Pitching session concludes first development programme

Last year the VAF launched a development programme allowing young animation professionals to work on a film with the help of a coach for a period of six months. The three selected animators grabbed this opportunity with great enthusiasm and shared their experience with the newly selected participants for the second programme that were also invited at the pitching session. Isabel Bouttens For Isabel Bouttens, the development programme proved to be the ideal formula to make the progress she was aiming at. She has just finished the storyboard for her new project Vier Seizoenen (Four Seasons). 'After making Maanvis and Absence, I felt I was ready to raise the level', says Isabel, who chose writer Geert De Kockere as her coach. 'His input was really helpful to me'. De Kockere was also pleased with the cooperation because Isabel was very openminded towards his suggestions: 'For young animators, the script is sometimes the last thing on their mind. Isabel thinks in a very visual way and has a lot of ideas and things she wants to show but sometimes this does not fit into a story. So I kept on asking her questions to let her think about what she was trying to tell. We started out to make a premise that we would refer to at every stage in the story. And I think she has learnt some important things that she will carry with her. For instance about truthfulness: it is not necessary that something has really happened to be credible, but it needs to be something that could happen... This is one of the aspects of storytelling that she is now continually aware of.' Roman Klochkov Evelien Hoedekie was also very grateful to the VAF because she received the opportunity 'to bring order in the chaos' by participating in the programme. Evelien was coached by Johan Verzyck and Annemie Degryse. 'The preparations of my project La Fertilité are finished and I look forward to working together with other animators to colour it in on the computer. The music will be very crucial to my film, since their is very little dialogue. The few words that are in the script will be sung.' The third participant, Roman Klochkov, is working on Nicolaï, a story about a Russian bear that moves to live and work in Europe after his wife has left him. Roman is reluctant to give away too much about the plot - although his story is already registered with author's rights organisation Sabam - but he did want to unveil that it evolves around the typically Russian quality of 'screwing up in the end'. Inge Verroken (VAF), Evelien Hoedekie, Roman Klochkov The three testimonials proved to inspiring to the participants of the second development programme. Sandy Claes, selected in a team with Daan Wampers and Johan Spits, will work on their project De rollercoaster van het leven (The rollercoaster of life) one day a week in the next six months. 'It will be quite an experimental film, with lots of live images in it. Lander Ceuppens, recently graduated from KASK in Ghent, was also present at the pitching session. His project Eentje voor onderweg (One for the Road) was also selected. 'I want to work out the storyboard as much as possible and do a lot of animation tests. I think this is a unique opportunity for me and I want to really take our time to work out a good project.'