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International Student Profiles

* New Student Profiles Coming Soon!

Jun Nito from Shizuoka, Japan
2nd-year student in Animation

?I came to Film School Zl?n because I wanted to follow my dream.?

That dream was to study puppet animation, a technique not widely utilized in his native country. And so, after completing a Bachelor?s Degree in Marketing at Hukui University in Japan, Jun decided to move to Czech Republic so that he could learn this animation technique from the people who know it best. The Czechs have long been considered world leaders of this particular animation method that combines stop-motion cinematography with the manipulation of custom-made, three-dimensional puppets.

The animation studios in Zl?n maintain a unique position in the history of Czech animation. The first Czech puppet film ?Ferda the Ant? was made here in 1944 by Herm?na T?rlov?. Later, T?rlov? collaborated with another famous Czech animator, Karel Zeman, to create ?V?no?n? Sen? (The Christmas Dream) at the Zl?n Studios. This film, which uses a combination of real actors and animated puppets, won Best Animated Film at Cannes in 1946. It was the remarkable work of T?rlov? and Zeman that inspired Jun to moves thousands of miles from his native Japan to study at Film School Zl?n. Studying here gives him the opportunity to make his own animated films in the same studios where these esteemed Czech animators once worked.

Jun was also inspired by another Czech animator ? Bretislav Pojar. Pojar?s well-known series ?Poj?te pane, budeme si hr?t? (Come Sir, let?s play) is considered to be the most successful Czech puppet series ever made. This playful story about two bear brothers, was created using an animation technique called ?puppet relief? or ?poloplast?. This method, which is a variation of traditional puppet animation, uses two-dimensional puppets and is shot from a vertical, rather than horizontal perspective.

At the end of his first year at Film School Zl?n, Jun completed his own animation project ?Friends? employing this ?poloplast? animation technique. His two-minute film features a rabbit, elephant and monkey who encounter some helpful giraffes while playing football in the jungle. Last year he assisted another Japanese student, Naoko, on her Absolvensk? (Graduation) film ?Tokyo Brothers?. ?During three months I made many of the backgrounds for this puppet film ? sky, fields and mountains ? and did a little bit of the animation.?

Jun has really enjoyed his time in the Czech Republic. ?Zl?n is a peaceful place and nature is all around. The beer is not bad either. The Czech people really know how to enjoy life.?

What?s his next dream? To start his own studio of puppet animation.

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Nazli Kaya from Bursa, Turkey
2nd year student in Animation

?I came to Film School Zl?n I wanted to expand my capabilities as a visual artist.?

Nazli Kaya?s current efforts are concentrated on expanding her existing artistic talent by incorporating classical and experimental animation techniques into her creative ideas. After receiving a Bachelor?s of Art Degree in Graphic Design from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, Nazli worked in the design industry for two years. ?I worked mainly for the advertising industry. My projects included designing posters, company logos, stationary. Other projects included some book design, photography and typography.? Now she seeks to step away from the computer to pursue a more tactile experience. Spending a few years in Zl?n, Nazli believes, is a good opportunity to discover her own visual style.

?I don?t like big cities. And I especially like discovering unknown places.?

For Nazli, Czech Republic is also the perfect place to find distinctive materials that she can use in her artwork. ?They are renovating many things here in Czech Republic but you can still find remnants of the past. These old things are filled with something ? I don?t know - life, knowledge, energy - all from the past. I feel inspired when I discover things like aged buildings, crumbling walls, old typefaces, discarded signage and remnants of 1960s graphic design style.?

Out of the several types of animation techniques she explored during her first year in Zl?n, Nazli found herself most drawn to cutout animation. This technique, one of the oldest forms of animation, involves moving cut-out paper shapes in small steps and taking a picture at each stage. It was used in 1926 by German animator Lotte Reiniger to create, The Adventures of Prince Achmed , the world?s first feature-length animated film. More recently, American animators Matt Stone & Trey Parker have revived the popularity of this animation technique with their controversial TV Series South Park . Recently, Nazli put the finishing touches onto her own cutout animation project, Nazli in Zl?n . This 4-minute piece is a humorous, semi-autobiographical sketch of her experiences learning Czech language in Zl?n.

This year Nazli is looking forward to ?Trick Camera?, a class where she will learn how to create visual effects for moving images without the help of a computer. Early French filmmaker Georges M?lies pioneered such ?trick? techniques in the 1890s and Czech-born animator Karel Zeman pushed the limits of this ?film magic? in 1958 with The Fabulous World of Jules Verne. Quite a while before the invention of the ?green screen?, Zeman created this visually distinctive film by combining almost every ?film trick? imaginable - double exposure, traveling and stationary mattes, stop-motion, cutout, hand-drawn and painted animation, miniatures and models.

And at the rate she?s going, it looks like Nazli may follow in the footsteps of Zeman and other famous artists who developed their craft in the Zl?n Studios.

?Someday I would like to have my own atelier where I can concentrate on working on all kinds of mixed-media art that incorporate illustration, photography, typography and animation.?

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Denizcan Yuzgul from Izmir, Turkey
2nd-year Student in Animation

?Studying in a foreign country gives you the opportunity to look at things from a new perspective.?

And that happens to be one of Denis? favorite things to do.

In 2004, Denis came to the Czech Republic for the first time to attend Anifest ? an International Festival of Animated Films ? held every spring in the southern Bohemian town of T?ebon. His film, Mutlak Dogru (Absolute Truth) was among those selected for this competition and had been previously awarded the Prize for Best Animation at the International Izmir Short Film Festival in Turkey. During Anifest, Denis gave a short presentation about Animatolye, an artists? co-operative that he established with three other students from Anadolu University in Eskisehir, Turkey. The group designed this unique community space so that young artists would have a connection point for creative projects including cinematography, theater, music, animation and sculpture.

After studying animation for three years in Eskisehir, Denis saw the opportunity to study in Czech Republic as a way to both mature as a person and as an animator. ?I?m developing my life along with my animation style. Particularly, I would like to develop my talent for telling stories that communicate my evolving personal beliefs and articulate uncommon points of view. For me, being in a foreign environment facilitates introspection and challenges my own pre-conceived ideas.?

Denis doesn?t like to talk about his animation work in great detail. He believes that explaining too much about a film takes something away from the viewer. ?You have to see my animation and understand it for yourself. Every person experiences it differently.? Some of his other projects, Cark (The Wheel), Kara Kutu (Black Box), 11 Eylul (11 September) and Iktidar Cubugu (Power Stick) have also won awards at Film Festivals in Turkey and elsewhere in Europe. Though he currently focuses solely on creating hand-drawn animation, Denis is also open to experimental techniques.

Denis greatly values the work of the late, Scottish-born animator, Norman McLaren. Well-known for pursuing innovative animation techniques (such as painting and etching directly onto film) in his projects for the National Film Board of Canada, McLaren also created films with intrinsic social messages. ?He is one of the few people who really followed his own ideas. He is inspiring because he demonstrated the diversity that what one individual is capable of creating.? Denis also appreciates the storytelling techniques of Dutch-born animator Michael Dudok de Wit. His film, The Monk and the Fish was nominated for an Academy Award in 1994 and his film Father and Daughter won an Oscar in 2000 for Best Animated Short Film. ?He has a pure, dramatic way of telling stories.?

The latest story that Denis is working on is titled Aquarium. A commentary of family life in the 21st century, this animated tale reveals the moment when the life of one family and their view of the world, is changed forever. Denis recalls how his mother had an experience that changed the course of her life. ?My mother studied fine arts at the age of 35 after she had brain surgery. During that time I saw how she reclaimed the child inside of herself that she had long-forgotten. This reminds me to always maintain a connection with my inner self.?

Most importantly, she encouraged him to hold onto his individuality. ?She never told me to ?be? anything. She always gave me the freedom to choose the kind of future I wanted to have.?

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Irena Gatej from Ajdov??ina, Slovenia
1st-year Student in Producing & Directing

?There was a time when I thought that I might pursue a career as a crime scene investigator. But then at some point I came to terms with the fact that I can?t stand the sight of blood!? And so, Irena Gatej is pursuing the next best thing ? creating art films.

Growing up in Ajdov??ina, Slovenia, Irena developed a passion for films while she was in high school. ?Since I lived only 2 hours from Italy, I attended the Venice Film Festival. I also went to film festivals in Croatia where I was exposed to a wide variety of films.?

Still photography also influenced Irena?s decision to study filmmaking. She was captivated by this art form the minute her uncle gave her a 35mm SLR camera. In time, however, she realized that photography was too limiting for her ? she wanted the pictures to move! That?s when she decided to create her own film, Bylo, nebylo?ut?k (Once upon a time?run away). This story features a hesitant but adventurous doll that discovers the vast landscape outside of her small, indoor world. This plot, interestingly, parallels Irena?s bold decision to move to the Czech Republic to pursue her film studies. ?People are so scared to change their lives; take some risks. But when they do, they usually find that it?s not as hard as they once thought.?

Which types films does she appreciate most? ?Pedro Almod?var is my favorite director. He has the unique ability to make ?crazy? people look normal and often makes films about characters with extreme personalities.? But, Irena admits, she often prefers films that discard the classic narrative structure in favor of experimental approaches and innovative ideas. She particularly values the radical views of Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier because ?he pushes the boundaries and conventions of mainstream cinema.? Indeed, with his creation of ?Dogme95?, Von Trier has inspired filmmakers all over the world to ?purify? their filmmaking process. By adhering to a strict production code, directors in this group are able to restore their focus to the actual telling of the story and the performances of the actors, rather than getting caught up in the creation of mise-en-scene.

Though Irena doesn?t see herself working in the entertainment business in the future, she wants to learn the specifics of the business of filmmaking. ?I want to learn how to effectively produce and direct a film. I need to know how to create a storyboard, how to format a script, how to put together a budget.? And she is eager to develop the craft of storytelling. ?I need to learn how to take an idea and develop it into a watch-able film.?

Irena believes that one of the keys to her success at Film School Zl?n will be her ability to cultivate strong and functional relationships with the people on her production team. ?I?m used to working alone, so I really need to develop my ability to communicate effectively with a team of people.? And her Czech classmates have been very welcoming. Though Slovenian, like Czech, is a Slavic language, Irena has had to undertake some language study to learn the differences between the two languages. And she continues to learn more and more as the semester progresses. ?The Czech students have been really patient with me and every day I learn a little bit more of their language.?

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If YOU would like to be an International Student at Film School Zlin, contact carrington@filmovaskola.cz for more information.