Bekir Aysan, aka BekO, the French / Turkish filmmaker takes us through his professional work.
When using SMP, I love to use helpers (markers) and lines to draw trajectories of flying or bouncing objects. I also like to use a keypad and dual screens to make animating easier.
– BekO
Hi Beko, please tell us about yourself.
I was born in Instanbul and moved to France when I was 3, I knew that I would make stopmotion movies when i was 5 thanks to an English TV show called “Dream On” (Declic in France) full of funny pixilation and graphic works.
As a teenager, I started filming with my parents Super8 camera and after University I studied 3D computer graphics and became a 3D animator (3DS Max / Character Studio…) and worked on cinematics for video-games on PC and Playsation.
In 2002 I became a freelancer, creating 3D, 2D, Clay and pixilation animations.
Recently I finished 4 short movies for an International company called SPIE. Two clay characters who explain the worldwide activities of this company.
I teach stopmotion in schools, festivals and sometimes in prisons and hospitals.
What sort of equipment do you use?
Canon DSLR 450D and 60D with 17-55mm f2.8 – 50mm f1.4 – 70-200mm f4 L
Lights :
2 softboxes and LED spot lights
How do you use Stop Motion Pro?
SMP is used for filming, of course and sometimes for still pictures ;
Usually, for clay animation I take still pictures of drawn storyboards and characters. When the customer approves the storyboards and character designs we can start. Thanks to the background image and overlay (rotoscope), I can build the final scene by matching the elements with the overlayed picture exactly.?
When you animate, how do you like to use Stop Motion Pro??
Onionskinning is always ON.
I love to use helpers (markers) and lines to draw trajectories of flying or bouncing objects.
I also like to use a keypad and dual screens to make animating easier.
Can you tell us a little about how you make the imagery in your work?
Everything start with a vision, a drawing and only then the choice of the clay, puppet, paper etc… To make the puppets recycling is the way I prefer. Electrical wire, parts of toys, extruded polystyrene are my best materials. I use (cheaper) techniques inspired by Aardman Studios.
What’s next for you and your animation?
After “Vroom” and all our commercial work, I want to revist two animations written a few years ago.
One is to explain the nonsense of the actual economy (2D cutout paper), the second will teach a secret to children (using clay).