Press Release 5 March 2012

The second week of the three week long Animation Workshop in Manipur promises plenty of activities for the group of Manipuri animation enthusiasts that have volunteered for the workshop as an opportunity to develop one of their own folktales for a short animation film. 

The workshop is a collaborative project between the Government of Manipur Art and Culture Department and the UK based NGO, the Adivasi Arts Trust.  Further support is being provided by the Manipur Film Development Cooperation and the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust in the UK. 

Having selected a well known story “Tapta” from a collection of fifteen from various communities in Manipur, the team have decided to create and film a test sequence of the film using traditional cut-out puppets to be filmed by capturing frames with a digital camera.   This will give a hand-made look to the animation which may well suit for the traditional content.  One of the participants, a graduate from the Art College in Imphal, Yamnam Sapha Wangam Apanthoi M. (Swam) is exploring a charming style for the characters of the film that is inspired by the folk art of the illustrated manuscripts of Manipur. 
The storyboard team, with assistance from two animators from the National Institute of Design, Sephin Alexander and Rahul Laishram,  have identified the first sequence of the film as the part they would like to experiment with and they are now breaking down each shot to identify the artwork and animation  requirements. 

A daily film screening is also part of the programme, with the focus on experimental and artistic animation films that use all kinds of materials ranging from claymation to oil painting on glass and cut-out animation.  “While we are inspired by masterpieces such as “Old Man and the Sea” by Alexander Petrov, it has taken him years to make that film.  We would do best to start with a simple style”, suggested Tara Douglas, Secretary of the Adivasi Arts Trust and visiting resource person at the workshop.

Renowned Naga folk blues singer Guru Rewben Mashangva also visited the workshop today to meet the team and find out more as he is active in the perseveration of his own Thangkul culture.