Interview: Simone Massi - Director of "in quanto a noi" (From our side)

ROFFEKE: You could have chosen to animate something that portrayed lighter themes but “in quanto a noi” (From our side) is about “sixty years of Italian History flow, taking us from one darkness to another”. What is the importance of highlighting darker themes, especially from historical events?

SIMONE MASSI: I could have chosen to talk about lighter themes, it's true, but this is the path I chose from the beginning. The first short film made at school, just under thirty years ago, told the story of the Resistance and fascism. I believe I was the first in Italy to address these issues and I made this choice with awareness of the difficulties and risks. Animated cinema should be a worthy heir to painting, to the studies of Renaissance painters. And they told stories and not jokes.

ROFFEKE: In the 2013 interview by Golden Kuker Sofia regarding a career as an animator, you said that you chose “a difficult job”. Animation is challenging and time-consuming but what are some of the advantages, highlights and fun aspects of being an animator?

SIMONE: There are mainly two advantages: freedom and being able to do a job that I love. How many can say the same thing?

ROFFEKE: In the same 2013 interview, you say you’ve been an animator since 1995. What would you say are the main differences between animation in 1995 and animation in 2024?

SIMONE: In my opinion there are no big differences, I continue to see animation as a splendid opportunity for expression and I continue in the same way, with the sequence shot, the zooms, the metamorphoses... I have taken into account that in the meantime the world is changed a lot and people might see my work as something ancient, out of time.

ROFFEKE: As an animator, what are your views about artificial intelligence and creativity?

SIMONE: What I have noticed is that much of what had been imagined by the writers and directors of science fiction films is coming true. And given that they unanimously prophesied catastrophic scenarios, I cannot hide that I am worried. Throughout its thousand-year history, human beings have never demonstrated wisdom or common sense.

ROFFEKE: Advice for upcoming animators?

SIMONE: I belong to the older generation, which makes everything by hand, without using a computer, it is very difficult to give advice. Instead I have a hope, I hope that upcoming animators try to make their dreams come true without harming others.

ROFFEKE: In these hectic times, how do you take care of your mental health?

SIMONE: I try not to follow the media, not to rush. And then I try to take the good in life, accepting defeat and respecting others.

Interview: Peter Böving - Writer, Director, Producer of The Heaviest Order (Part 3)

ROFFEKE: In part 2 of the interview, you said: “…something often overlooked in creative processes is that experimenting with mistakes often leads to entirely new ideas, possibly even the best ones!” Please share any examples either from “The Heaviest Order” or any other creative work of yours where mistakes took you in new and interesting directions.

PETER Böving: In my first "life," I was a musician – 25 years on live stages and in a constant process of learning. There, I recognized the approach of "Error as Opportunity" and quickly cultivated it. Whenever tonally thrown off track while improvising, I noted that mistake – or, more sympathetically, the blue note – in the corresponding context and firmly integrated it into the further arrangement from that moment on. Ideally, one then weaves unpredictable turns in their improvisation on these detours. The crucial aspect is to "sell" what one is playing outwardly and always know where the emergency exit is, if in doubt... In filmmaking, I experience these moments much less frequently. A surefire way to create surprising moments is to "overlay" music or sounds onto one's films, ones that one would never have thought could fit together or complement each other. Approaching such a process openly ensures that one can certainly hear where a "match" can occur.

 

ROFFEKE: In part 2 of the interview, you also mentioned that your parental home influenced you to prevent food waste. In what ways did your parental home influence you in terms of creativity and the arts?

PETER: In addition to a few obligations, I was allowed to be a child. I would say that I played disproportionately much – often with things that were not necessarily age-appropriate. I essentially disappeared for years. Once, when my parents went on a summer vacation with my brothers, I chose to stay alone with my grandmother. During that period, I built ancient Rome from Kellogg's Cornflakes packages. When my family returned after weeks of relaxation, my fingers were sore, I was chalk-white with a happy face, and most importantly: Rome was completed!

ROFFEKE: “The Heaviest Order” has been featured in many film festivals all over the world. What advice would you give regarding making a film’s festival circuit successful?

PETER: This is something that probably few filmmakers are truly deeply involved in. My films also vary too much for me to create a guide to success.

A good idea or story, combined with originality and unique features, in my opinion, form a solid foundation for a film to gain attention at festivals. Impressive visuals and witty dialogues can also contribute, but in my opinion, they only bring something when the first point is fulfilled as well. Festival short films are, in any case, the ideal playground to experiment. Courage is often rewarded in the festival scene more than one might assume. Even if things don't go well at festivals, at least there is enjoyment in the production process.

What has personally helped me often: In addition to festival regulations, I also review photos from past screenings. If the atmosphere appeals to me and I feel I would enjoy being a guest there, it serves as a deciding factor for me to submit my work.

 

ROFFEKE: In “The Heaviest Order” there is a scene where the words “Something not right in Denmark” appear. I searched Denmark and food waste and came across a 2017 BBC article which said: “Around 29,000 tonnes of bread and cakes are discarded every year in Denmark, mainly because it is sold in portions larger than people need….” The article also says: “Yet Denmark now has more initiatives tackling food waste than any other country in the world.” It seems Denmark is tackling the food waste problem, so I’m curious, what were you referring to in that scene? :-)

PETER: "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" is just a saying originating from William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet." In Germany, it is often used to point out discrepancies, corruption, or general issues in a situation. In reality, it doesn't have much to do with the "present-day" Denmark. On the contrary, the Scandinavian countries are always one step ahead of other European states in terms of environmental protection, quality of life, innovation, and technology. So, dear Danes: No hard feelings, but you are also a bit to blame. This example vividly illustrates that not only does the internet not forget...

 

(The BBC article is "The country where unwanted food is selling out" by Prathap Nair, 24th January 2017. Look out for part 4 of the interview. You can read part 1 HERE and part 2 HERE)

 

Interview: Peter Böving - Writer, Director, Producer of The Heaviest Order (Part 2)

ROFFEKE: There are new artificial intelligence tools that, with a prompt, someone can create animated music videos or short films within minutes. What are your views on artificial intelligence? As a stop motion animator, what are the ways you see artificial intelligence being of use? What would you never use artificial intelligence for when it comes to animation?

PETER Böving: My sense is that AI will play a significant role in the creation of computer-generated animations. It seems like there won't be a stone left unturned. I can't elaborate much further as I have given my heart to the analog approach. The greatest strength of stop-motion animation lies in its analog nature, allowing one to potentially smell the materials and adhesives used in a film. Naturally, AI is gradually finding its way into my film and audio software without me actively installing anything.
However, something often overlooked in creative processes is that experimenting with mistakes often leads to entirely new ideas, possibly even the best ones! This only works when one has previously tinkered with the controls oneself. AI works largely flawlessly and doesn't reveal any vulnerabilities. But there are aspects of AI that I already wouldn't want to do without: the potential in the area of image scaling and restoration.

I will consciously keep artificial intelligence away from sound and music production, though. The evolution in this field has taken peculiar turns even before the era of AI: Instruments are being played live less and less, and arranging is often done using modular systems. However, in music, my observation is that it's not as easy to deceive as in the film medium. Those who merely 'claim' or hide behind 'effects' will be exposed much quicker by the human ear!

 

ROFFEKE: What are you doing in your own life to prevent wasting your food?

 

PETER: The whole program, I think: Planned shopping, making use of leftovers, proper storage, and minimizing waste or composting. However, I also know no other way: My parental home has greatly influenced me in this regard. We threw out little, whether it was money or food. Despite having the financial means, at our home, recycling came first before considering buying something new (of course, food was not recycled:). Probably, the post-war years, which strongly influenced my parents, still play a role here.

What I have newly discovered for myself, though, is the 'regrowth' of vegetable scraps. In our kitchen, there are little water glasses in every corner where leeks or vegetable onions grow again. That a harvested plant sprouts again is almost a miracle! After 4 weeks, there are fully grown, harvestable plants in the glasses again. Anyone who has ever grown leeks in their garden would have reason to doubt now. After 4 weeks, not much has happened in the home garden bed with a young plant, to be honest.

 

(Look out for part 3 of the interview. You can read part 1 of the interview HERE) 

Interview: Peter Böving - Writer, Director, Producer of The Heaviest Order (Part 1)

ROFFEKE: Stop-motion animation takes a lot of time. How long did it take you to create "The Heaviest Order" and what challenges did you face?

PETER Böving: My biggest challenge is always the same: the start of shooting! After spending weeks on set design and characters, a large, imaginary wall builds up. Instead of being happy to finally get started, it always takes a bit of time before I really get going. Perhaps this is because stop-motion animation is like a live performance with a big unknown. However, once I've started, I usually stick with it – at least 28 days a week, continuously. It took 8 months for this film. However, I switch between tasks during that time: lighting, sound, editing, music, VFX – more or less in a bio-rhythmic manner. When one activity tires me out, I switch to another that challenges me on a different level. As long as I don't get sick, I usually maintain this 12-hour workload for months. But if I do interrupt the work, I run the risk of bringing the aforementioned problem into the studio: the start of shooting!

ROFFEKE: You have managed to creatively bring to light the serious topic of food waste, a topic that many people are either not aware of or are not interested in tackling. What advice would you give creatives who want to use their art to talk about serious societal issues?

PETER: I'm not sure if I'm in a position to give advice on this. Honestly, I'm just relieved every time I come up with a trick to present the respective subject in a creative way. Overall, the challenge might be to find a balance between a humorous story and infotainment to make an environmental film work. A personal dramaturgical touch is to keep the audience in the dark about my intentions for as long as possible.

In my current film, I admittedly went a bit overboard. The punchline would have worked even if the film had been only half as long, as originally planned in the script. However, during production, I found joy in 'stretching' the story. An example of this is a scene in the film where one of the over-the-top protagonists gets the idea to drill a tunnel in a giant cake to run his model train through. This was not in the script; during filming, this absurd turn of events seemed inevitable to me. After all, I practically 'lived' in the set and understood the perspective of my protagonists a bit better every day.

This is both the blessing and curse of productions where one person does everything. The desk-bound planner becomes an activist, creating space for adjustments while risking getting hopelessly bogged down. In the end, I stopped pushing it further simply because I didn't want to exceed a runtime of 10 minutes. As a rule of thumb, films longer than 10 minutes are a criterion for exclusion at many festivals.

ROFFEKE: Speaking of food, what are your thoughts on the ongoing German farmers strike?

PETER: A highly charged topic: I fully agree with the farmers and their demands. However, I believe that there are also many other issues being unleashed right now, issues that have been building up over decades. On the other hand, I'd like to point out that currently, we have an Agriculture Minister who is about as good as it gets. I hope that this realization will permeate the broader public. (As we know, it took a while even for our former Chancellor Schmidt to be recognized.)

(Look out for Part 2 of the interview with Peter Böving)

Anime, Rock and Tomi Thirteen screenplay by Max Sparber and Coco Mault

“Whether you’re a die-hard Otaku (a young obsessed fan) or a total newbie to anime, there’s plenty of Japanese music to discover on Spotify.”

 - “How Anime Has Helped Japanese Music Go Global” 

 EXT. OTAKUKING HIGH RISE - DAY 

  “Anime isn’t just a style of animation - it’s a rich and exciting world of storytelling….A futuristic city where humans clash with titans, the adventures of a teen wizard…anime can mean action, fantasy, supernatural, comedy, or romance…” 

 “In this anime-inspired half-hour comedy, set in a future in which all of humanity lives in giant arcologies protected by superheroes, a 13-year old hero must navigate life in junior high school while battling the superintelligent insect larva that has moved into the basement.” - Synopsis of “Tomi Thirteen”, a screenplay by Max Sparber and Coco Mault. #ROFFEKEOFFICIALSELECTION2021

  “Anime fans know that music plays a major role in heightening the drama….The cinematic rock ballad [Red Swan] was created by composer, pianist and rock drummer YOSHIKI, leader of the world-famous rock band X Japan, and HYDE, vocalist of legendary rockers L’Arc~en~Ciel….the rock band FLOW…blends elements of punk, ska, and pop-rock….The band’s top 10 Spotify songs - all anime related - have already reached over 25 million streams.” 

  Watch Teaser of Tomi Thirteen screenplay. Music: “Miyagisama - The Haunted Dollhouse (Cinematic: Halloween, Creepy)" by MIYAGISAMA (from pixabay.com)

 

ROFFEKE at MV Fest

On 30th November, ROFFEKE was privileged to be a part of MV Fest, organized by Olamart Creatives. The venue was the beautiful and serene Oak Place Hotel and Conference Centre. The workshop, titled "ABCD of Screenwriting", was attended by actors, screenwriters, film students, models, a music video producer, an artist and a teacher. I used various short films and music videos that were submitted to ROFFEKE to illustrate the basics of screenwriting.

ANTAGONIST

"The antagonist (not the protagonist) must have the greatest willpower, which makes him or her the most powerful character in your story."
- Michael Tabb.

Screening: THIS IS JOE



The protagonist can be his or her own worst enemy.

SCREENING: RITA



BACKSTORY

One of the many things that Backstory helps a writer to do is identify conflict. "Conflict is the fundamental element of fiction, fundamental because...only trouble is interesting. It takes trouble to turn the great themes of life into a story..." - Janet Burroway.

Screening: ROCK IS NOT AN ATTITUDE



CONFLICT

Three types of conflict:
Man versus self (intrapersonal)

Man versus man (interpersonal)

Screening: ON THE FLOOR

On The Floor from Georges HH on Vimeo.

Screening: TAP



Man versus environment

Screening: WALL OF DEATH

Synopsis: "A meteorite flies to the earth and threatens to destroy an open air rock'n'roll party. Through the power of a "Wall Of Death" the festival visitors can save the party!"



DIALOGUE

"A good film script should be able to do completely without dialogue." - David Mamet

One participant wanted to know what the screenwriter's role was if no dialogue was used in a movie. I explained that the screenwriter is the one who writes a lot of what will appear on the screen.

Screening: THE SOUND OF ROAD



Screening: MEASURE OF A MAN



(Check out the interview with Measure of a Man director and actor here)

I ended by asking the participants: What are the ABCDs in RED OMEN?

Screening: RED OMEN

Synopsis: "Award winning Canadian singer songwriter Ed Roman along with animator extraordinaire Nelson Diaz from There Be Dragons Creative Media in NYC have created an exquisite animation to the title track of Ed Roman’s latest album Red Omen. The message is for awareness of Dyslexia."



(Read ROFFEKE Volunteer, Zafrica Hasaja's review of Red Omen, here)

We ended with a short discussion on the challenges and opportunities in the Kenyan film industry.

3 Reviews by Zafrica Hasaja

ROFFEKE is honoured to have a new volunteer, Zafrica Hasaja. Zafrica studied Theatre Arts and Film technology at Kenyatta University. He has worked as a video editor at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and was an intern at Royal Media Services. Below are his first three reviews:

RED OMEN BY ED ROMAN

Animated music videos are slowly becoming like an in thing and when I saw the video for red omen by Ed Roman I was curious to watch it till the end. Well let’s unwrap ‘red omen’. This song first of all, is an amazing track. I liked the hook and chorus; it’s catchy but you have to listen to the whole song to get the gist. The video is awesome. I loved the concept of the toy theme. It reminded me of when I was young. The guitar was a standout factor, wow! This is one track that should be on your playlist; even kids will enjoy this tune.



A BIGGER MAN BY PAPERFACE
'A bigger man' by Paperface is a creative rock music video. The song not only has an awesome message to it but also there is something special in the chillness of the whole vibe. To all rock fans, this tune captures the deepest part of the soul, sending your mind somewhere to oblivion.Yet again an awesome execution of the video. Honestly I can recommended this song to any one without second guessing. The video is an animated tale that will keep you glued to it till the end. For further understanding (so that it doesn't seem like I am mumbling a lot of nothing) kindly see the video on YouTube and if you like it just like I did, click on the like button and subscribe for more!



MARCH FROM THE UNDERGROUND BY LAST YEAR'S TRAGEDY

‘Last year’s tragedy’ is a Kenyan metal rock group. In review ‘march from underground’ is a fine one with some freshness to it. It has a lot of ‘emo’ to give out with a high tone. The rating for this one is fair. It would be a good composition for a concert. The video done in black and white fuses into the song's theme which was done in memory of one who was close to the group. It is intense and brings out the adventure in the track.

Alien and Alien: Interview - Mariusz Moscicki and Reviews by ROFFEKE Volunteers

"I don't know about you, but I just love that scene from the movie "The Fifth Element" (Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich) when Leeloo learns what [the] word "WAR" means. This inspired me to make this little animation." - Mariusz Moscicki

Synopsis
Alien visited Earth recently. He saw how people treat animals and each other. He got sick because of the air pollution and chemicals in food. He saw war, terrorism and death. Now because of all of that he can be compensated and law firm Alien & Alien is about to help him.

Format:
16:9, stop-motion animation.

Time: 1 minute.

ROFFEKE interviewed the creator and animator of "Alien and Alien", Mariusz Moscicki. His answers were short and to the point, like a commerical, like his animation. :-)

ROFFEKE: How long did it take you to create this animation?
Mariusz: 2 months.

ROFFEKE: What was the hardest part?
Mariusz: House on the rock.

ROFFEKE: Which software/technology, if any, did you use?
Mariusz: None.

ROFFEKE: There are many types of animation. Why did you choose stop-motion?
Mariusz: It's the hardest.

ROFFEKE: Why did you choose to do animation rather than live action?
Mariusz: I love animations.

ROFFEKE: Why did you choose the mock-commercial/ parody advertisement format?
Mariusz: It's a black comedy. I love this kind of humor.

ROFFEKE: Any advice for upcoming animation artists?
Mariusz: Keep your passion alive.

Reviews by ROFFEKE Volunteers

Coming from the perspective of an alien or a creature that is not from earth, this gives an earth resident something to think about in terms of all that’s going on in the world. I love the originality used in this especially the use of candy looking bits to make the characters and most things around them. The camera shots were quite well arranged and the sound is pretty awesome. There were, however, some parts in the commercial that were pretty graphic but I’m sure it was to make sure the message hit home though it could have been executed better without we the viewers getting to see all the blood and dead animals. All in all it was a good short film. - Lesley Gakuo

This video seeks to explain the shortcomings of the society in the World in present time. The law firm is interested in helping in these difficult times. The message being portrayed is very powerful in attracting clients but the quality of animation they used was not that good and was not doing the message justice. I feel like they should have done a better job plus some of the images they used were too gruesome and won't be appropriate to some audiences, for example the ones used to depict war. Overall, I enjoyed the video but I feel they should have done a better job with the animation. - Muthei Muni Nyangweso

I didn't like the video because, first of all the title. From my first impression of the video, based on the title, I was expecting it to be about "Aliens" not a Law firm called "Alien and Alien" so I think they should have chosen a better title for the video. The video itself isn't that interesting too and I don't think being an advertisement it was appropriate to use the picture of the slaughtered cow and the picture of the dead bodies. I don't think it will be comfortable for some audiences. They could have also done a better job with the animation - Ellam Minju Gathendu

"Alien and Alien" is a #ROFFEKEOFFICIALSELECTION2017

Interview: Kurt No.5 - directed by Aleksandr Kirienko

ROFFEKE: Why Kurt Vonnegut? Why not a Russian author?

Aleksandr: Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite American writers. I have used an extract of a text written by Vonnegut at the beginning of my song "Kurt №5". It is a fragment of his autobiography "Fates Worse Than Death". When I read this passage for the first time, i was very impressed by that. I was born on the bank of a big river too. Therefore it is very close to my world view. It was the main source of inspiration for my song. Suddenly I've got a puppet "Kurt Vonnegut". So I came up with idea to make an animated clip for this song with the puppet Kurt in the title role.

ROFFEKE: What animation techniques did you use?

Aleksandr: I used puppet animation, shooting on location and shooting with a chroma-key. Some of the objects are painted by Vonnegut himself: a stork, a live chicken and a fried chicken, a house, a cow, an air ball, a car and a little dragon. So I've borrowed them from some of his books. The first scene of the movie takes place in Vonnegut's room in New York. Now there is his museum.

ROFFEKE: What parts of the video were the most difficult to animate?

Aleksandr: It was difficult and interesting to shoot at the Baltic Sea in St. Petersburg. On that day there was a strong wind, almost a storm. It was necessary to shoot many shots with Kurt sitting at the seashore, looking at the sea and moving like a real human - turning his head for example. But the puppet was falling all the time because of the strong wind. Despite this, I'm glad that there was a storm that day: it helped us to make a very exciting scene with strong waves, rugged cliffs, gloomy fast clouds and a small plush Kurt - it's very cool.

ROFFEKE: Why a puppet instead of CGI or drawings?

Aleksandr: The puppet itself inspired me so much, that I definitely wanted to make it the main character and I've got no idea of shooting the clip somehow differently. At one film festival in the Russian city of Kirov there was a funny story. It was a festival of feature films. There was only one movie in the animation contest - my "Kurt №5". One of the members of the jury expressed doubt whether it was correct to take my cartoon to this festival. In response, another member of the jury said that the puppet in my cartoon was acting even better than many actors in the feature films. It was very funny, everybody was laughing.

ROFFEKE: In what ways does the music complement the film?

Aleksandr: The main role of my film was played by the puppet Kurt. But the minor role was played by the Water. My video has a lot of Water in its different shapes: the sea, the rivers, the lake, the harbor and even the puddle. I tried to express this feeling of Water in my music. Guitars, synthesizers, voice and even drums are kind of water. Listen the song: all the time it flows, drips, streams and leaks. All water on Earth makes the World Ocean. In my movie, the music and the video are merged into one big sensual Ocean.

Review: Rock is not an attitude

Contributor: Josephine Koima

Director: Xiaoxiao Tang
Producer: Xiaoxiao Tang
Duration: 5min 9secs
Country of Origin: China/USA

This is a stop motion animation that tells the story of 4 band members discussing their lives before forming the rock band. The films uses instances of flashbacks, and the story is in form of an interview. It would seem they are talking to us, the audience. Each of them had an innate passion for music, and it shows at their previous jobs. For example, one band member was notorious for banging on plates and cups at the restaurant he was working, and, he becomes the drummer.

There’s humor mixed with passion both through their dialogue and actions, elements that effectively communicate their love for their rock band. The director/animator, Xiao Xiao Tang uses this film to live out her fantasy. She cannot sing, or play any instrument, though her characters are amazing.

Their advice: Our lives are a reflection of our attitudes, and we should settle to do what we love.

ROFFEKE at BFMA 2016, 24th November.

Review by Josephine Koima: Intern

Broadcast Film and Music Africa is a business and technology event that serves the creative content and electronic media industry through a marketing platform. They have held such events annually for 7 years to bring together stakeholders in these three industries to empower them with knowledge that will strengthen Africa’s electronic media future. This year’s BFMA was held at the Kenya National Theatre and targeted TV broadcasters, Radio Broadcasters, Film and Music Production companies, Animators, Pay TV companies Advertising and Marketing agencies and many more.

Roffeke was invited and in conjunction with Kenya Scriptwriters Guild, they showcased the progress in the Film industry by their various representatives.In particular, Roffeke’s screenings focused on short films and music videos whose themes centred on particular Sustainable Development Goals. These goals were adopted on September 25th 2015 by a set of countries that desire to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all by the year 2030.

Films scheduled for screening were as follows,

SDG 1: No Poverty

1. Blurred Memories. A Canadian film directed by Joffrey Saintrapt.*
2. October Horse, Directed by Pedro Santasmarinas from Portugal.
3. An animated film for the music ‘Fairytale’ by El Sobrino del Diablo, from Spain, directed by Josep Calle Buendia..

SDG 2: Zero Hunger
1. Meat is Murder, directed by Elodie Despres and Stephane Elmadjian, is a film featuring a rock musician James D. Lee..*
2. The World is Dancing- Directed by Stefano Bertelli from Italy.*

SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
1. Grandpa – Directed by Medhat Maged.*

SDG 5: Gender equality
1. An Angel’s Tale by Sara Boix Grau
2. Superfama by Olga Osorio
3. Rock is not an Attitude by Xiaoxiao Tang

(*Due to time constraints, we were unable to screen some of the films)

Apart from these screenings, the session involved a brief introduction to screenwriting, undertaken by both Jackline Emali, a representative from Kenya Scriptwriters’ Guild and Roffeke founder, Mildred Achoch. The discussion centered around the basics of scriptwriting, , the dyanamics of a good story , how to mould characters, types of conflict and the structure of a professional script.

It was encouraging to see the huge turnout of young people interested in film, and hopefully, their enthusiasm will continue building the Industry.

Review: "Rita" - Music video for song by Tsenzura

Review by Josephine Koima: Intern

Director: Yuzefovich Valery
Category: Animation
Duration: 4:09 minutes
Music: Tsenzura

‘Rita’ is an animated film adapted from a song by the same name, done by an Israeli Band (Tsenzura). Tsenzura’s music can be described as hardcore punk/rock. as It is about a young girl’s struggles and need to indulge in alcohol and drugs, the things she tries to run from. Perhaps hoping suicide will end her anguish, she gets into a fantasy world, for a few minutes, and realizes that it is scarier and threatening compared to her reality.

Since the song forms a big part of the film’s narrative, it is essential to dig into the lyrics and meaning of what the band represents. ‘Tsenzura’ is Hebrew for ‘Censorship’, most of the song/video contains elements of drugs and sex. These young singers integrate the issues they have grown up with and around into their songs, and the character brings the song to life. There are sexual connotations in Rita’s fantasy that also depict her struggles as a woman i.e. the doctor telling her that ‘she has girl problems’ and suggesting a disgraceful and demeaning ‘cures’.Color has been used to reinforce elements of the story ;Yellow representing the alcohol, red for her kidney that’s apparently damaged because of her abuse of drugs, and interestingly, it has been used as a gag in her tormenting fantasy, the multicolored vomit as she had too much to drink as the song says ‘She can’t learn to drink’

The film makes use of fast-cutting or fast-paced editing where actions follow each other in quick succession, so the viewer gets to absorb much more information, and it also shows chaos e.g. In her fantasy, Rita gets through a lot after taking a pill from the doctor, we see the impact of that action-her distress is magnified.

The song is also a form of criticism; against the many people who tend to associate rock n’ roll to sex and drugs. In another instance, they talk about social issues of democracy and injustice.

It is interesting to learn more about the band, with a name that raises curiosity as ‘Censorship’ and an even more daring choice of genre as rock, one will easily enjoy the diversity that the Israeli music industry can offer.

Review: An Angel's Tale (ROFFEKE OFFICIAL SELECTION 2015)

Review by Josephine Koima: Intern

Director: Sara Boix Grau
Country of origin: Canada
Category: Animation
Duration: 2:43 minutes

I personally really love animated films because they defy almost everything we are used to as being ‘normal’ and ‘ordinary’ For example ,characters in such films can stretch, tear, melt, explode, fall from very high places and still remain alive, creating humor in the process.

An Angel’s tale is of such a nature. An angel is kicked out of heaven, quite literally because he creates a disturbance among the other angles. I know that for most of people, when we think of heaven, we think of mellow, preferably exquisite harmonic sounds, beat-less melody and therefore any instrument far off from an electric guitar like the harps used by two angels. Then comes this different angel, who enjoys hard rock music. He is thrown out of heaven by an irate fellow angel and falls to earth, and then tries to find his way back.

This fallen angel is different, and not just his choice of music. His wings are shorter, not sturdy as with the other angels. Perhaps this is why he cannot easily fly back to heaven. Or when he tries to, he cannot leave behind his beloved guitar and amplifier.
Sara Boix’s character is true to the spirit of rock n’ roll; expressing sheer joy and energy to what he likes, and remaining non-conforming. This film teaches one that, there’s nothing wrong with being different, and not being ordinary.

Spirit Dance: A Screenplay by Kitania Kavey

"After the death of her father, a disabled girl dances her way back to happiness and provides her grieving mother with an opportunity to connect with people again."

ROFFEKE: What inspired you to write "Spirit Dance"?

KITANIA: It is the visual representation of how I experience the world. Like the main character in my story, I have mental and physical disabilities, and have found myself throughout much of my life living with external challenges. I wanted to show that people with "different" ways of viewing the world aren't bad or wrong... and that music and dance can help us connect with people of all abilities.

ROFFEKE: Why animation as opposed to live-action?

KITANIA: I wanted a way to clearly define the contrast between what is in the main character's imagination and the "real" world around her, and I thought that in animation, my characters could also more easily be ethnically ambiguous, like me!

ROFFEKE: What are your thoughts about how people with disability are portrayed in film?

KITANIA: For me, I am most comfortable when the disability is not the focus of the story, or used as a trigger (the sole reason why a character is evil or depressed, for example). It doesn't bother me when 'regular' actors portray disabled characters. I've acted in many roles for which I had no 'real life' experience, but one can develop empathy and understanding about how to portray a particular type, personality or occupation. It would be great to see more disabled actors in 'regular' roles, though!

ROFFEKE: Your advice to aspiring screenwriters?

KITANIA: Learn proper screenplay formatting. A brilliant story may be overlooked simply because it is hard to read due to formatting problems and plot issues. However, if you plan to direct your own screenplay, then break any formatting rules you want.

ROFFEKE: Your advice to female screenwriters?

KITANIA: Find your voice, and write for your intended audience. If the odds are 1 in 100, be the one. If you can't find the examples of women who have done what you want to do, then lead others by your example. And of course, if you're not directing your own screenplay - use good format!

About Kitania Kavey: "Disabled screenwriter who finds purpose and passion in writing short and feature-length live-action and animation screenplays."

Also check out Rock 'n' Roll and Disability

Animation School: Things you should look for when choosing one

I asked prolific filmmaker Robert Lyons his views on this article by Atlantis Studios titled “4 things You Should Look For When Choosing A Animation School in Kenya.” Below are his thoughts:

I am in agreement with it in regards to their 4 points, they are in fact valid points. I do have a few "howevers" in regards to some of them.

#1) Does the program teach all aspects of the art of animation? This can be pretty subjective; animation is a broad discipline involving many aspects, including art & design, film theory, history, software and computer skills, as well as other technologies. It also depends upon the goals and objectives of the curriculum; are they preparing students for the existing animation job market, or are they helping them to become independent animation filmmakers in their own right. Personally I find many schools offer an over emphasis on software skills in sacrifice of many of the other items I mentioned. But this seems largely driven by economic times and the rising costs of going to school. People want to know they can find employment quickly after graduating.

#2) How much experience does the instructors have in the animation industry? I have taught now in 5 different universities (The School of Visual Arts, The New School, NYU, The University of the Arts, and Pratt Institute) and in all of them my academic credentials were secondary to my professional experience. However that seems to be changing, many of those schools would not hire me today because I do not hold a masters degree. I think this has to do with a changing landscape in the accreditation process.

#3) Where is the animation school located? This is important, but not necessarily essential. Four of the schools I have taught at are in NYC, three in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn, the fifth one is in the city of Philadelphia. The NYC schools hold a greater appeal and some additional clout as a result of being in NYC and as a result being more connected to a more active animation community and job market. However, sometimes it can be advantageous to be removed from the commotion and distractions of a big city when one is trying to focus artistically. Personally, I went to college in a small town in upstate NY and am very happy that I did so. Also there are great schools like Sheridan College in Canada that are located hours outside of the nearest big city/job market.

#4) Does the school have a good alumni network? This is also a plus, but often is more a function of the student body themselves than of the administrative structure. Students set up a variety of different social networks that usually continue on beyond their years at school.

A couple of points that were not mentioned in the article that come to mind as equally important are:

1) What kind of facilities does the school have. Are their computer, software, cameras and other equipment up to date, in good repair, and is there an adequate supply to support the enrollment.

2) Does the school have a campus, or is it like some NYC schools a number of dislocated buildings or even a single building with no other support infrastructure for the students to interact and otherwise replenish their energies and inspiration when not in classes.

3) Does the school have a strong internship program in place? I am the internship coordinator for the animation department at Pratt. The internship program offers opportunities for students to begin bridging the gap between academia and the professional job market while still in school giving them a valuable foot in the door to possible future employment.

Hope all of that helps. And let me know if you would like me to submit any more films to ROFFEKE.

On 19th September, at iHub you will have the opportunity to watch Robert Lyons’ animation films at “The ABC of ROFFEKE”, from 2pm. Some of his films that will be screened include:

DRAW HERE

At the 46th annual 2015 ASIFA-East Animation Awards Festival after party held at The New School in NYC we set up a whiteboard with many colored markers for the animation artists in attendance to have some fun with. I documented that fun via time-lapse photography setting up a digital still camera connecting to a lap top with Dragonframe stop motion software. I shot 1 frame every 5 seconds with a 1/2 sec long exposure time for the duration of the party. Have fun trying to spot some of the animation celebrities as they briefly flash by in front of the camera. The music used is "Sweet Tea" by the Woggles.

SUMMERTIME

This rotoscoped animation created in my 2012 U-Arts Animation ll class was derived from a music video for the group Mungo Jerry of their #1 hit song "In the Summertime".

IMAGINARY SUPERHEROES (Anijam)

Created in my 2015 Pratt Experimental Animation class based on a theme chosen by the class, each of the ten students worked independently and contributed a different segment to this animated film exploring the culture of the superhero.