Floating Shape Workshop is a children's animation workshop that I began in 2015. As a portable extension of an animation workshop course that I was instructing, FSW is a traveling, community-oriented workshop designed to make the magic of analogue animation accessible to all. The concept of FSW was inspired by the innovative "Yellow Ball Workshop" youth animation program created by Yvonne Andersen in the 1960s, as well as ASIFA's ongoing workshop group.
Workshops range from a single day to multi-week sessions. FSW has held workshops at community-oriented venues such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, library branches, the Taft Museum of Art, festivals and various other creative spaces. In the workshop, children learn and engage in the art of the moving image. Camera-less animation projects include the making of flipbooks and zoetropes. In longer workshops, children experiment with different methods of film animation (drawn and stop motion via clay, cutouts, puppets) and create their own short films. All materials (including a quality, accessible animation program) are provided. Children are encouraged to animate any kind of film that they want, with basic instruction and tips/tricks provided to achieve their desired result.
- WVXU interview/feature on Floating Shape Workshop
- Blinking Eye Loop (collaborative film created live)
- Film archive
Workshops range from a single day to multi-week sessions. FSW has held workshops at community-oriented venues such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, library branches, the Taft Museum of Art, festivals and various other creative spaces. In the workshop, children learn and engage in the art of the moving image. Camera-less animation projects include the making of flipbooks and zoetropes. In longer workshops, children experiment with different methods of film animation (drawn and stop motion via clay, cutouts, puppets) and create their own short films. All materials (including a quality, accessible animation program) are provided. Children are encouraged to animate any kind of film that they want, with basic instruction and tips/tricks provided to achieve their desired result.
- WVXU interview/feature on Floating Shape Workshop
- Blinking Eye Loop (collaborative film created live)
- Film archive