11 Jul Cut-out Animation Workshop at the Ludwigsgymnasium Straubing
Film Presentation as Introduction of a Cut-out Animation Workshop
For 5 July 2022, the Ludwigsgymnasium Straubing invited me to introduce myself and present excerpts of my Trickfilm-Show to the 9th and 10th grade.
At the Citydom cinema in Straubing, 130 pupils watched five of my films, got an insight into how the films were made, and asked questions about my artistic work after the screening.
The 100 minutes program was apparently well received. The supervising teacher, Veronika Villing, told me afterwards that the pupils continued talking about the films on the way back to their school.
Course of the Cut-out Animation Workshop
The Ludwigsgymnasium also asked me to conduct an cut-out animation workshop for 16 pupils of the enrichment group. These are gifted and motivated pupils who are offered special teaching programs as part of a support program.
The aim of the workshop was to produce an animated film that could be screened publicly in my Trickfilm-Show planned for the following Sunday.
The supervising teachers, Ms. Veronika Villing and Mr. Matthias Maas, prepared the one-day workshop with the pupils weeks in advance. The pupils were already developing ideas for an animation film, writing short scripts and making sketches, to which I gave my feedback from Kassel. They could understand my criticism and tips and continued to work with motivation.
Having traveled from Kassel to Straubing, I conducted the workshop in the Thomas Stellmach Hall. We discussed the ideas for the animated films right at the beginning and quickly agreed on which story was the mature and could be implemented well.
After a brief introduction to the process of making an animated film, the action really got underway. Highly motivated, the 16-member production team divided into working groups. Two of the pupils took over the direction, others the graphic design, still others provided ideas for the animation, worked on the animation table or dedicated themselves to the sound and the music. The schoolgirl who came up with the idea for the film was unfortunately unable to attend the workshop due to a Corona infection.
For the realization, we chose the cut-out animation technique. We built ourselves an animation desk with a webcam, used a laptop with stop motion software, and lightened the image area for animation with lamps from the school’s theatre fundus. With the help of a video beamer that projected the image of the webcam onto a large wall, everyone was able to continuously follow the work process and the progress of the animation.
There was a busy back and forth in the room all day. Teachers from the school stopped by to inquire how the workshop was going. It was a great atmosphere. Everyone worked together with great dedication. The animation was recorded, the scenes edited and underlaid with sound and music. Now we could finally watch the complete film. The teachers and pupils stood tensely in front of the small monitor of the editing computer and watched the finished film. When we saw the result, we all clapped each other’s hands overjoyed. This moment made it clear how much we had grown together during our collaboration. Now we could look forward to the premiere on Sunday.
After a brief introduction to the process of making an animated film, the action really got underway. Highly motivated, the 16-member production team divided into working groups. Two of the students took over the direction, others the graphic design, still others provided ideas for the animation, worked on the animation table or dedicated themselves to the sound and the music. The pupil who came up with the idea for the film was unfortunately unable to attend the workshop due to a Corona infection.
For the realization, we chose the cut-out animation technique. We built ourselves an animation desk with a webcam, used a laptop with stop motion software, and lightened the image area for animation with lamps from the school’s theatre fundus. With the help of a video beamer that projected the image of the webcam onto a large wall, everyone was able to continuously follow the work process and the progress of the animation.
There was a busy back and forth in the room all day. Teachers from the school stopped by to inquire how the workshop was going. It was a great atmosphere. Everyone worked together with great dedication. The animation was recorded, the scenes edited and underlaid with sound and music. Now we could finally watch the complete film. The teachers and pupils stood tensely in front of the small monitor of the editing computer and watched the finished film. When we saw the result, we all clapped each other’s hands overjoyed. This moment made it clear how much we had grown together during our collaboration. Now we could look forward to the premiere on Sunday.
Premiere of the Workshop Film in the Cinema
In a matinee on Sunday morning, 10 October 2022, at 11 a.m., I presented parts of my Trickfilm-Show to the audience at the Citydom cinema in Straubing in a hundred minutes film programme.
After a short welcome by Straubing’s mayor Werner Schaefer, I showed nine films. For each film, I briefly told how it was made and answered questions from the audience.
At half-time of the program, the 70-second workshop film had its premiere. After the projection, the participants stood up to show themselves to the applauding audience.
A successful Combination
All three events went very well and complemented each other perfectly.
At the film screening on 5 July 2022 the pupils saw my films and got an insight into my artistic work with shown photo and video material. On 6 July 2022, selected pupils realized their animated film CHANGE in our workshop. On 10 July 2022, Sunday morning, the pupils, their parents and the public saw the workshop film as part of my Trickfilm-Show on the big screen at the Citydom cinema Straubing.
With the experience the pupils gained in the first two events, they now saw my films with different eyes. The pupils were introduced to the art of animation in a memorable way. They got to know the possibilities of artistic expressions in animation filmmaking and learned about me, my occupational field and the skills you need to get closer to your dream job. An important side effect of the workshop was that the participants learned about the interests and talents of their fellow pupils. Mutual appreciation, including appreciation of one’s own person, was fostered when one’s own skills were suddenly called upon in a film team.
I remember well the moments when pupils and teachers told us about their special interests during the workshop. For example, a student, who had just graduated from Ludwigsgymnasium, took part in the workshop and told us that he would like to become a film composer. Another young participant mentioned that he already makes stop motion films. A teacher who helped us with the lighting of the film set told us that he worked for a well-known light bulb and LED company, before he decided to teach.
Workshop result: Film CHANGE
All three events went very well and complemented each other perfectly.
At the film screening on 5 July 2022 the pupils saw my films and got an insight into my artistic work with shown photo and video material. On 6 July 2022, selected pupils realized their animated film CHANGE in our workshop. On 10 July 2022, Sunday morning, the pupils, their parents and the public saw the workshop film as part of my Trickfilm-Show on the big screen at the Citydom cinema Straubing.
Workshop result: Film CHANGE
With the experience the pupils gained in the first two events, they now saw my films with different eyes. The pupils were introduced to the art of animation in a memorable way. They got to know the possibilities of artistic expressions in animation filmmaking and learned about me, my occupational field and the skills you need to get closer to your dream job. An important side effect of the workshop was that the participants learned about the interests and talents of their fellow pupils. Mutual appreciation, including appreciation of one’s own person, was fostered when one’s own skills were suddenly called upon in a film team.
I remember well the moments when pupils and teachers told us about their special interests during the workshop. For example, a student, who had just graduated from Ludwigsgymnasium, took part in the workshop and told us that he would like to become a film composer. Another young participant mentioned that he already makes stop motion films. A teacher who helped us with the lighting of the film set told us that he worked for a well-known light bulb and LED company, before he decided to teach.
Press, School Report and more Information
Read an report how the Ludwigsgymnasium or the local newspaper Straubinger Tagblatt (on the right) writes about it.
Get more information about my animation workshops, Trickfilm-Show or next events.
With the kind permission of the “Straubinger Tagblatt”.
The workshop was supported by
the parents’ council of the Ludwigsgymnasium,
the Sparkasse Niederbayern-Mitte,
the Volksbank Straubing (mediated by the Office for Culture and Education of the City of Straubing),
Bayernwerk AG,
the Citydom cinema Straubing and
the Straubinger Tagblatt.
Claudia Tiemann
Herwig Hlawa