Balthazar

PROFESSOR BALTHAZAR’S ADVENTURE LABORATORY
Animated Film Workshop

Dates: 14 – 23 July 2014
Venue: Pula City Library and Reading Room
Leaders: Manuel Šumberac and Vibor Juhas

This summer the already traditional animated film workshop “Professor Balthazar’s Adventure Laboratory” will open its door to a new generation of young animated film fans. All youngsters aged 7 to 12 looking for new things, experiments and exciting film ventures are welcome to join the workshop.

PROGRAMME

As part of the theoretical section the participants will learn about animated film production techniques. Through introductory lectures on animation and production basics the participants will learn how to develop the story, the script, how to create characters and their personalities. One section is dedicated to classical animation and simple and exciting exercises aimed at understanding the basic principles and rules of animation such as squash & stretch. The participants will have the opportunity to see fragments of some of the best professional and amateur animated films.

The practical section comprises making and realization of animated films (jingles) with the help of the mentor. The participants will use a combination of CGI and Cut-Out animation. The elements and the basis for short films have already been prepared and through their work and ideas the participants will impact their final composition, production and post-production. Sound segments will be incorporated as well and the participants will learn something about sound recording and editing and about how to integrate music in the final product in the most practical way. The emphasis is on independent production, technical solutions and tricks used to realize projects professionally.

The special guest of this year’s laboratory is Péter Vácz, young and talented Hungarian director of animated films. His films Streamschool and Rabbit and Deer earned him more than fifty awards at international festivals, including Atlanta and Nashville. He attended the European Animation Workshop and the 3D Character Animation course at Vyborg in Russia. Since 2013 he has worked at the London-based Picasso Pictures animation studio.

The date and the place of the festival premiere of the short animated films produced by the participants will be announced subsequently.

APPLICATIONS

Application deadline is 30 June 2014
Places in the workshop will be filled according to received applications. If the workshop is already full before the application deadline, additional applications will not be taken into consideration.
Application fee is 400 kunas and for two children from the same family 700 kunas.

Fill out the application
Additional information: zeljka@pulafilmfestival.hr / 099 650 7267

Manuel Šumberac was born in 1988 in Pula. In 2007 he graduated from the Graphic Design Department of the Pula’s School of Applied Arts and Design. The same year he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Department of Animated Films and New Media. In 2013 he received an MA degree in Animated Film and New Media. During his studies he received a number of best student recognitions. He has made four animated films: Escargot (2010), The Oars (together with Zdenko Bašić, 2011), In the Shadow (2011), and Mechanical Heart (2013) as well as three animated music videos for Croatian musician Gibonni. His film Escargot earned him the second prize at the 42nd Croatian Film and Video Revue and the 1st prize at the Balkans Beyond Borders festival. In 2010 his animated music video Žeđam earned him the Porin music award for best video. He works as illustrator as well.

Vibor Juhas was born in 1982 in Pula. He is an illustrator, animator, musician and filmmaker. He is the author of several music videos for bands from Pula and the surrounding places. In 2011 he completed his first short film No Way Out. In 2012, in collaboration with the Monteparadiso Collective, he made his full-length documentary Monteparadiso 20 which premiered at Pula and then travelled to various festivals in Croatia and the surrounding countries. He illustrated the children’s book Strahosmijeh and the picture book Ponoć u Parku 52, as well as several short comic books. He is currently working on a new animated film and an interactive picture book. He works as a designer at the Pula festival of books and authors Book Fair(y) in Istria.