Introducing Pupils to the Art of Animation – Film Screening and Cut-Out Animation Workshop at Ludwigsgymnasium Straubing

On July 5, 2022, I had the honour of presenting my Animated Film Show for pupils in grades 9 and 10 at Ludwigsgymnasium Straubing. At Citydom Cinema Straubing, around 130 pupils watched five of my artistic animated films. I gave insights into how the films were made, explained my working process and answered numerous questions.

This interactive Animated Film Show also included a Q&A session in which the pupils asked questions about my career, storytelling techniques and the process of making animated films. The event served as a creative and motivating introduction to the hands-on animation workshop that followed the next day. Teachers later reported that the screening had sparked further conversations among the pupils and aroused their curiosity – a sign that the event had an impact beyond the screening itself.

The next day, I conducted a cut-out animation workshop with 16 pupils from the school’s Enrichment Group. As part of a school enrichment programme, they had already prepared intensively for the project by developing story ideas, draft scripts and initial sketches, which I was able to review and comment on in advance from Kassel.

During the workshop – held in the school’s Thomas Stellmach Room – we refined the concepts together, selected one idea for the group to develop and then moved on to production.

The pupils worked in small teams with clearly defined responsibilities, including direction, visual design, animation, sound and technical setup. The film was created using cut-out animation, a webcam, stop-motion software and lighting equipment from the school’s theatre resources.

On Sunday, July 10, 2022, the student film was screened again at Citydom Cinema as part of my Animated Film Show Matinée – this time in front of a public audience.

Straubing’s mayor, Werner Schäfer, welcomed the guests. I presented nine of my films, talked about how they were made and answered questions from the audience.

Halfway through the programme, CHANGE had its premiere. The participating pupils received warm applause as they stood up in front of the audience – a moving moment for everyone involved.

The combination of a film screening and hands-on experience not only introduced the pupils to the art of animated filmmaking – it also allowed them to experience the importance of teamwork, personal initiative and creative problem-solving within an artistic process.

Mutual appreciation and recognising individual strengths were just as important as exploring their own creativity.

I particularly enjoyed the exchange with the participants: one pupil wanted to become a film composer, while another was already making his own stop-motion films. A teacher who helped with a lighting problem told us that he had previously worked for an LED company – contributing to an inspiring atmosphere of openness and interest.

The Story Behind CHANGE

The film tells the story of a red balloon that rises into the sky and encounters various flying objects along the way. In an attempt to adapt to them, it takes on the shape of a bird, an aeroplane and a rocket, one after another. But none of them stops.

Only when it encounters another red balloon does it return to its original form. The other balloon recognises it as one of its own kind and moves closer. Eventually, the two come together to form a red heart – a symbol of love.

A poetic story about identity, adaptation, encounter and love.

The series of events at Ludwigsgymnasium Straubing would not have been possible without generous financial and organisational support. I am particularly grateful that it was able to take place despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

My heartfelt thanks go to:

• the Parents’ Council of Ludwigsgymnasium,
• Sparkasse Niederbayern-Mitte,
• Volksbank Straubing (with the support of the Office for Culture and Education of the City of Straubing),
• Bayernwerk AG,
• Citydom Cinema Straubing,
• and the Straubinger Tagblatt.

I would also like to thank Claudia Tiemann and Herwig Hlawa for their invaluable help and commitment.

• Read how Ludwigsgymnasium and the Straubinger Tagblatt reported on the project.
• Find out more about my cut-out animation workshop.
• Discover my Animated Film Show.
• Find more projects and events on my Events & Blog page.