Tal Rosner Lecture

This afternoon I attended a lecture by the BAFTA Award winning Tal Rosner. He has worked with Animate TV and Channel 4 aswell as a number of other high profile companies.

Tal started off doing the same course as I am currently doing which is BA Graphic Design and realised he had a real knack for movement and rhythm which then lead him onto the translation of his graphic design to moving image. His Doppelganger video uses all aspects and views of trains, their destinations and stations in a unique way that turns them all into totally abstract imagery. As with all animations, he says, it has to have a beginning-middle and end and tell the viewer a story. He is completely self-taught with After-Effects as he likes to be in control and not have interference. His believes adjustment = intrusion.

Some of the projects he has worked on include Stravinsky- Concerto for 2 pianos which combined the elements of groundbreaking techno animation with the classical tones of the piano and they work well together. In his animations some of the backgrounds change whilst the foreground stays the same and vice versa which has inspired some of my ideas for my chosen animation elective. He has also worked on the title sequences for the hit TV series 'Skins'. Tal created 72 different versions before settling on the final film. This included ' secret frames' Rebellious images thrown in that wont be seen unless paused and looked at closely.

Tal liked to work with a grid system where if something goes to the right it will come back to the left etc so his work always had a certain structure. He also used repetition and tiling to give effect of zooming out and pattern. He told us about the technique of grading which is the editing of an already edited film where colours can be changed. Apparently a difficult process. Skins second series became more mature so the animation had to coincide with this and the film came out of the letters S.K.I.N.S. Tal is currently working on the 3rd series.

Tal was commisioned by Channel 4, along with 5 other film-makers to create an experimental video. He was inspired by this poem :

Calm down

what happens

happens mostly

without you

by Josef Albers

He is also influenced by 1905-1935 design and modernism and believes that this is making a comeback aswell as the Bauhaus and visualising music. He can come up with a concept at any time and create it without a brief which could then be used 2 years down the line.

Overall, I think his work is of a good standard and inspiring when it comes to doing my own animations and it shows the levels I will need to be looking at to succeed in industry.