Together with Marko A. Kovačič, he directed three animated short films featuring the Plastos Civilization. In 2009 he realized a short puppet animated film entitled Kiddo – slingshot as director, co-writer and co-producer. But his most notable production was an animated series Koyaa that has been broadcasted on the Slovenian national television throughout 2005 season. And while Koyaa patiently waits to appear in an upcoming 2011 sequel short animated film titled Koyaa the Extraordinary we took the opportunity to talk with his creator.

What is the role of stop motion animation in contemporary movie industry, powered by “CGI”?
Lately we saw quite a few stop motion feature films (i.e.: Mr. Fox, Wollace and Gromit, Corpse Bride, Coraline …). This shows that this art form did not fade away and I also believe that it never will. There are also some original stop motion movies at various festivals. But it is true that CGI dominates, nevertheless to make a good movie one needs the same amount of work, time and finance. I see stop motion as an authentic author approach. The investors, the audience and other users mostly want a good story and good picture quality, no matter what method is used.

Compared to computer animation the stop motion method requires a long and painstaking process. Do you see the additional work as a kind of nostalgia and keeping the film making legacy alive, some kind of Zen -Buddhist approach to self control training and patience or as a form of added value to the art form?
Stop motion movies are demanding mostly due to the fact that the process of animation requires the animator to move the puppet in a linear way. That means that every move has to be perfect. In example in computer or classic drawings the main animator does only the main phases and the remaining work goes to the assistant. If there is a move in computer or hand drawn animation that is not satisfactory there is always the option to manipulate it inside the actual shot, which is not possible with the stop motion method. But I see our method mostly as a tool and a form of expression, although it is possible that the legacy of the “vintage” method used gives it an element of nostalgia. What I like about “polished” stop motion movie versions is the small mistakes and the recognition of organic materials.

Your animated movies are meant essentially for the youngest audience – children. How do they perceive stop motion animated movies?
In the beginning of my career I used to work in a small crew, alone or with Marko Kovačič. Those movies were mostly meant for the adult audience. During that period I mostly got to know the method of storytelling, because there were not a lot of authors in that field in Slovenia and also the internet did not give many information on the subject at that time. But that has changed substantially during the last years. The latest movies are meant mostly for the younger audience or the latest animated Koyaa The Extraordinary I see as a movie meant for a wider audience. The story itself is very simple, dialogue free and therefore meant to be viewable for children around the globe. I believe that kids do not ask about technique or methods used, they focus on the story. But I am sure that with stop motion method they recognize the space dimension more and can identify with the image more easily.

In one interview F. F. Coppola quoted Napoleon about the inventiveness of directors: “Use the weapon at hand.” What is the “arsenal” of animated movies?
Find your own way the best as you can.

Do you think that the flood of stop-motion videos which can be seen on the internet could be attributed to the overall excitement of the “hipster” generation over the retro legacy or could there be another sociological mechanism behind it?
Most of all a lot of these feature films were made with the stop motion method over the last few years. In the amateur movie “league” with the first experiments you will get an effect in stop motion much faster then you would with dealing with complex computer animation software. Above all what you need is skillful hands. That is why a lot of stop motion movies are produced by students of fine arts universities. It becomes complicated with all the techniques, when you go deeper in touch with professional production standards. Surely the flood can be attributed to the accessibility of data on the internet: how to make a stop motion movie, many workshops for kids and youth on the subject are taking place, the Lego brand made a software for stop motion so a lot of kids will animate their Legos.

You were a part of a unique experience – the making of a feature film that was awarded the worlds most prestigious award (No man’s land) – The Oscar. What do you think the artist’s biggest obstacle is?
The artist himself.

How to overcome it?
Fight, win. Lose, rise up again. Keep on fighting.

Plastic Bag Monster from Kongresni trg spreads its plastic tentacles through the streets of Ljubljana. It symbolizes the spreading of the consumerism and waste segregation. The monster itself has adjusted to the environment and therefore survived. It is supplanting us from the food chain. It just might succeed and it’s all up to us. It is reproducing with inconceivable speed and knows no mercy. It feeds on individuals’ sloth and irresponsibility.

The Miha Artnak

Lovka na lovce / The Tackle of the Tentacle
Kongresni trg, Ljubljana, November, 2010

BTC, Ljubljana, April, 2011

Europese commissie, Brussels, May, 2011

Luka Koper, June, 2011

Tape is easy to use. Lines can be used as a strong graphical element. They can be used for painting techniques, like filling up planes with color, modeling with hues, or making space interventions… Tape is mostly temporary because it can get destroyed by weather conditions or by people very easily. But if you use it on a very smooth surface, such as glass, it can last for a long time. One can use a knife to cut the tape and achieve rounder shapes. It’s a common material mostly used for sticking together two materials, and by using it in a different way, it becomes a great tool for visual communication. It also has the do-it-yourself roughness and energy, which makes it smart and innovative.

Recently a Slovenian photographer of younger generation Matjaž Tančič explored 3D medium with his photographic project entitled Mimicry. He visually integrates man with both natural and urban landscapes through the exciting, new medium of 3D photography. The photographs in his series were shot on several locations in England, Slovenia and China. By creating a direct correlation between the styling and posing of each model and their environment, Tančič cleverly accentuates the stark contrast between these two opposite settings. Models placed within the natural world appear primal, feral and animal-like.

Concurrently, they are also at ease in their surroundings dressed in fabrics and accessories that mimic the foliage, water and rocks cohabiting the space.  The urban models, however, are much more aggressive in their stance, posture and positioning while each garment is more tailored and polished. The models appear to have more control of their surroundings exuding an intense power commonly evoked by life in the city. This clever, duplicitous presentation allows the viewer to visually jump from city to country, almost physically even, through the medium of 3D.

The series entitled Mimicry were exhibited in Ljubljana (Slovenia), London (UK), Beijing (China) and it gained a huge success.


More about the project & author:
www.matjaztancic.com

While setting up the installation the passers-by were invited to make a wish. Everyone could add their wish, which could be about the equipment in the public space, the programme, development, infrastructure and so on. A wish could apply to the whole fifth district or to a single location of the district. Every wish and the location was also balloon marked on the rug. As the wish list grew, passers-by could daily notice how many ideas were being collected on the rug.

Already at the opening the project had a big effect and feedback from the passers-by. The kids instantly adopted the surface full of balloons and turned it into a playground. The parents were happy to join them. Without any warning all of the visitors took of their shoes when stepping on the rug. All week the local population and passers-by gathered around the installation. Kids were having fun chasing balloons as the parents discussed the environment they live in. Some of the kids even actively joined the happening. They helped at giving out flyers, tying balloons, cleaning the carpet and other activities.

In a week we saw almost 400 wishes being gathered. From that an approximate third were very utopic, a third had to do with things over which the city had no direct influence or control, and a third of the wishes were very clear and doable. Based on the words of the mayor of the fifth district the last doable third of wishes could be done by the city in a single mandate. On the last day the mayor of Margareten district declared the chosen wish he would like to fulfil. The decision was made – on the Siebenbrunnenplatz Square he intends to put a drinkable water fountain. That was the wish of most of the inhabitants. The wish itself is connected to the history of the district and the name itself states that the first water infrastructure for the whole town of Vienna used to run through this district. The huge amount of positive response and clear proposals from the wishes were a pleasant surprise for the organizers and the city itself.

ProstoRož proved once again with the project that even in a limited amount of time, within one week, it is possible to gather meaningful proposals from the inhabitants. The promise that one wish will be granted and made reality without a doubt helped to even better motivation and results. The inhabitants of the district themselves realized that they can actively participate in planning and co-creating the space within which they live in and further develop it in a playful manner.

It’s not only about the new kind of input, it’s also important to give users the functions they really use and need in a way they can understand. The proficiency switch for example adjusts the whole interface to how experienced the user is. The “Settings recovery” function gives users the freedom to make mistakes, play with settings and learn without consequences. Also, opening up the cameras operating system to developers can only be of benefit for users and manufacturers. Although this project is far from finished, it shows some new directions of thinking about digital cameras.

Miha Feuš is a young self-thought interaction designer from Slovenia. He is currently pursuing his master studies in Interaction design at Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden.

After thinking through the concept I started sketching and designing the plans for the product, followed by a prototype in white color and trying to avoid or eliminate technical errors or faults in the production process. After that the manufacturing could start. I decided to build a “six-pack” of Candelights. I picked some undamaged spray cans, emptied them out completely, eliminating all the gas pressure, then drilled a hole into the top of the spray can, cut of the bottom using a can opener and sanded the surface preparing it for applying paint. Since I wanted to recycle an old product to create a new one, I of course decided to use the remaining paint from the sprays for the actual paintwork design of the Candelights. When the paint dried I inserted the wiring. I decided to use LED technology for the luminous parts due to its energy saving function and also for the low temperature they emit (higher temperatures could damage the paint work on the Candelight). The angle of light coming from the Candelight can be different, depending on the luminous parts used. I also re-used the spray caps, cleaning them thorough and making them work great as a cover for the wiring at the top of the Candelight.