Mr. Georges Schwizgebel visited TNUA on April 17, sharing his more than 40 years' experience of making animation films in a talk titled “Inspirational Sources, Music and Sound Effects.”
The legendary animation film director screened and explained his works during the talk to give the audience a glimpse into his art. The works shown were “Le Vol D'icare” (1974), “Hors-jeu” (1977), “Le Ravissement de Frank N. Stein” (1982), “Le Course à L'ábîme,” (1992), “Lannée Du Daim” (1995), “Fugue” (1998)、and “Les Jeune Fille et Les Nuages”(2000).
With strong experimental elements and musicality, Mr. Schwizegel's works demonstrate an esthetic characterized by a fluidity of images.
He explained the procedures with which he creates his animation work: the steps, music, cycle, movements in the space, and metamorphosis.
Mr. Schwizgebel stressed that the making of animation films is less about skills than ideas, which have to be materialized through various means.
He went on to reveal that he loves to record his ideas in drawings while traveling. These drafts are like storyboards that may eventually become the sources of a short film.
He emphasized the advantages of making films alone. He said that the entire work will be finished all by oneself, making it more consistent and its message to the audience clearer.
Each of his animation works usually takes almost two years to complete because he draws and paints every frame all by himself.
There are seldom dialogues in his films, and therefore the music stands out particularly. Mr. Schwizgebel stressed that music is a very important part of animation, with different rhythms and melodies giving it different forms of life and conveying different meanings to the audience.