site.btaAnimator Stefan Voyvodov Sees Revival of Handcrafted Animation

There is a return to handcrafted animation techniques, which means that the computer is more of an auxiliary tool, Stefan Voivodov, an animation cinema professor at New Bulgarian University, told BTA in an interview on Tuesday. He was on the jury of the 21st World Animated Film Festival in Varna, which closed on Saturday.

Voivodov emphasized that there is a huge interest from students in Bulgaria in the Animation Cinema programme of his university.

To be good at it, one needs to have big patience, because animation requires a lot of time, he pointed out, adding that in the process of making an animated film, everything must work as a whole, including the animator's technique, the director's skills, the sound, the editing and the story. "If one of the elements is lame, the viewer will immediately recognize it. So everyone must do their job very responsibly and honestly with maximum immersion and capacity," he stressed.

What are the criteria that you follow when evaluating the films at the 21st World Animated Film Festival? Does the subjective factor dominate?

The jury and I chose to award films filled with a wide range of techniques, which show the diversity of the animation language that can be seen at the festival in Varna. The subjective factor is always present, especially considering that three different generations are represented in the jury, with me being the youngest. However, there are factors that are imperishable, universal human principles that are always valid, such as artistic aesthetics, which is not subject to time and generation, but is mostly related to beauty.

Is there a fad of anti-aesthetics in animation, which is seen in the visual arts?

There is always a trend in every art movement, but we at the festival try to avoid this. Rather, we are looking for new perspectives. When we talk about preliminary defragmentation or destructuring of an image, it is interesting when it is a subject of artistic interpretation and solution, instead of being a sign of creative weakness and of the inability of the author to to express himself in another way. We all know how Picasso painted in his youth similar to Flemish painting, and then in his mature years we see what he did, which was intentional and not a sign of weakness.

What are the most popular fashion trends in animation at the moment?

There is a return to direct animation techniques, which means that the computer is more of an auxiliary element and not so much the one doing the bulk of the work. Given the time we live in, these films can gain even greater value. I am categorically positive about what is ahead for animation.

What are the direct techniques that animators use today?

These are the old techniques in front of the camera, like stop motion animation, oil, dot screen, charcoal, backlight drawing, and everything beyond the computer. They are handmade and that is why animation requires time and patience. Any shortcuts in most cases do not lead to good results.

In this art, there is a combination of directorial skills, animator's technique and content. Is there the one element that is more important than the others?

Everything must work as a whole, because if one of the elements, including the sound, editing or captions, is lame, viewers will immediately recognise it. Everyone in the process must very responsibly and honestly do their job with maximum immersion and capacity.

How does Bulgarian animation stand in the world? Are there preferences in this country for handcrafted animation?

In Bulgaria there are all kinds of techniques, it cannot be said that any one is decisive for the Bulgarian school. There is diversity. There are wonderful authors with good results and I advise people to follow what is being done.

As a university professor, are you seeing a heightened interest in your programme? What are the career prospects of young people after graduating?

There is a huge interest in animation. Every year the number of enrolled students increases and you can see them at the festival, which is literally theirs. There is a future for animation and it lies in them. However, you know that success is an art that is extremely subjective. Winning awards does not always mean confirmation. For someone who is truly constant, consistent, honest and hardworking, the results always come in the end, no matter how big they are. This art requires time, with patience being a very key factor in this profession.

Stefan Voivodov was born in 1995 in Sofia. He graduated in Animation Directing from the New Bulgarian University, where he is currently a lecturer. He is part of the organizing team of the World Animation Film Festival in Varna. Voivodov has received awards and selections from both national and international festivals such as the Berlin Flash film festival and Cinelibre. One of his most significant achievements is his film Animare, which received numerous international awards.