Since 1996, I have been offering animation workshops using a variety of animation techniques. Participants benefit from my many years of experience as a director, writer, producer and animator of short films, as well as a producer of animated commercials since 1982.
In my workshops, participants learn how animation works through hands-on experience. They explore creative possibilities, develop ideas and produce their own animations or films.
The workshops differ not only in their animation techniques but also in their organisational and financial requirements and in how participants work.
The zoetrope workshop is particularly suitable for larger groups with limited budgets. All participants use the same animation technique while creating their own subjects and movement sequences. The workshop is comparatively straightforward to organise and requires less technical equipment and coordination.
In the other workshops, participants produce films in teams. They can take on different roles and work together on more elaborate film ideas. This requires more technical equipment, supervision and time for coordination within the teams.
Participants draw short movement sequences on paper strips. When the zoetrope containing the paper strip is set in rotation and the drawings are viewed through its slits, the illusion of fluid movement is created.
Each participant develops their own animations and can immediately test and improve them. The focus is on movement, rhythm, visual expression and creative experimentation.
Participants create characters and backgrounds using paper, drawings or photographs and animate them frame by frame.
Working in film teams, they develop ideas and stories, design the visual world and take on roles such as directing, animation, camera work and editing. They learn how to plan and carry out a film production together.
Participants animate three-dimensional characters and objects, for example using modelling clay or other materials.
Working in film teams, they create characters and sets, experiment with movement and develop short stories. They learn how to use cameras and animation equipment and review their footage directly on a computer.
In pixilation, people are animated like cartoon characters. Frame-by-frame photography creates unusual movements and surprising cinematic illusions.
Participants develop their own ideas in film teams and bring them to life both in front of and behind the camera. Performers and camera operators must carefully coordinate their movements and shots.
Participants manipulate slow-drying paint on a glass surface and photograph the changes frame by frame. This creates fluid movements and transformations.
Working in small teams, they experiment with shapes, colours and movement. Film ideas can develop and change during the painting process. The focus is on collaborative creative work on an animation.
The workshops offer many opportunities to develop creative ideas and discover artistic abilities. Depending on the animation technique and project, participants explore storytelling, dramaturgy, visual expression, and the creative use of music and sound effects.
The workshops can also explore predefined themes, such as topics from a school project week, subjects covered in class or a school’s mission and values. Teachers can explore these themes with their students beforehand. This preparation may lead to initial ideas or even complete stories that can then be brought to life through animation during the workshop.
With the exception of the zoetrope workshop, participants work in film teams. They divide responsibilities, coordinate their work and share responsibility for the final result. This encourages team spirit, motivation and reliability. The workshops can also reveal particular talents or spark new interests.
A zoetrope workshop can be held in just one day. However, I recommend at least two days. On the first day, participants put their own ideas into practice. Building on this experience, they can then create more sophisticated animations.
For cut-out animation, stop-motion, pixilation and oil-on-glass workshops, I recommend at least three days for participants without previous experience. For participants with prior experience, two days may also be sufficient.
The appropriate duration also depends on the number of participants and the desired outcome.
Depending on the workshop type, duration and available supervision, groups of up to 20–25 participants are possible. However, not every animation technique is equally suitable for larger groups.
In the zoetrope workshop, each participant creates their own animation strips. In cut-out animation, stop-motion, pixilation and paint-on-glass workshops, participants usually work in small teams. The appropriate team size depends on the animation technique and the tasks involved.
The number of film teams also determines how many animation stations, technical devices and supervisors are needed.
Depending on the workshop, participants create individual animations, short movement sequences or collaboratively produced animated films.
With a zoetrope, animations can be viewed immediately using the optical devices and presented in a live performance. Film clips are also possible: If time and technical equipment allow, the drawings can be captured frame by frame using a smartphone and a stop-motion app and turned into film clips. Further film editing or other post-production may take place after the workshop.
In cut-out animation, stop-motion, pixilation and oil-on-glass workshops, individual frames are captured using a camera, such as a digital camera, webcam, smartphone, iPad or comparable device with suitable animation software. Completing the films may subsequently require editing, music and sound design.
Whether a fully edited film can be presented during the workshop or requires additional post-production depends on the workshop duration and the scope of the project.
The desired outcome and the format of any final presentation should therefore be clarified at an early stage.
The space and technical equipment required vary depending on the workshop.
The zoetrope workshop uses special optical devices as well as one light pad for every one or two participants. Neither a camera nor a computer is required for the basic animation process, making the technical setup comparatively simple.
Cut-out animation, stop-motion and oil-on-glass workshops require suitable animation stations with cameras, lighting and additional equipment. Stop-motion workshops also need space for creating characters and film sets.
Pixilation requires suitable filming locations with enough room for movement. If several film teams work simultaneously, additional rooms or filming locations may be necessary.
Special facilities and existing technical equipment can reduce the organisational effort and costs. Examples include film studios, stages with lighting equipment, workshops with tools, as well as suitable cameras, computers, iPads or comparable devices and smartphones with animation software.
Teachers and other accompanying adults can help with organisation and educational supervision. Technical and creative tasks involved in film production require appropriate knowledge and skills. Depending on the workshop, experienced teachers or participants may also be able to assist.
When several film teams work simultaneously, supervision must be coordinated according to the number of workstations and filming locations.
Costs depend on the type of workshop, its duration, the number of participants and the equipment required. Existing facilities and equipment, as well as support from teachers, can help reduce additional expenses.
In addition to my fee, there may be costs for special materials, the provision of technical equipment, travel and equipment transport. Accommodation costs or additional supervision may also be necessary.
Before making an enquiry, please find out what funding options are available through your organisation and who can cover the costs. For schools in particular, it is important to know about any restrictions on fees and the reimbursement of materials, equipment and travel expenses.
The workshops can be combined with my Animated Film Show, in which I present my award-winning short films. Having gained their own experience with animation, participants can view the films from a new perspective and gain a better understanding of their artistic and technical design.
Would you like to organise an animation workshop? Please describe your ideas and the relevant circumstances as accurately as possible in the contact form below.
Information about the participants, workshop duration, desired outcomes, and organisational and financial possibilities will help me assess which workshop is suitable for your group and feasible under the given conditions.
If some details have not yet been decided, you can indicate this in the form.
On behalf of the BVR, I have been running annual one-week animation workshops in various animation techniques for German prize-winners of the European youth creativ competition from 2006 to 2019.
The workshop results were presented as part of a final presentation either as a film or as a performance like The Spinning Animation Show.
Each workshop referred to the specific motto of the summer academy, such as ‘Imagine’, ‘Balance’, ‘Bridges’, ‘Flow’ or ‘Oikos’.
Watch the results on Vimeo.
Photos from the work process
I held a stop motion workshop commissioned by the Goethe-Institut in Amman in cooperation with the Royal Film Commission Jordan (RFC).
Participants built figures out of wire and gained experience in stop motion animation and animation film recording techniques.
Photos from the work process
A Zoetrope workshop with a final presentation of the results under the name ‘The Spinning Animation Show’ was commissioned by the city of Straubing on the occasion of the celebrations “800 years of the new city of Straubing”.
Together with the city archive and the State Technical and Vocational Secondary School FOSBOS Straubing, I developed a 40-minute Spinning-Animation-Show called The Spinning History as part of a six-month Zoetrope workshop. In the elaborately designed audio-visual show, the history of the city of Straubing was impressively presented by students.
Excerpt of 80 cycle animations.
The participants of the workshop created 80 animation loops on historical events in the city, each with 15 drawings on paper strips or discs, on records or on transparent Plexiglas. They themselves presented the results in an elaborate audiovisual show with eight optical devices, e.g. Zoetropes, Praxinoscopes or on turntables in combination with stroboscope and UV light.
Read more about the workshop and presentation in my article The Spinning History – A Zoetrope Animation Project.
Report by Donau TV
With the drawing artist and co-director of VIRTUOS VIRTUELL, Maja Oschmann, I held a one-day workshop on the topic of music visualisation.
Under the direction of Maja, the participants drew with charcoal and black ink on paper. They visualized their emotions to the music they were listening to.
In the second half of the day, I took over the workshop. The participants drew, modelled or collaged animation cycles on strips of paper. Accompanied by a participant’s live interpretation of the animations on violin, the other attendees viewed their results on a Zoetrope.
Photos from the work process
Here are my past events.
Please use the following contact form to send me further details about your enquiry:
