flash. We met every day to show our progress. After the first day there were some animatics, backgrounds or mood boards. After the second there were the first animations or work setups. On the third no one wanted to share anything because they were in working-mode and were almost finished. While it was amusing, my wish for the project being in person sparked the most there. I wanted to see their progress, wanted to talk about the various forms of animation they used and maybe ask for some input on my own project. But before I knew it, Friday was already around the corner.

The music department did their best to be able to set music to as many films as they could which was not easy. Because of Covid-19 they could only use the studio for an hour at a time and not everyone of the students were able to be there. They played in different rooms or even remotely, and the Animation Unplugged tradition of allowing the animation students to see them play live was not available as usual. Still, we got the music on Friday and we were able to put it in our films. Friday evening was the final moment of Animation Unplugged with the big presentations of all the finished Films.

Day 5

We had a big crowd of people joining the Zoom and got to meet the music students for the first time.

We all had a blast seeing the finished results. Even if we from Lucerne didn’t go to Potsdam but stayed at home, it still was a valuable experience.

It was hard to finish a whole film in just about 4 days, but I am still happy I participated. I was able to try out a new technique without the pressure of failure and with a set time limit, so I did not have to work on it until perfection. Also, we got professional music for our film, which for me was the biggest reward of the whole project.

So, if you want to try something next year or want to have a finished project with music for your portfolio at the expense of some short nights, I can recommend Animation Unplugged 2022 to you.

Results

With the permission of the creators of these films, here are some of the final results! Enjoy.

Alex West

Anne Weberndörfer

Webseite: https://www.anne-katharina.com/

Laura I. Schneider

Password: 2021

https://vimeo.com/510195428

Yongxin Wang & Sophie Kalinowsky

Film: https://vimeo.com/510332100

Caroline Laville

Hao Yu

Film: https://klops.filmuniversitaet.de/index.php/s/lv7oEKQpghXS6vh

Samantha is one of the few animation students who chose to follow the daunting path of working alone for her final bachelor project. In this interview we find out about the perks and challenges of working alone instead of in a team and discover what the lobster represents to this experimental artist.

• Can you share with us what inspired you to work alone and when did you make this decision?

Samantha – I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to work alone, I like working with others but I saw an opportunity to follow the movie making process while being supported by school. I saw a chance to bring to life one of my ideas in my style and have complete freedom over it. That idea really excited me.

• What is the theme of your project?

The theme touches on unfamiliarity with your surroundings, the people around you and especially with yourself. The idea is to portray this feeling and to lean into that feeling of strangeness and unfamiliarity to get better acquainted with it and find your flow.

• Which materials/techniques will you be using?

I work with analogue 2d with pencil and paper, combining two methods.

• What was difficult about working on this solo project?

The difficulty still is and will be that I am working by myself for the entire project, dealing with insecurities and not feeling strong or talented enough. Even though I feel that way, I fight those feelings and try to have fun and enjoy the process. At times it can be really difficult. In a solo project you do all the tasks, and although it’s wonderful to be a part of everything, sometimes, you can’t give a difficult task to a friend because the friend is you…. and the other friend is you… and…well….it’s all you! So it’s also a difficult thing, to start those tasks you don’t feel comfortable with. As soon as you accomplish them you’ll be happy because you’ll be like “wow I made it by myself!” But before that, it’s a fight.

For me, the most difficult part so far was story development and how to do a dossier. As they say: time is money and money is power.

• Did you feel pressured to make a more classical animation style movie?

Sometimes. There are so many different opinions from different people. I get a bit insecure because my project is experimental and some opinions push to get it to resemble a clear story. But instead I try my best to follow my feelings so that my project feels right to me.

• What have you most enjoyed so far in the process?

So far I have really enjoyed everything.

• What do you hope people will take away from seeing your project?

I hope that people experience a connection.

• And of course, what do lobsters mean for you?

The lobster is blind. Humans are also blind, they don’t see really well. The lobster has a good 180° vision and can detect motion in dim light, but when it is bright, it is blinded and doesn’t see very well anymore. In my story, poor vision is something that the lobster and the humans have in common. I can compare them to a deer or a cat which can see a lot better. So the lobster is more similar to the human and is really important to the entire creation of the setting because animals, basically, explain the world.

• Will you be collaborating with artists from other sections? If so, what does interdisciplinary collaboration bring to the project?

I will be collaborating with Loïc Kreyden (alumni) for sound design and I am really excited and enjoying that process. Sound and picture will be very important because of the experimental aspect. We have to work in response to each other, which will influence the pictures and sounds. He has a lot of experience especially with experimental and abstract sound design. I am really excited and looking forward to seeing what we can combine and create.

• Have you chosen to work at home or on campus ? How have the corona restrictions impacted your experience?

I think zoom works pretty well at the moment at least for meetings and having an exchange. I am really happy that I can count on my mentor Jane, I see her a lot in person. I think I will be working at home and at school. On campus I see my classmates so I can exchange and share experiences, ideas, feedback and also have access to the resources I need for the project. At home, sometimes, I can save time but if I combine these two workplaces, it would be a good solution for this entire situation and try to hang on during these pretty unexpected and strange times. But I mean all times are good times, am I right?

• Any funny or strange zoom moments so far ?

I remember one moment, it was during the development course presentation which was a big moment for everyone. We all waited for our turns to present. When it was my turn, I started talking without realizing I was muted, it was a bit embarrassing but fortunately didn’t get me out of my vibe so it went pretty well.

• Let’s hope this helps the students in the first years to grasp what it takes to go solo – thank you for your sharing your experience so far.

My pleasure!

Did you miss the official Info-Days at the Hochschule Luzern Design & Kunst? No worries! Why not have lunch with us this week over Zoom? All you need is to install the program and then you can logg in over the link on the following pages. We look forward to meeting you!

MONDAY 23rd Nov:

https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/design-kunst/agenda/alle-veranstaltungen/2020/11/23/bachelor-animation/

TUESDAY 24th Nov:

https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/design-kunst/agenda/alle-veranstaltungen/2020/11/24/bachelor-animation/

WEDNESDAY 25th Nov:

https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/design-kunst/agenda/alle-veranstaltungen/2020/11/25/bachelor-animation/

looking back at one week of wicked workshops

Students don’t always show up at school, but when they do they must have a good reason for it. And this summer, they had a very good one.

Eager to escape from the OwnRooms Animation Studio a handful of refugees found shelter in the abandoned ruins of what used to be the heaven of creativity, gossip and drama.

Armed with graphic tablets and facial masks they stepped through the ashes where they also happened to find ancient pieces of technology that enabled them to reactivate the transmitter which they continued to call Twitch. And they only had one goal: To send a signal of unity to all the living animators, and to bring knowledge to all the survivors and also to learn dark magic.

And so they assembled a team of great experts in order to teach what has never been taught before:

From the godly act of creating stylized characters to the unknown art of animating four-legged forgotten creatures the students enhanced their skills with wicked tricks and workflows of only the finest kind. Eventually they merged their powers to summon masters from outer space asking them for guidance on the uncertain path of animation.

Delighted by all the expertise, the students left the ruins to reflect and contemplate and also to recover their strengths as they will be from great value for the years to come.

Thanks to all those generous souls getting out of their way to share their wisdom!

Kaum hatte Aline Schoch ihren Bachelor in Animation absolviert, schon wurde sie mit ihrem Abschlussfilm MEGAMALL ans Internationale Film Festival Locarno eingeladen um dort ihre Premiere zu feiern – im Jahr, als die Corona-Welle dem roten Teppich den Garaus machte. Warum das Festival dieses Jahr nicht ganz so international war, und was sie an Rolltreppen fasziniert, erzählt sie uns bei einem Gazosa im Vögeligärtli Luzern.

• Aline, wie war’s in Locarno?

Es war spannend! Aber es fühlte sich auch sehr komisch an. Sehr wenige Leute waren da. Die berühmte Piazza war komplett leer! Sie hatten dafür Bilder um die Piazza herum aufgestellt mit Fotos davon, wie es in früheren Jahren ausgesehen hatte. Das Filmprogramm war reduziert, es hatte natürlich weniger Zuschauer, und es gab auch gar keine internationale Gäste. Dafür nationale FilmemacherInnen. Das ganze Drumherum eines Festivals fehlte dieses Jahr. Es gab keinen Ort wie ein Festivalzentrum, wo man hingehen und Leute treffen konnte. Es war mehr wie Familienurlaub, mit baden und Pizza essen.

• Und wie war dein Urlaub, so als Festivalbesucherin?

Ich war drei Tage in Locarno und bekam leider keinen Festivalpass…  das «Pardi di Domani» Programm (in dem auch MEGAMALL gescreent wurde) konnte ich umsonst schauen gehen, mit Voranmeldung. Aber sonst hätte ich mir online ganz regulär ein Ticket reservieren und kaufen müssen. Die Festivalorganisation hat sich jedoch viel Mühe gemacht, in dieser schwierigen Situation das Festival doch in diesem Rahmen durchzuführen.

• Hast du auch andere «Pardi di Domani» getroffen?

Ja, ein Paar Filmemacher aus Lugano und aus der Westschweiz, die mit ihren Filmen auch dort Premiere feierten. Wir trafen uns nach dem einen Filmblock, gingen danach ein Bier trinken und tauschten uns etwas aus. Veronica Montaño und Joel Hofmann von Studio Eisprung habe ich leider nur ganz kurz gesehen!

• Wie war die eigentliche Premiere deines Films, als er zum ersten mal gescreent wurde?

Es war zwar sehr entspannt, weil das Kino fast leer war. Trotzdem war ich schon ziemlich nervös als ich auf die Bühne gehen und etwas sagen musste! Das Interview mit Kurator Tizian Büchi wurde trotz allem hochoffiziell geführt, und es war ein riesiges Kino. Aber da sah ich dann meine Familie in der ersten Reihe, die luganeser Filmemacher ganz hinten, dann noch etwa 10 Nasen, und das war’s. Das hat mir dann ein wenig die Nervosität genommen. Da dieses Jahr das grosse Drumherum sowie der rote Teppich fehlten, lief alles etwas entspannter. Dann waren auch Schlarpen kein tabu.

• Wie waren die Reaktionen auf deinen Film?

Bis jetzt habe ich ihn vielen Leuten gezeigt und gutes Feedback gekriegt. Auch in Locarno bekam ich sehr schönes Feedback. Oft waren sie erst mal begeistert von der Technik. Da die meisten Gäste dort Realfilmer sind, können sie sich den Workflow gar nicht vorstellen. Und auf inhaltlicher Ebene finden viele die Rolltreppenmetapher schön, und auch die unaufdringliche Art wurde oft angesprochen. Was ich damit erzählen wollte, scheint anzukommen!

• Und was willst du damit erzählen?

Tizian Büchi, der Kurator, hat mich gefragt wie ich auf die Idee gekommen bin. (Dafür muss ich mir noch einen guten Satz zurechtlegen, sonst weiss ich nie wo beginnen) Von Anfang an ging’s mir darum, mich mit dem Konsum auseinanderzusetzen. Ich stellte mir Fragen wie: Wie viel brauche ich? Wieviel konsumiere ich? Brauche ich alles was ich konsumiere? Kann ich nicht konsumieren? In den zahlreichen Stunden, die ich zur Recherche in Shoppingmalls verbrachte, erschien mir die Rolltreppe als Verbindendes Element. 

Meine Abneigung gegenüber diesen Rolltreppen machten sie waren für mich zum perfekten Bild für diese Thematik. Eine Rolltreppe ist eine Art Loop. Es geht immer weiter und weiter, so wie der Konsum und meine Auseinandersetzung damit ebenso endlos scheinen. Das bringt die Geschichte auch in einen absurden Kontext.

• Warum nerven dich Rolltreppen?

Rolltreppen an sich sind ja nichts schlechtes. Manchmal sogar sehr wichtig! An Bahnhöfen und Flughäfen z.B., damit man schnell viele Menschen befördern kann. Aber das Problem ist, dass die Menschen draufstehen und dann eifach warten, bis sie oben sind. Sie werden passiv und lassen sich bequem transportieren. Diese Passivität und Selbstverständlichkeit nervt mich. Man kann die Geschwindigkeit, die man eigentlich hätte, gar nicht nutzen, weil alle aufhören zu laufen.

Und im Einkaufs-Kontext ist der Gedanke, der mich stört, dass sie gebaut wurden um das Konsumieren möglichst bequem zu gestalten. Damit auch Geschäfte, die in höheren Etagen des Einkaufszentrums liegen gut verkaufen. Es geht darum den Konsum zu fördern. Es gibt auch so absurde kleine Rolltreppen! Die kleinste Rolltreppe der Welt überbrückt lediglich vier oder fünf Treppenstufen. Sicher hat das für einige Leute einen grossen Nutzen, aber…

• Abschliessend zusammengefasst – war es trotz den speziellen Umständen für dich schön, in Locarno Premiere gefeiert zu haben?

Ja, auf jeden Fall, aber es war schon eher speziell. Aber da es momentan überall so ist, spielt’s keine grosse Rolle. Dadurch, dass der Film in Locarno gelaufen ist und Teil der offiziellen Selection war, gibt es dafür andere Festivals die mich angefragt haben, den Film einzuschicken. Darüber bin ich sehr froh. Aber der Film hat noch kein grosses Publikum erreicht. MEGAMALL läuft auch am Fantoche (wo es reguläre ZuschauerInnen geben wird), und auch wenn er dort keine Premiere hat läuft er dort im Wettbewerb. Ich freue mich sehr, dort Leute zu treffen und mit ihnen über die Filme zu diskutieren!

Die Trickfilmemacherin Aline Schoch hat 2020 ihren Bachelor in Animation erhalten. Sie kommt visuell “eher aus der experimentellen Ecke” (Zitat Aline), arbeitet mit Projektionen und als VJ (u.a. mit «Teichprojektion» mit Alumni Louis Möhrle) und hat im Sounddesign ein festes Standbein gefunden (mit “Noisy Neighbours” unter der Leitung von Sound-Dozent Thomas Gassmann). Momentan arbeitet sie mit “Teichprojektion” an Visuals für ein Musikprojekt, welches einen Liederabend von klassischen Komponistinnen zusammenstellt.

https://www.noreenaline.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Video-Creator/Teichprojektion-869950953206863/

Another year, another class, and another Anigrill!!

But before we delve into details about how fun the barbecue was, lets congratulate the third year students first!!

My dear ex-classmates and former almost-friends, as your fellow ex-classmate, I congratulate all of you who have graduated and also all of you who almost graduated! Not only did you make it out alive, you even did so with much elan and elegance that I have no doubt you all will continue being badasses in the future and kick away all the lemons or whatever that life throws at you with easiness.

Be proud of what you have accomplished until now and be excited of what you are going to do from now on. And if you ever come across a job you don’t wanna take, just remember that one ex classmate…

Lets also congratulate the second and first year who have safely passed this not so ordinary school year and wish them a fun and relaxing Summer holiday so they will tackle the new school year with new motivation and energy.

As a last Farwell to the third year students, it is a tradition in our department to have a grilling time together at the end of each school year, which we dearly call Anigrill.

The get-together also serves for the teachers and other students to see each other one last time before everyone part for their Summer holiday.

So when words got out the barbecue got canceled, everyone got sad. It just doesn’t feel right to end the year without our special Anigrill.

However! Our headmaster gave it his all to get permission from the higher up and he got it! Thank you very much Jürgen!

So now that it was certain the anigrill would take place, everyone eagerly prepared in advance salads and dessert to go with the grilled food. And thanks to those efforts it resulted in a deliciously diverse buffet for both vegan and meat lover! Mmmmhhh! En guete! (yes yes, there was little meat but there was still meat)

Let’s not forget the social distancing though! To remind everyone of the social distancing, the Ani students taped the ground with distance marking so nobody crossed each other personal space.

We don’t want to help spreading the virus any further.

However! That doesn’t mean we cannot be cheerful.

Because this was the first time since the lockdown where everyone got to see each other in real life instead on a screen, one could see smiles on each students and teachers face.

As expected, the personal contact between human is still the best. No hightech webcam can beat that.

Our headmaster also shared the same thought which he expressed in his speech.

One could say the highlight of the day was Jürgen giving a speech.

He usually has a resting grim face, but he can be really cute sometimes. That sometimes is when he gives a speech.

Besides thanking everyone, he also encouraged the students to help each other.

But what am I saying, who expresses his thought better than the man himself?? So let’s watch it!

Last but not least, a big big thanks to aaaall the teachers and assistants who made it possible for us students to safely pass this school year. Thank you all. Have a nice Summer and stay animated!!!

The Jugendfilmtage Zurich is a Swiss film festival for children and young adults, dedicated to showcasing the directors, actors and animators of tomorrow. This year our students council acted as jury to nominate the winner of our first “Bergli” award for young animation talents!
The award was hand-sculpted by our head of department himself: Jürgen Haas.

We were planning on presenting this mysterious award to the winner at this year’s prize-giving ceremony of the Jugendfilmtage Zürich, but now the corona crisis has forced everyone to make bis organisational changes. In an extraordinary effort, the Jugendfilmtage Zurich have turned into an online-festival in just under a week – congratulations!
And although our staff at the animation department are scrambling to make necessary adjustments in online teaching, our head of department took time out of his busy schedule to read out the laudatio himself. Take a look!

And here is the slightly more official laudatio from our students council jury, in German:

“Wir waren überrascht und erfreut von der hohen Qualität der Einreichungen. Obwohl sie von verschiedensten Teams stammten – Einzelpersonen, Gruppenarbeiten, betreute Klassen – hatten alle eine sehr originelle Idee und eine spannende, kreative und schön animierte Umsetzung. «Jackpot» hat einen starken Erzählstil, ein tolles Konzept vom visuell dargestellten Bankaccount, und ein ansprechendes Design der Figuren und Szenen. «Balloon» beinhaltet sehr aufwändige perspektivische Hintergründe, Szenen mit vielen gleichzeitig animierten Figuren, und ein poetisches Ende, das uns sehr gefiel. «Geldbaum» hat die Technik des Cutout optimal genutzt und beinhaltete viele schöne, berührende und auch lustige Details in der Animation. Doch am meisten hat uns eine Einzelarbeit überzeugt. Hier wurde eine sehr originelle und unheimliche Welt kreiert, die uns faszinierte aber auch schaudern liess. Vor allem das Sounddesign ist auf sehr hohem Niveau, und arbeitet mit vielschichtigen und überlegten Kompositionen. Der Regisseur traut sich, beängstigende Situationen zu beschreiben, lässt seine Hauptfigur leiden, am Ende aber doch siegen. Ein Auge für die Cinematographie und ein Ohr für Klangwelten mischen sich hier zu einer beeindruckender Eigenleistungen.
Herzliche Gratulation, Rachim Jau für “2020: Odyssee im Weltraum” !