As I watched noted director and film critic Natalia Lukinyk’s touching moving documentary film Alexander Tatarsky, Or How To Embrace The Immense . . . I found it hard to believe that it has been almost a year since one of the biggest hearts in Russian animation stopped beating. Natalia’s touching celluloid portrait began as part of her new trilogy of films about creative Russian and Ukrainian artists in three different fields titled The Restless Talents. Sadly the film was completed as a labor of love after the untimely death of her close friend.

Alexander Tatarsky

Natalia gives us a warm and insightful view into the early life that shaped a true artistic genius. Humorous moments of Alexander playing with his beloved toy collection which he said every grown-up child needed and pictures of him with his dogs and cats that played an important part in his life from early childhood show one side of this very complex man. Most beautiful of all are the pictures of him with his wife and of him holding his young son at home in Moscow.

The great director and animator went on to found Pilot Studios, the first private animation studio in the new Russia, turning it into one of the world’s leading animation studios. Pilot is world renowned, winning awards at festivals the world over and mentoring several decades of animators and script writers that now work in all corners of the world. Speaking of his dear friend and colleague at Pilot, Valentin Telegin said “He took up a flag and led the troops.” This quote complete summarizes the great man’s life.

For those of us who had the privilege to know Sasha, Alexander Tatarsky, Or How To Embrace The Unembracable . . . brings back wonderful memories. Even though my Russian is limited to a few words I can recall afternoons on the KROK boat, sharing drinks and laughter with a man whose humor and delight of the world knew no boundaries geographically or linguistically. For those who were not lucky enough to encounter this amazing man or his films, Natalia’s documentary serves as a perfect introduction to his amazing world.

Whenever Nik and I travel schools to do our workshops, it’s always interesting to see how each school has set up its curriculum. Recently, we had the pleasure of getting acquainted with the workings of the animation program at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth in Bournemouth, England. I was already familiar with the high quality of the students’ work from festivals such as Annecy and by viewing the 2007 Graduation reel, and was very pleased to receive an invitation to visit the Animation Production Department from Professor Peter Parr and his charming and talented wife Astor. This gave me a chance to find out how their BA (Hons) Animation Program was structured.

With Astor and Peter Parr at their home

The first thing that struck me was the intensive team based program that the staff has put together. Each student is exposed to and required to develop a strong working knowledge of the total production process, giving the young animator a good introduction to the working conditions they will find upon entering the professional animation world.

Students at all levels operate together, and teamwork is stressed as the key to success for everyone’s work. Students in levels one, two and three work alongside each other from the very beginning, giving an added reality to the animation industry, where colleagues must relate to each other and talk ideas through, giving support to a the project and to each other. Far too many schools fail to address this aspect of the industry, leaving students to face a jarring reality when they finally enter “the real world”.

Nik and I have gotten to know Professor Peter Parr over the past several years and have developed a deep respect for him. He and his wonderfully creative course staff are firm believers in the principal that creating excellent animation in any form requires a mastery of practical skills - draftsmanship, technical proficiency, and technical knowledge. Students are encouraged to work in the different mediums of traditional, computer based and stop-motion animation and, while computer solutions are taught, all students must first learn the fundamentals by starting at the beginning of the animation process through drawing. It is easy to see the deep respect and affection that the students have for each other as you watch them work together. These feelings also extend to Professor Parr and the rest of the staff. It is really a pleasure to watch the students and faculty interact with humor and respect on both sides.

The Arts Institute’s animation program recruits students from throughout Europe, and thanks to Astor Parr’s hard work, is also actively recruiting in Asia. A program is open to all students that involves leaving the school for 13 weeks during level 2 to work in a professional studio in Europe. Students are also encouraged to consider the Erasmus Exchange Program which provides the opportunity to study at another European school.

The Arts Institute is one of only fifteen institutions of higher education in the UK devoted solely to the arts. Courses range from the School of Arts and the Design School to the School of Media, and students are encouraged to cross course boundaries to solve problems. The animation studios have been completely refurbished recently, and each student is provided with an individual work station and light box as well as having access to group work spaces. The animation department also has its own computer site.

Teamwork in Action

At the lght tables

One of the workstations

Their modern and inviting library offers a selection of 50,000 books, over 300 journals, DVD’s, videos and CD’s in a bright and inviting atmosphere with ample space for comfortable individual and group study. The library also offers Wi-Fi and access to both pc and mac computers.

From the library balcony

Study alcove

The Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), established in 1988 is also located in the library and on exhibit is a comprehensive collection of all things plastic from 1880 to the present day. It is a special learning tool for students to be able to view such items up close as Bakelite radios, jewelry, even Mr. Potato Head, and is also an opportunity for visitors to travel back to a bygone design era.

Nik and I began our visit by presenting our “History of Animation through Music” program to a packed auditorium of students who asked intelligent and interesting questions. I spent my two days at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth touring the animation studios, seeing the impressive results of the Fashion Design Program, visiting the library and Plastics museum, touring the model making studio and viewing an exhibit by students of the Interior Architecture and Design Department in their beautiful new building. I took the opportunity to informally chat with many students in different departments, all of whom expressed enthusiasm for their course studies, the faculty, fellow students and most importantly, of all the opportunities that an education at the Arts Institute offers them.

Student audience

Talking film

Nik spent his two days working with the groups of animation students giving advice for the music for the 2008 Graduation Showcase Films. In 2007 he worked with two groups of students to create the music for their films, and will be composing and performing the scores for several of the 2008 Showcase Films as well as consulting with students who need some “sound” advice.

A big plus about all programs at The Arts Institute is that they are designed to be positive and friendly to all disabilities, and all the programs try to accommodate specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia (very near and dear to my heart since I suffer from it and had to struggle my way through higher education with very little support or understanding). The programs are also equipped to handle students with sensory impairments, and medical conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy.

If you are a student looking for the right animation school to study at or a professional in the industry wanting to stay on top of what’s new and where top new young talent is emerging from, check out The Arts Institute at Bournemouth website at www.aib.ac.uk. If you are a student and are interested in attending the next Open Day on 20 February, 2008, or want to arrange for a separate campus tour, you can also register on the website. You can also contact the Course Office in Great Britain at 01202 363 228.

Class of 2006

I am in Switzerland, as a lecturer at Art & Design branch of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Hochschule Luzern, formerly HGK Lucerne School of Art and Design), staying in Zurich with my dear friend Rolf Bächler. This is the second time Rolf and I have taught a course together titled “What’s Cooking?” which we created last year for the newly introduced Design Management class. As the first instructors at the beginning of the studies, our task is team building while exposing the new group of students to a real-life management and design assignment.

To achieve this goal, we use a hands-on cooking project: In a very short time, the students must plan a meal within a budget for a group of people. They must take into consideration the specific needs and expectations of the people, plan, shop, cook, decorate, serve and clean up – all in a rigid time frame. In Lucerne the service is provided for the “Senti-Treff” Community Center’s regular Tuesday Family lunch-table, which is usually attended by 20 to 25 adults and children.

Students at Work

Nancy and Rolf on boat

In the process of this project, the group must define what needs to be done, break into small task groups to execute the duties and yet work as a total team to complete the task.In a morning lecture, Rolf and I outline the task, but after that we are only there to give advice when we are asked for it, and jump in if we see that anything is going terribly wrong. We want the students to set up their own structure, think and plan through the process and execute every task themselves.

The result of this exercise is to get a group to learn how to quickly build a team while still functioning as individuals and for small groups within the team to solve a problem. They also must apply design techniques in the guise of decorating the rooms and the tables, draw menus, present the meals, etc.

This course has been so well received by our students that we would love to make it available to other schools and businesses that could profit from it. I hope you enjoy the attached pictures from our 2006 class and the comments by one of the participants. If you want to know more about “What’s Cooking”, you can e-mail me at nik@niksprocket.org.

Bon appetit!

Module 1 - What’s Cooking

Comments from one of our students

So, what’s cooking? Or should it rather be called “what’s up”? At least that’s how it could be interpreted. All the same, it is what it says, cooking! But what has cooking in common with Design Management? Definitely more than one might assume at first glance. Just think of all the ingredients that you need to prepare a proper three-course menu and what it takes until the dishes can be served. Nothing to be worried about you might reckon. However, what if it is not just for a handful of friends but for some hundred guests? All of a sudden you are to face a great deal of challenges that you have to overcome i.e. with whom are you dealing, what are their requirements, what’s the budget, how do you “design” this event and its various facets, which premises are suitable catering for this number of people, where and how do I go for shopping and how do you split up the various jobs (obviously such a task could never be managed by a single person) to mention only but a few. Hence welcome to the world of Design Management and the perfect case study and unforgettable experience to kick off this course.

Text by Simon Buikema
DMI - December 2006