Making independent animated films in Latin America: Juan Pablo Zaramella at TEDxBuenosAires

In this talk with stunning visuals, Juan Pablo Zaramella tells us about his experience of producing independent animated films in Latin America. He takes us on a journey throughout his best animation pieces – authentic masterpieces with international recognition, using stop motion and pixilation.

Hello, I'm Juan Pablo Zaramella.

The best way that
I'd describe myself

is as a story-maker;
a maker of animated stories.

I'm an independent director.

Most of the films I've made,

I created and produced myself.

I animate at home with a team

that is mostly friends of mine.

The technique I use
the most is stop motion,

an animation technique
used to animate objects

or dolls through
the use of photography.

Now, what you see here
is my daily routine.

This might look quite strange
for many of you,

but, well, this is my job.

This is what I do almost every day
when I'm animating my projects.

To give you a better idea of what I do,

I'm going to show you
a one-minute short film,

named "At the opera"
that I made a couple of years ago.

(Video)

(Music, fragment of Cavalleria Rusticana)

(Applause)

(End of video)

(Applause)

You see, this is an interesting example
because it combines

the animation of dolls and objects...
including those onions at the end –

Like many independent animators
in Latin America,

I've benefited from all
the advances in technology,

that has allowed us to produce
films independently at home

with a competitive
international level quality.

This is how I made my first short film,
"The Challenge to Death", a few years ago.

I made it in a two by two room.

And that short film
was selected by Annecy,

the biggest animated film festival
in the world,

that takes place
in France every year.

It opened up my vision
and my mind in a way

that allowed me to plan...
to look beyond

and see the possibilities that
I could have by working independently.

This is how I started
my next short film, "Journey to Mars",

also produced independently,

although, now I was aware of
how far I could take my work.

Technology is interesting
because today

– unlike maybe 15 years ago,
when I finished high school

and began my insertion
into the job market,

today, with something
as simple as a cell phone,

that we all carry in our pockets,

we can make – and even edit – a movie.

This is how I made my first movies
and produced "Journey to Mars".

Let's watch a fragment
of this short film.

(Video)

Run! Ouch!

Grandson: Grandpa,
I want to go to Mars!

When I grow up,
I'm going to Mars in a rocket.

Grandfather: A rocket?
But why should we wait?

I can take you now.

Grandson: Really?

Grandson: Grandpa,
I saw on TV

that they go in flying saucers
and rockets!

Grandfather: You can also go
in a tow truck, you'll see.

This is a special truck.

When it picks up speed...
Phewww... off to Mars!

(Child yawns)

(Shaking and breaking noises)

Grandfather: We've arrived.

Grandson: Wow!

(Grandfather coughs)

[Today: 2 empanadas + glass of wine $20]

Grandson: Ma'am, is this Mars?

Lady: Yes, welcome!

Grandson: Grandpa, can I have
a souvenir from Mars?

Juan Pablo Zaramella: Well,
this short film, definitely, opened up –

(Applause)
Thank you.

(End of video)
(Applause)

This short film was definitely
what allowed me to enter

the world of international festivals.

It has had a lot of success,
winning about 60 prizes,

and it gave me the possibility
to make a living out of this.

I work a lot in animation.

I produce independent short films,

but I also work a lot
in advertisement.

Actually, that's how I make my living.

Working as an independent animator
doesn't give you a regular income.

But it gives you other things.

And you get a lot of promotion.

With "Journey to Mars" I experienced
something that often happens to many artists

when they find success with a piece:
the temptation to repeat themselves,

or to repeat the same formula.

The truth is that
that blocked me creatively,

and I felt like I didn't know
what I really wanted to do next.

My tendency was to produce
very similar stories.

And the solution came, almost unexpectedly,
with the next short film, "Lapsus",

which represented an important change
because I began to use a technique

completely different that
was inspired by the script itself,

a story that I wrote
and made into a short film.

It lasts 3 minutes.
Unlike "Journey to Mars",

that took me 2 years to make,
this film only took me 3 months.

And it got a very similar success.

(Video)

Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Ahh!

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

(End of video)

(Applause)

Thank you. After this short film,
I was granted a scholarship,

a creative residency in France.

It was about dedicating a month
to develop a project.

Ironically, the place was originally
an abbey from the 11th century

in the middle of
the French countryside.

Nothing to do with "Lapsus",
I'd guess.

Or, maybe it was just a coincidence
that came from above.

But, well, in this place
I began developing a project

based, initially, on a tango.

A song from the 40s
by Osmar Maderna

– a not that well known
tango composer

who had a song, "Rain of Stars",

that I found particularly
inspiring for a story.

That's when I began
experimenting with a technique

known as pixilation, which is
animation using live actors.

So I began
experimenting with myself

using a webcam and
my own computer, which I placed

on the floor in this garden.
[Test #1 - Fontevraud, Sept, 2008]

I began doing these tests.

I found this idea interesting
of working not just with people,

but also combining the movement
of the sunlight and its natural progression

with the animation of the actor.
This is how

the idea for "Luminaris",
my next project, was born.

A short film that is also
doing very well.

Up to date,
in less than a year,

it has won more than
70 international prizes

and it was pre-selected
for this year's Oscars.

(Applause)

Let's watch a small fragment
of "Luminaris".

(Video)

(Music, tango "Rain of Stars")

(End of video)

(Applause)

Thank you. This piece involved
a lot of work behind the scenes

with the animation of the sunlight.

The test I made in France
looked much easier

because I was in a place
with ideal conditions.

It was a totally clear landscape
with perfect weather.

When I tried to do the same thing
in Buenos Aires I encountered

bigger problems because
the weather is very unstable.

If a small cloud appeared on the sky,
it would ruin the entire filming.

Most of the filming was done
very early in the morning

when the movement of the sun is higher,
and sometimes, a day of filming

could be cancelled due
to a small meteorological issue.

Then we all would go back to sleep
until who knows when.

If the next morning was cloudy,
maybe in 2 or 3 days

the sunlight and shadow
positions would change

because the sun
is always moving.

The position of the sun
changes all year long,

so the filming location
couldn't be the same.

So, we ended up
chasing the sun

during those two and half
years of work.

This is what it took
to made this short film.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed it.

Thank you very much for coming.

(Applause)