Blog
Does animation rock your world?
Do you enjoy informative, fun and educational content?
Then you've come to the right place.
Our blog explores the world of animation in Central Europe and the big, wide world beyond.
ANIMATION
The History of
Zlin Film Studios
When visionary entrepreneur Tomáš Baťa built a shoe factory in the town of Zlin, it would have a massive impact on Czechoslovakian filmmaking. The film studio that his family built there would attract key filmmakers like Karel Zeman and Hermína Týrlová and it soon became the centre of the Czech animation industry.
ANIMATION
6 Awesome Animated
Sci-fi Shorts
The sci-fi genre is a playground for the imagination. So it's perfect for animators who want to create fantastic visuals or strange new worlds. Whether it's traditional 2d animation or digital CG animation, there are some brilliant short films out there and we have collected six of the very best for you to watch.
ANIMATION
10 Key Terms in
Animation vol.3
AAnimation has many different styles and formats, from traditional 2D to digital 3D and each of these styles has many complex stages required to complete the animation. As a result, there are a lot of technical and creative key terms that have evolved to describe these processes. Here’s a glossary of 10 important key terms..
ANIMATION
Choosing the Right Music
for your Animation
Music makes up a crucial part of the sound design of a film and can determine the entire mood and feel of it. So it's important to get it right. How does a music soundtrack work within a film? How does it affect the viewers feelings and emotions? And how do you go about getting a piece of music to use? All these questions and more will be answered as we look at the relationship between music and animation.
ANIMATION
Retro is Back
in Style
Retro is back with a bang baby! But did it ever really go away? Is it all Stranger Things' fault? As culture constantly looks to the future by drawing on the past, retro is always a great source of ideas and inspiration. In the world of animation, retro style is currently hotter than a European heatwave. We look at some of the key elements of retro design and why it is such a favourite for artists and animators.
ANIMATION
10 Key Terms in
Animation vol.2
Animation has many different styles and formats, from traditional 2D to digital 3D and each of these styles has many complex stages required before an animation can be finished. As a result, there are a lot of technical and creative key terms that have evolved to describe these processes. Following on from Part 1, here’s a glossary of 10 more important key terms to help explain the terminology of animation...
ANIMATION
10 Key Terms
in Animation
Animation has many different styles and formats, from traditional 2D to digital 3D and each of these styles has many complex stages required to complete the animation. As a result, there are a lot of technical and creative key terms that have evolved to describe these processes.
ANIMATION
Using Humour
in Animation
Animation and humour have a long history together. Using comedy in animation is one of the most effective ways of engaging your audience but how and why does humour work and why is it so well suited to animation? In this blog we'll answer all those questions.
ANIMATION
7 Skills you Need
to be an Animator
Animation is a competitive but hugely rewarding part of the film industry and an artform in its own right. If you want a professional career in it, it's good to know what skills you need to succeed and whether you've got what it takes. In this blog we'll look and some of the key skills and attributes needed...
WORLD
Why kinetic typography is Moving the world of motion
You see it in films, TV and increasingly on your screens across social media but it's been around for years. Why is kinetic typography suddenly so popular? Maybe it's because text is reinventing itself as a new form of communication for a new communication medium.
ANIMATION
Using Animated Characters
as the Face of a Brand
Whether it's guiding you through an explainer video or representing the values of a brand in a commercial, animated characters are omnipresent in marketing. They can convey your message in a simple, yet fast and engaging way and create a crucial bond with the audience.
ANIMATION
7 Great Animated Charity Commercials
Ukraine? Climate Change? Disease? Women's rights? Poverty? Refugees? Famine? The list of global crises is growing and as a result, the role of charities is more important than ever. Charities rely heavily on short films to get their message across and so creating an effective one is crucial...
WORLD
Top 11 Online Resources for Animators
For beginners and experts and everyone in between, the internet is a great place to find out more about animation. So whether you are looking for advice, tutorials, news, inspiration or want to share your work with the world, you are going to find what you are looking for online after a little searching.
ANIMATION
9 Iconic Animated Commercials
that Changed Advertising
Commercials are designed to sell a brand or a product. But sometimes they can do more than that. They can change the way we think and perceive the world, or maybe even change the world a little. Here are our top choices for animated commercials that have had a major social or cultural impact.
ANIMATION
A Brief History of
Animated Commercials
Animation has evolved over the decades from an entertaining artform to a powerful medium in multi-billion dollar industries. When marketers realized animation had the ability to convey messages in a clear and engaging way, it quickly became one of the industries favourite tools.
WORLD
Večerníček -
a National Treasure
Večerníček is one of the world's longest running children's animated TV shows. For over 50 years it has shown the best of Czech animation that has delighted children and adults around the world.
ANIMATION
The Best Animated Christmas Adverts of 2021
The Holidays may be disrupted again this year but one reassuringly unchanging tradition is the annual release of Christmas adverts. Here are some of 2021's best animated ads that aim to capture the spirit of the festive season.
ANIMATION
The Meaning of Colour in Animation
The colour choices you make in creating an animated film can have a huge impact on its success. By having a basic understanding of colour theory and colour symbolism, you can determine and control the mood of the film.
ANIMATION
5 Advantages of
Animated Commercials
Since TV commercials began back in the 1950s, animation has been frequently used for creating adverts. If you want to tell a story and grab the audience's attention with your commercial.
ANIMATION
5 Ways to Make Better
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are like commercials on steroids and the extra running time gives you the space to demonstrate a potentially complex product or service works. But There are still some important factors you need to think about.
ANIMATION
How Anime
Conquered the World
Anime has grown to become one of the most recognizable and influential forms of animation in the world. The rest of the world has a love affair with this uniquely Japanese art form that shows no sign of cooling down.
ANIMATION
5 Fantastic Animation
Trends for 2022
Animation is going back to the future in 2022 and here we look at five key trends at the cutting edge of animation. From Retro to psychedelia to CGI to kinetic typography and outline styles - it's a dynamic party mix of ideas and inspiration.
ANIMATION
7 Animated Environmental Shorts that Want to Change the World
Apart from all the other current crises, the climate crisis is the greatest challenge the planet will face in the coming decades. For a long time, film-makers have tried to highlight the problem in ways that are both engaging and educational.
ANIMATION
A New Golden Age of Czech Animation in 2022?
A new generation of Czech animators are being inspired by the past to create modern stories with fresh voices. From a classic stop-motion feature for kids and adults to a hard-hitting adult tale of love, politics and prejudice...
WORLD
Oscar-winning Animated Shorts that you Need to See: vol. 2
Because you can never have enough good art, we decided to write another article about animated shorts that took home the famous golden Oscar and left a significant mark on the world of animation. Now grab your popcorn and get ready for another batch of amazing films.
WORLD
Czech Animators that Changed the World
The Czech Republic might be a small country but it has a great cultural history. It's given the world sugar cubes, contact lenses, the polka dot and the word 'Robot'. But one area for which Czechs have gained international recognition that has far outweighed these humble achievements, is in animation.
ANIMATION
5 Books that Should be in Every Animator's Library
Becoming a good animator requires constant education and improvement. In today's online world, it's easy to get advice, tips or tutorials, whether on youtube or on professional animation websites. But if you want a more comprehensive look at animation, it's still a good idea to read...
WORLD
Oscar-winning Animated Shorts that you Need to See: vol. 1
Every year in LA, the Academy Awards announces one of its less exalted awards for the best Animated Short. In 2020, the Czech Republic had its own dog in the fight, when Daria Kashcheeva, a student of the Prague FAMU, was nominated for the golden statue with her film Daughter. Unfortunately, she didn’t bring the Oscar back home with her this time, but the Animated Short Oscar category is one which is actually far more influential than people realise.
ANIMATION
5 Tips for Creating an Effective
Animation Showreel
When applying for a job in most careers, a CV or diploma is usually enough. In the creative sector, in which we also include animation, your work speaks for you. It has long been the norm among filmmakers and animators to present themselves to the world with a so-called showreel, which is a video that contains the best works of the artist. We've put together 5 tips for you on how to build a kick ass showreel that will open doors for you.
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