Cascoland Journal
Saturday 18 February
For the last four weeks Sitembele Matiso Secondary and, Andile and Nomlinganiselo
Primary Schools in New Crossroads, became playgrounds for some innovative
workshops in which more then forty children learned basic skills in how
to make animated films. This is a project conducted by Alison Scott &
John Charalambous from the UK based film company called Moving Hands.
Twelve-year-old Nikita Schoeman, a pupil of Nomliganiselo Primary School
in New Crossroads, is sitting behind a computer watching the screen very
focused. Slowly an African story called Tulube, is visually coming alive.
Nikita explains: ´We got the story from a book from our school,
but we changed it a bit. Tulube is a herd boy but thieves, which we called
cannibals in our story, come and disturb him. Right at this moment we
are trying to film the scene where the cannibals steal his cows.´
For one week Classroom 6 of Nomliganiselo Primary has become a small television
recording studio. In the corner where Nikita is sitting a sophisticated
stills camera is being operated by Vuyile and Asisipho. Every time Nikita
touches a button on the computer the camera makes a picture of the little
set where paper cows are standing in an African landscape made out of
paper mache. When Vuyile and Asisipho move some of the cows a little bit
further, Nikita pushes the button again and another picture is taken.
After seven shots like this they play all the pictures they have taken
in a fast mode and on the computer screen you see the cows moving - a
little film is born.
Alison Scott and John Charalambous of Moving Hands, a UK based company
that makes animation films, were invited by Cascoland to come and teach
children in New Crossroads the basic principles of animation. For four
weeks they have worked in three different schools with over forty children
and made three short films. It has been quite an experience for Alison
and John, who usually work with deaf and autistic children back in the
UK. Alison Scott says: ´We teach the kids here all the steps in
animation. First we have a brainstorm session together to figure out what
the film should be about. Out of all the ideas that are mentioned we pick
elements and then the children start writing a story´. At the wall
John Charalambous points at twenty different scenes, the storyboard. He
says: ´Every time the children finish a scene they go there and
put a red V behind it. So we know it is finished.´ For the film
about Tulube they needed at least three different backgrounds. Ten clay
puppets - which represent Tulube and the cannibals - and seven cows made
of paper.
Besides creating the figures and the landscapes the children also learn
how to film by using a camera and computer. Alison says: ´At first
my students just started making things. But then I told them, whatever
you do, first think what you want. You have to make a plan before you
act. So before they move a clay cannibal, they should know why. When they
push the button on the computer to make a picture, they have to be sure
that everything is in the right place.´
Alison noticed at the start of the course that the boys in her mixed classes
were very dominant. She says: ´A boy would start making a drawing,
then suddenly get bored with it and just push a girl away from what she
was doing. In the beginning the girls just accepted that but we sat down
with them and talked about such behavior. After that the girls became
more confident and strong. It also became clear to me that children here
are not so used to working as a team - much less then in the UK.´
Nikita also had to struggle with the behavior of the boys. She says: ´Sometimes
it was difficult with the boys. They think that they are the most powerful
but I don´t care now. I must make sure that the work I do is good
for the people who are going to watch it. Then it is about quality. There
I can beat them.´
Already before this workshop Nikita was dreaming of becoming a film director.
This workshop has been a step in the right direction for her. She says:
´This workshop has taught me a lot about cartoons. My imagination
has become clearer. The fact that I already wrote poetry has helped me.
Still it is hard work. You have to make mountains of paper mache, work
with the cameras and, even make drawings. Before this workshop I was not
confident about that but I had to do it.´
She says that her parents are really proud about her being part of this
workshop. They are already being shown during the Mobile TV festival that
is taking place during the Cascoland presentation from 3 to 12 March in
a street in New Crossroads. Also the animation films that were made with
children in Sitembele Matiso Secondary and Andile Primary School are being
shown. Besides that Alison and John have made a documentary about the
whole learning process which will also be screened. They hope that many
people will come to see the achievement of the children of New Crossroads.
Alison explaining how to do storyboards
Stills from the animationfilm of Nomlinganiselo Primary School
Nikita Schoeman animating the puppet
Still from the animationfilm of Andile Primary School
