There were only two rules: We provided the color scheme and it had to be something positive they experienced during quarantine. We directed the film and worked on the editing and animated sections ourselves. This started as a little fun project and we wanted to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible. Over 140 animators from around the world signed up and we received over 70 final clips of animations in the end. So, we sent out a call on social media to any animators who wanted to send us up to 15 seconds of animation depicting something they have experienced, seen or thought in the midst of this strange time. We hoped it would encourage people to stay home and see that there are still some positives to come of it. We wanted to have a project to work on, and thought others might, too. We thought it would be great to make a collaborative film and see people connect from all over the world by telling their own experiences of COVID-19 through animation.Īlso, as a lot of people have freer diaries - and for some, no work. But at the same time, also seeing how many artists and individuals were responding creatively to combat that and encourage others through it. Our films have been screened at animation festivals around the world (Annecy, Zagreb, LIAF, Edinburgh Animation Festival, Sundance…) and my graduation film ( In Her Boots) got nominated for a BAFTA this year.Īfter the outbreak of COVID-19 and the beginnings of global lockdown, we were hit by the level of anxiety and fear that was being expressed and generated through social media especially. We loved it and immediately decided to continue collaborating after we graduated and started our own studio this year, far as we know, we are the only female animation studio in London. Kathrin: We met at University studying BA Illustration Animation at Kingston School of Art in 2014, and then continued studying MA Animation at the Royal College of Art and started collaborating when we were still at uni. Animation also in itself is expressive and so the animators telling their stories can tell you not only what lockdown looks like for them, but what it feels like.Ĭan you give us some background on Studio Desk Animation? We are hoping that the audience will feel more positive and encouraged after watching the film and are hopefully as inspired and excited as we are.Įmily Downe: A lot of us right now are confined to one space and it could be quite uninteresting and repetitive, but through animation you can be transported anywhere and you can re-imagine the space you are in. Kathrin Steinbacher: It really is a celebration of a wonderful and diverse industry and we want to celebrate collaboration and show that supporting each other in this industry is so important, especially in more difficult times. Watch the short below and scroll down to read Animag‘s Q&A with Downe and Steinbacher.Īnimag: How would you describe #Flatten the Curve? What was your inspiration for the project? The response was strong, with more than 140 animators around the world signing up, and the duo have launched the first of three planned films showcasing blends of artistic, poignant, funny and sweet animated snapshots of daily life in lockdown. ![]() Organized by Kathrin Steinbacher and Emily Downe - the award-winning filmmaker founders of London animation boutique Studio Desk - the project began as a call for animators to contribute a short clip highlighting something positive that they have experienced during this difficult time. ![]() A newly launched compilation short, #Flatten the Curve, is one example of this amazing wave of output. Faced with the uncertainty and disruption of the global COVID-19 crisis, many studios and individual creatives are tackling inspired new projects to bring a little more light into the world (and vanquish boredom in the bargain).
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