This task is designed to help students significantly improve their skills, especially in creative thinking, storytelling, and the use of dynamic media tools (animation, filming, photography, 3D modelling, editing, and directing).

Students are given 3 months and 3 credits to complete the task. They have two meetings per week with their teacher, each lasting 1.5 hours, and work independently for the rest of the time.

Guest speakers from the film or animation industry are invited to give introductory lectures, discussing the specifics of animation, filming, directing, and editing. They also provide feedback on students’ work, along with the main teachers.

Professionals specializing in audio or music track creation are involved in the creative process. After receiving sketches of the film and references to the desired musical or rhythmic motif, the composer creates the soundtrack for each student team’s project.

The creative task involves choosing a painting or graphic work by a famous artist and using it as a gateway and inspiration for a new visual narrative. The chosen picture can be figurative or abstract; the important thing is that it is recognizable and by a well-known author. The student can rely on the painting technique, plot, color, or create their own story, but it’s necessary to reveal the artwork used for the origins of the new story.

The project entails collaborative work in groups of 2-3 individuals, with bi-weekly meetings lasting 3 academic hours each, wherein the teacher engages all students of the course in discussing the progress of each group. The initial phase involves selecting a painting or graphic work that serves as a source of inspiration for crafting a new narrative distinct from the artist’s original concept. This chosen artwork serves as a conduit to an alternate realm.

Students are required to conduct thorough research to comprehend the artist’s underlying intent in creating the selected piece. Armed with this knowledge, they are tasked with interpreting the artist’s work and formulating an original 3-5 minute film script.

The workflow mirrors the established practices in Dynamic Media professions, encompassing phases such as ideation, concept exploration, script development, cinematography, animation, 3D modelling, sound design, post-production, and editing. Professional assistance and acquisition of new software may be necessary if students and the instructor deem it essential to acquire additional skills, such as sound design, 3D modelling, and editing techniques.

This undertaking aims to enhance students’ aptitude for creative ideation, storytelling, and proficiency in dynamic media creation encompassing animation, cinematography, photography, 3D modelling, editing, and direction. Evaluation of students’ work will factor in the degree of surprise elicited by the film in terms of conceptual innovation and technical execution, as well as its coherence, the suitability of the chosen technique, and artistic direction.

Students are strongly encouraged to seek inspiration from unrelated sources, particularly nature, movement, and environmental observations. They are advised to document and capture elements that may aid the creative process, such as scenarios, textures, shadows, lighting, and characteristic human and animal behaviours. Deliberate analysis of successful film editing techniques and dynamic curves is recommended, along with a commitment to experimentation with new filming and animation techniques to achieve original and compelling performances.

— [Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards ]: Go behind the scenes of the Academy Award winning film Parasite with this graphic novel drawn by Director Bong Joon Ho himself. (https://amzn.to/2SezaJj)

— [Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting]: Screenplay: The Foundations Of Screenwriting offers a step-by-step guide about screenwriting, from the concept to a finished script, and is written by the master screenwriter himself. (https://amzn.to/3fy60N6)

— [Michel Gondry – Do It Yourself!]: Between France and America, from punk beginnings to Hollywood blockbusters: A journey into the fascinating world of French filmmaker Michel Gondry, famous for his offbeat and inventive music videos and visually arresting feature films. (https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/107207-000-A/michel-gondry-do-it-yourself/)

— [Tokyo!]: A triptych examines the nature of one unforgettable city as it’s shaped by the disparate people who live, work (and even run amok) inside one enormous, constantly evolving, densely populated megalopolis, the ravishing and inimitable Tokyo. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0976060/)

— [A Beginner’s Guide to Czech Animator Jiří Trnka]: This video serves as a beginner’s guide to the very famous and influential Czech animator Jiří Trnka. His films include The Hand, The Czech Year, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Old Czech Legends, and Cybernetic Grandma. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mace_OE4KQ)

— [Yuri Norstein and Tale of Tales: An Animator’s Journe]: A pioneering study of the greatest animated film of all time. (https://www.amazon.com.be/-/en/Clare-Kitson/dp/0253218381?language=en_GB)

— [Hayao Miyazaki on Running]: Hayao Miyazaki on Running. A lesson in animation timing. (https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/hayao-miyazaki-on-running)

Marius Žalneravicius, an associate professor, has been a part of the faculty at the Vilnius Academy of Arts within the Department of Graphic Design since 2012. His primary responsibilities include instructing visual narrative and visual communication courses. In collaboration with Assoc. Sigitas Gužauskas, he established The Creative Pain Studio TYMES, a visual communication studio. Preceding his academic tenure, he held the position of art director at several prominent advertising agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA\Vilnius, Adell Taivas Ogilvy, and Leo Burnett Vilnius. Currently, he is primarily engaged in the visual curation and design of art exhibitions.