EAM-Mastercuts 2009: “European animation talents our guests in Halle for a few months”
Halle (Saale), 8th November 2009 – On Friday, the results of the last European Animation Masterclass (EAM) were shown in the packed Cinema of the Central German Multimedia Centre (MMZ): the “Mastercuts 2009”.
“It is fantastic to have some of the most promising young talents of the European animation scene with us in Halle for a few months and to have the opportunity to observe how they learn and how they develop”, says Tony Loeser, Board of the International Academy of Media and Arts Halle, which not only organises the EAM, but is also responsible for other high-calibre initiatives in the media sector – most recently the also very successful Film Music Days Saxony-Anhalt at the end of October.
Tony Loeser, Managing Director of the Halle-based animation enterprise MotionWorks, also likes the presentation of the five films, which the EAM participants produced during their training in Halle: “One can see in the truest sense of the word, how fruitful it is when talent meets good task-oriented training: terrific work.” And he adds; “That the EAM also prepares its graduates for the future is proven by the many films they are able to show at international festivals later in their careers”.
“Once again we had a great year with fantastic participants”, commented EAM Project Manager Mike Riemenschneider, who emphasised that such a project would not be feasible without the help of so many partner and supporters: “To have achieved and maintained this high standard in the past years is only possible with the continued and committed support of many people and institutions. The EAM 2009 was supported by the MEDIA Training Programme of the European Union, the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM) and the Medienanstalt Saxony-Anhalt, all of which, we, and many others besides, cordially thank all supporters, helpers, staff and lecturers.”
The five films presented at Mastercuts 2009, showed the whole bandwidth of the art form Animation, which, at the same time, is also an important entertainment genre:
The puppet film Masks has been created in Stop-Motion technique at the Prague HAFAN Studio, where the EAM participants traditionally take part in a puppet animation workshop.
No Time for Timing tells a surrealistic love story, whose pictures remind of ink drawings.
The White Rider is a depressing drugs nightmare in gloomy shades of grey.
The drawn good-story Chrysalis tells the story of a friendship of a mouse and a caterpillar, which is of course continued once the caterpillar has turned into a butterfly.
And finally, Score, which at the same time is a funny and bitter comment on the discussion on computer games that glorify violence.
The EAM is a nine-month intensive course for young international animation talents: animation graduates, young professionals with first professional experiences, promising talents. This year, we had 11 participants from five nations, who – accompanied and looked after by a team of international experienced and recognised trainers and experts – have learned and worked together in Halle (Saale) since the end of February. (Download as pdf)
European Animation Masterclass 2009
In 2009 the EAM will include three coherent, market-oriented modules on the needs of the animation industry. The full EAM will run for 9 months with equal amounts of time devoted to the following key aspects:
ANIMATION BUSINESS ORIENTATION (approx. 3 months):
Topics to include: licences, rights, financing, PR, marketing, sales, distribution, target groups, film subsidies, festivals, pitching, sales, markets, profitability
ANIMATION PRODUCTION (approx. 3 months):
Topics to include: pre-production, production management, scripts, storyboards, character design, animatics, sound, layout, animation, editing, post-production, sound mixing, software training
TEAM PROJECT (approx. 3 months):
The production of a short individual animated film as the participants' final examination piece; a team project consisting of various specialisations (e.g. storyboard artist, animation, character designer, production manager, etc.)
Target group: Students and graduates of universities or colleges involved in animation, art, graphics, design and other related academic courses. Will also appeal to young people who want to expand their abilities and extend their knowledge in order to enable them to react more flexibly to the ever-increasing demands of the industry.
Course dates: 23rd February - 06th November 2009
Course fee: 750,00 Euro (scholarships available for participants of EU member states, Iceland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland)
If you are interested please send your application to
International Academy of Media and Arts e.V.
Mansfelder Str. 56
06108 Halle
Germany
deadline is January 31st 2009
or contact:
eam@halle-academy.de
