The goal of the workshop is to try to inspire participants to pay attention to precious, small, everyday things which they see but maybe do not notice.

The tool we use is the stop trick animation technique.

The reason: stop trick is a way to make films from the INDIVIDUALLY taken still photographs. Twelve or Twenty-five for each second.

It is a slow and sometimes tiring process but at the same time, it gives us an opportunity to break many rules
in the film we're making. This includes physical rules too (gravitation, normal passing of time, linearity), and the way we are dealing with the real world around us.

The long time we spend concentrated on animation gives us a chance to look closely and discover many new properties of the pieces of the everyday world that we animate.

Day 1

I show the participants various inspiring visual materials which, hopefully, can help them sense that film does not have to be just actors talking lines in a romantic or dramatic situation.

I share my excitement about every piece that I show them.

At this point they also get their first assignment (for the second day of the workshop): to bring their inspiration - a clip from a film, or a song, a short story, a picture... anything! Each of the participants gets 20 minutes to present to others something that maybe only he or she knows or has, something that was a big inspiration and discovery.

Next, I start to show the participants the old and new gems of animation films and explain them the technique and what is possible to do with stop trick. I show them some of my films too and give them a first hand experience how I made them.

Next, I start to show the participants the old and new gems of animation films and explain them the technique and what is possible to do with stop trick. I show them some of my films too and give them a first hand experience how I made them.

At the end of day one, everyone gets the animation homework - a topic or a thing, part of a story or a melody to animate when they get home.

Day 2

We watch a few more films and then everyone gets their 20 minutes to share their inspiration and show what they have done yesterday. Each work triggers a discussion about, for example, photogenicity, colors, patience, collecting things... We try to figure out how each of the exercises could be made better, and they get one more day to improve it.

On the second day I film the participants to give them the idea what it feels like to act in a stop trick animation. We film the material that can be used to bind together various short pieces that they will make. And most of the time, shooting together is incredibly fun.

Day 3

We take a look at what has been done so far, I film them some more, and we start editing. We put the material in the computer, search for rhythms, throw out some phases... It is a delicate, slow process, but when they get bored I show them a few more films. With the help of the editor, we finish the animation just in time for projection and... everybody is satisfied, some may cry...

Each participant should bring a simple digital camera and a tripod, if available.

I need one computer with editing software and one editor who knows computers too -
to help when technical problems occur.

Optionally, and it is much better that way, I can stay for one more day to edit the film so we can present it at the end of the workshop.

Basically that is it,
but in every new town, people, climate, colors - everything is different,
and the workshop is never the same.
Friendly Regards!
Milos