Renowned animation artist Prof. Kevin Geiger gave a lecture at TNUA on January 10, sharing his experience and explaining his views through the screening of film clips.
Prof. Geiger is president of Magic Dumpling Entertainment and Animation Options. He also teaches at Beijing Film Academy. He studied fine arts in college, and did not explore the world of animation art until the age of 26.
Prof. Geiger has worked with Boss Film Studio and Disney, and has participated in the production of "Star Wars" and "Chicken Little." He has directed such independent films as "Panoptican," "InterFace" and "Henry's Garden."
He noted the difference between productions by major studios and independent films. Major studios produce films to meet market demand. Therefore in order to find an expression of his own creativity, he uses his spare time to make short films of his own, he said.
And that is the reason why, after working in Hollywood for more than a decade he has chosen to come to Asia where he can share his experience with people who are interested in animation art and making their own independent films.
While many think that the plot is the core of an animation film, Prof. Geiger holds that the characters are the most important element. Take the characters Buzz Lightyear and Woody for example. Whenever their names are mentioned, people will think of the "Toy Story" series, he said. A character that the audience identifies with can generate many story lines related to that character, the professor said.
Prof. Geiger also reminded students that apart from feature films there are many other media that can carry their art, such as the Internet and mobile phones.