Anna Interview

Hi Anna, I am a student a Leeds College of Art and I saw your work at the end of year show as well as on display in the college as the curator's choice.

I really admire your handmade approach to animation and the hand of the maker is evident in all that you have produced in your studies here. I'm excited to see where you'll go next.

After searching your name, I found your showreel and email address so just wanted to send a little email to ask what you're doing now after graduating and a few questions about your practise if you don't mind.

Your stag, in particular, was incredible. The attention to detail in its form, function and movement blew me away; I never imagined that something that scale could both hold its shape and move like a real creature. It was displayed in college behind glass, an interesting discussion of how puppets can be exhibited as works of art. What do you do with your models after they've been used? Do you make them to sell too?

I'm studying illustration (currently Second Year) but I am really interested in model-making and puppetry.

Since watching Jim Henson's Labyrinth as a child, I've been intrigued and enchanted by the magic that is bringing puppets to life.

I chose Illustration over Animation because I expected animation to be more about cartoons and CGI. What is your opinion on computer-generated animation? What makes hand-crafted puppets different to digital assets on a screen?

I call myself a storyteller because I'm not your typical illustrator - I don't really draw at all. I make models and compose scenes. I am striving to learn more about the animation industry and discover how I can branch out into that area.

What made you choose animation?

What is the most important/useful thing you learned during your degree?

You went to the studios of Mackinnon and Saunders on a trip with the college, is that the kind of place you'd like to work? What would be your dream job in the industry? It seems that your specialism is the process of making, so would it be in the puppet making department rather than as an animator?

Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sorry for bombarding you with questions!

Kind regards, Jay Stelling

Hi Jay,

Thank you so much for your email, I really enjoyed reading it, and knowing that you have appreciated my work. You have asked some very interesting questions, and I would be happy to answer them, and any others you might have about the animation industry.

However, at the moment I am working some very hectic shifts at Betty's craft bakery, up until the 23rd. I will be able to reply more fully to your questions over Christmas.

Thank you once again, and I hope you enjoy your holidays.

Best wishes, Anna

Hi Jay,

Thank you once again for your email, and sorry it has taken me so long to respond in full. I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year.

The stag is perhaps my favourite puppet. I began designing and building him as part of the practical research for my dissertation (which explored the relationship between theatrical puppets and their stop motion counterparts), alongside the larger stag puppet which was also on display at the end of year show. However, I didn't manage to finish him, and so decided to carry on with him as one element of my final major project.

In all, I was probably working on him for about six months, and this provided me with an invaluable opportunity to learn about the process and challenges of building a stop motion puppet. Balancing the form and the function of the stag was my main challenge. In particular was how to create the bulky, muscular shape of my designs without making the puppet so heavy that the metal armature would be unable to support itself and hold a pose.

Sponge and foam are often used to cover the metal armatures in stop motion puppets, creating musculature, as they are lightweight yet flexible materials which can be cut and sculpted into shape, yet my stag was so muscular that the sponge would fight back against the joints, pulling him out of shape. So it was a long process of trial and error, and accepting changes to my original designs, before he was finally complete.

It is interesting that you mention puppets being exhibited as works of art. Arguably puppets are meant to be seen in motion, whether on stage or screen, as they can appear lifeless otherwise. However, I have seen a number of puppets displayed in galleries and museums, providing the opportunity to in the flesh how they are constructed and how they operate.

As a model maker, I find it inspiring.

I have kept all of the puppets and props I have made. Some are out on shelves around my home, and others are stored away. As I put so much work into each I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. At the moment I do not make them to sell, but this is something I would be open to. As the cost of the articulated armatures is quite high, I had also thought of creating unarticulated models, as a less costly option.

I was raised on Disney, and have not stopped enjoying their films with the rise of 3D computer generated animation. In fact, when done well I find much to admire in CGI. However, it seems that it is very easy to get wrong and there are so many instance of both live action and wholly animated films using CGI which is just unconvincing, ugly and distracting. For CGI to be successful, I feel there is a need for it to be flawless. With puppetry and stop motion, there is perhaps less pressure to create a sense of realism, as the worlds and characters already exist in a physical form, and so quirks are more readily accepted.

There were two films which made me see animation as more than a form of entertainment, and as something I might want to do. The first was Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and the second was Suzie Templeton's Peter and the Wolf. In both films the puppets were so beautifully designed and animated, and so expressive. To me, they were works of art, with a wide audience.

Puppetry and practical effects in cinema have always been a big influence on me, from Jim Henson to Stan Winston. So much so that I was initially going to study Technical Arts and Special Effects at Wimbledon, but that didn't work out.

I had similar reservations as you about studying animation, so it was important to me to find a course which would offer the opportunity to specialise in hand crafted forms of animation, not just CGI and cartoons.

However, these styles (CGI in particular) are a big part of the industry, and there are comparatively few stop motion projects in production. While I struggled with computer based forms of animation whilst on the course, I did quite enjoy digital model making, and accept that to pursue a career in animation it would be prudent to continue to develop these skills.

The most important thing I learned during my degree is that you have to be flexible.

Animation in general and stop motion in particular is a series of problems to be solved, and sometimes you have to make changes and accept that there isn't a way of building a character, or animating him, exactly as you pictured in your mind. With stop motion you are bound by physics, and have to accept the limitations of the media. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. Working as part of a team means that there are more minds available to help overcome a problem, and there may be someone with strengths that you lack.

Working as a sculptor for Mackinnon and Saunders would be my dream job. However, on visiting their studio I discovered that very few of their staff are employed full time, but rather are contracted as and when projects are undertaken. I am indeed a maker rather than an animator, so am exploring various avenues where I might put my model making skills to use beyond the animation industry.

In terms of branching out into animation, stop motion would be a good way for you to experiment, as you already make models, and don't really need much equipment besides a camera. Many animators I have heard from at conferences and festivals have started out this way. Also, you could make the most of your time at college and look into collaborating with one of the animation students. There are a number of helpful books in the library which discuss the basic principles of animation, but aside from that, the best way to learn is to have a go, and build up a portfolio and a showreel.

I hope that I have answered all of your questions, I feel I might have rambled a bit.

Please do let me know if you have any other questions, and I'll do my best to answer them.

All the best with your degree.

Warmest, Anna