Swiss filmmaker Antonin Niclass brings creativeness to life in “Into the Forest,” a stop-motion brief which received Friday the Younger Viewers Award on the Annecy Animation Festival.
Produced by Milos-Movies and shot at Hélium Movies’ studios in Switzerland’s Lausanne, the brief follows three handcrafted monkeys who rework a chilly animation studio right into a vibrant jungle by means of creativity, collaboration and resourcefulness.
The manufacturing additionally options the puppet of Oshi, the child orangutan from Claude Barras’ “Savages” (2024), by means of a collaboration with Nadasdy Movie.
A graduate of the Nationwide Movie and Tv College within the U.Ok., Niclass has change into a well-known identify at Annecy following earlier picks with “Do Not Feed the Pigeons” (2021) and “Coup de Théâtre” (2022).
With “Into the Forest,” he turns his consideration to youthful audiences whereas crafting a layered work that celebrates the artistry of stop-motion animation itself. Mixing meticulous handcrafted animation with expressive sound design and an evolving digital rating, the movie explores themes of belonging, creativity and the ability of collaboration.
Selection spoke with Niclass forward of the movie’s premiere – and win – at Annecy.
“Into the Forest” begins with the topic breaking freed from his animation rig. Are you able to focus on your work on that sequence?
The preliminary aim was to introduce cease movement animation ideas to kids. Our monkey involves life, animated by human fingers, however then he breaks freed from his chains and wishes to search out his personal path. That is the second a puppet stops being an object and turns into a personality. In a manner, as filmmakers, we lose management over the character we depict; it turns into an autonomous entity in individuals’s minds. Symbolically, this units the theme instantly: creation is an act of emancipation.
On a technical degree, it was loads of enjoyable for animator Timothée Crabbé to form the motion and take into consideration learn how to combine dwell motion fingers and a cease movement orangutang. It’s one of many uncommon movies the place the rig doesn’t get erased in post-production.
Music performs a key function in bringing the monkeys’ world to life. How did you method the movie’s musical id?
Because the movie has no dialogue, relying solely on monkey cries to hold the narrative, music is an important a part of the journey. Along with sounds designer Loic Kreyden and composer Fabio Amurri, we crafted a rating that begins with extra mechanical, industrial rhythms reflecting the chilly studio, then evolving into extra melodic patterns and pure ambient sounds.
I wished one thing playful that builds up because the movie progresses, earlier than revealing its full energy when their very own magnificent, home made jungle unveils itself. We tried many approaches with Fabio, initially aiming for a extra conventional, jungle-focused journey type with percussions. Nonetheless, we realised our story wasn’t set in Borneo, however in a stop-motion studio in Lausanne… We due to this fact opted for a slightly digital method utilizing synthesisers to observe the emotional journey and discoveries of our little monkeys.
What’s the message you hope viewers take away after watching the journey of the themes of this movie?
I hope the youngest viewers will get pleasure from discovering these little monkeys in search of to create a house. We didn’t need to merely make a behind-the-scenes of an animation movie; slightly, we aimed to firmly root the movie’s academic side inside a gripping story, the place the characters discover salvation by means of their creativeness and a type of inventive creation as they construct their very own forest.
Past the technical features of filmmaking, the core message is one in every of resourcefulness. These monkeys, caught in a chilly studio, use their creativeness and no matter is at hand to create their very own jungle. It’s tough and makeshift, nevertheless it’s theirs. I additionally hope the viewers feels the enjoyment of collective creation and teamwork. The three monkeys work collectively, combining their expertise to realize a typical aim. And this advantages others as properly.
What does it imply to you to premiere “Into the Forest” on the Annecy Worldwide Animation Movie Pageant?
Dwelling in Switzerland, simply across the nook from Annecy (with my grandmother born solely half-hour away from right here), it took me surprisingly lengthy to know the pageant’s true magnitude. The realisation actually hit after I returned with the NFTS, my movie faculty within the U.Ok. It felt like coming residence, but seen by means of fully new eyes.
Since then, my journey right here has continued: from my commencement movie, “Do Not Feed The Pigeons,” to “Coup de Théâtre,” a commissioned challenge the next yr.
Crafting a movie for younger audiences was an sudden problem for me, and a really thrilling one. Being chosen for competitors is a profound honour. It feels extremely particular to share this work with a world viewers, proficient friends in addition to kids, virtually from my yard.
