Veteran Animation Filmmaker Talks Story Ideas, Technology and Protecting Passion

Georges Schwizgebel was being interviewed by "Daily News".

　　Having spent his entire career making short animation films, animation director Georges Schwizgebel, a real artist, seems quite relaxed about commercial profits. In his eyes, the technological advantage today has never been greater but film culture has never been weaker. Two days after his interview with “Daily News,” Shanghai Disneyland opened and Shanghai International Film and TV Festival accordingly hosted a 30th anniversary tribute to Disney and Pixar. As pioneers of different stages of animation, the Disney and Pixar companies have promoted the use of 3D technology worldwide. Yet according to Georges, what really matters are the different styles of animation possible. And thanks to his contribution to the animation industry, we can still create films that deliver meaning to the fragmented and restless world of the young.

　　About early experiences

　　Daily News: Your early experience seems to have inspired your later animation work. What kind of inspiration was it?

　　Georges Schwizgebel: I was not trained in animation at the time because no schools taught it. The animation became a full-time job from the 1980s and it lasted about 30 years. People often ask why I don\'t make photography films, which are longer. But I prefer short animated films because they don\'t cause as much financial pressure if my productions don\'t attract a lot of viewers. I won’t change my passion because of money issues.

　　Daily News: You studied Chinese at Fudan University in about 1983-1984 during which time you even made a film called "Foreigners."

　　Georges Schwizgebel: At that time, Shanghai was a city quite different from my country, Switzerland. I studied Chinese, but I was not so good at this language. I chose Shanghai because I had met Ida and Wang Chushan, so it was a very interesting visit.

　　Daily News: Three decades later you are visiting for the film festival. What do you notice that is familiar or new?

　　Georges Schwizgebel: I visited Shanghai for a big animated film festival in 1988. I returned in 1992 because my wife comes from Shanghai and she wanted me to participate in an another animation film festival. It was focused on short animated-films and was quite valuable.

　　Some advice for

　　young animation makers

　　Daily News: Can you offer some advice to younger animation filmmakers attending the film festival?

　　Georges Schwizgebel: The film festival is very important for young filmmakers. When you make a film, you can only put your own ideas into it. So you may need to ask older people what they think about it and it also helps to watch a lot of films at film festivals. As for suggestions to young animators, it is most important to love and believe in your work. There are two types of learning, one to study at school about how to be a director, and the other to learn by doing.

　　Daily News: How can the Shanghai film festival help future animators ?

　　Georges Schwizgebel: They are five nominated animated films, but I have seen many more good animated products than that and it\'s very important for the festival to work out how also to encourage them.

　　About film culture in Shanghai

　　Daily News: What do you think about the film culture in Shanghai ?

　　Georges Schwizgebel: Shanghai is very important for film. It had a very big studio a long time ago that specialized in Chinese animated film. Maybe 10 years ago, we could see Japanese and Korean animations but not so many Chinese. I was in Wuhan in 2005 with expert filmmakers who had been invited from Switzerland, the U.S., England and Italy by the local film school. The teachers told us the students were copying Japanese film styles and wanted them to see the products of different countries. They wanted the students to be open to different cultures. Today, we see many Chinese animated films are very original.

　　About the past & future

　　in animation industry

　　Daily News: Back in the 1980s, there was a classic style called “ink animation”. Now, 3D technology is dominating the entire market. What predictions can you share about the future of animation?

　　Georges Schwizgebel: Yeah, the "ink animation" films were beautiful. It is difficult to know about the future but what is really important is the ideas that young people portray in their use of the new animation technologies. We can\'t forget that the story idea is what really matters.

　　Daily News：I remember watching a film called "A Man Without a Shadow" and only much later did I realize it was made by you. It was very powerful but there was no dialogue or dubbing. Do you add particular elements to your film to make them more commercially appealing to more audiences?

　　Georges Schwizgebel: I am very happy if audiences like my films, but most important it must be “me” who likes my own films. If you think too much about audiences, it\'s just not a good way to make films.

　　Daily News: What do you think about Chinese animated films? Did you ever see last year\'s hit animated film "The Monkey King Hero Returns"?

　　Georges Schwizgebel: I focus on short films and have seen some good ones in Japan and France but not that many in Chinese. I need to discover those in Chinese and the film festival is a good opportunity.