The Cape Town International Animation Festival, in partnership with Comic Con Cape Town, delivered an engaging programme at the height of the festival at the CTICC today. Bringing together industry players, experts, aspiring animators as well as fans who just love to watch animation, the festival kept crowds engaged and entertained with special event-only offerings.
Starting the day with a Physical Theatre Masterclass, delegates learnt from multi-award-winning actor, writer, comedian and director Rob van Vuuren, who boasts a 25-year-long career founded in training as a physical performer. As physical theatre principals include precise gestures and body language, Rob shared his expertise of multiple characterisation, further expanding delegates’ knowledge on physicalising emotional states, the use of levels, facial expressions, groupings and specific body language, which they can now use in their reference videos before animating.
The Story Battle workshop offered a crash course to 50 participants in the art of visual storytelling with Triggerfish Academy in a 3-hour session where attendees worked in small teams, receiving guidance on turning a script into storyboards ready to pitch. In this crash course on story art development, delegates went from creating appealing characters in shorthand, mapping out beat boards, using a camera to establish cinematic mood, to gaining various industry insider tips. The last part of the workshop focused on finalising the boards, allowing everyone to leave with a portfolio ready project.
As a special treat to delegates, in a Comic Con Cape Town Exclusive, the Cape Town International Animation Festival offered a sneak preview of locally produced Aau’s Song, a film featured in Star Wars Visions Volume 2, an anthology of films, which will premiere on Disney+ on May 4, 2023. The directors Nadia Darries & Daniel Clarke were joined by the film’s producer Dianne Makings for an in-depth Q&A and the viewing of never-before-seen footage.
Along with talks and workshops, two screenings, Best of CTIAF, featuring some of the best short animation films submitted to the CTIAF in 2022, as well as Best of Animation School, highlighting the top animation films from the final-year students at the school in 2022.
“Being part of Comic Con has given us a chance to speak to people who consume a lot of animation and show them the behind the scenes of creating the work. We hope the delegates are walking away with a sense of pride about their country and about the industry and join us for FAME Week from the 4th to the 6th of September”, says Dianne Makings, CTIAF Director.
The final day of the festival will kick off with Simon Browne, Escape Studios’ (London UK) Houdini expert, who will take delegates on a whirlwind tour of SideFX’s Houdini software, creating anything from explosions, shattering rocks and concrete, generating terrain (and then driving a vehicle over it) to landing a helicopter in a dust storm, and even spilling a plate of noodles, demonstrating how Houdini’s industrial strength 3D procedural system empowers artists across the world to create some of the most exciting, animated images.
“This is going to be a fun and interactive session where we showcase the potential of Houdini software. I can’t wait to meet up-and-coming South Africans with a passion for VFX. Let’s see who comes up with the best plate of digital noodles and collapsing rockfalls!”
The screenings are a celebration of the partnerships CTIAF share with international film festivals in Stuttgart and Wales. CTIAF continues to create market access for local filmmakers with these strategic partnerships. Audiences enjoyed a selection of films, the best of CTIAF 2022 was sent to Stuttagrt over the same weekend showcasing local talent internationally. And the final day of CTIAF will screen films who’ve won ITFS Trickstar Nature Awards in 2022, and those regarded as the Best of CARDIFF.
Then the Sunday Sundowners & Sketching session will wrap up an incredible weekend as BAFTA winning director Daniel Snaddon invites delegates for a relaxed life-drawing session, which includes live models (PG) for both long and quick pose sketching, as well as drinks. Industry players or fans who missed the offering across the four days are encouraged to visit the CTIAF social media accounts and engage with the community there. For more information on the Cape Town International Animation Festival, the various opportunities in the animation field, and the festival programme, please visit https://www.ctiaf.com/
