Krigsmuseet X The Animation Workshop
from the film , ‘Jorogumo’
5 Films – 5 Groups – 10 Weeks
As part of the project New East Asian Museum Narratives, students from The Animation Workshop in Viborg have interpreted the museum's samurai armours in five short animated films.
The films are created by students in their second year of study. Sound and music are produced in collaboration with sound design students at Sonic College. The students are divided into five groups: 4-5 animators, 4-5 3D graphic artists, and 2-3 sound designers. The work begins with a blank sheet of paper and ends ten weeks later with a finished film. It is an intensive and exciting process where the students utilize all their creative energy and technical skills, making many difficult choices and trade-offs.
Creating films for a client based on a specific subject puts every aspect of the job as an animator and 3D graphic artist into play. It is crucial that the students take great care in communicating their expertise with professionals from a completely different background who do not necessarily understand the specialised and niche technical language used by the graphic artists.
In groups, the students delve into a subject area and use their creative power to produce a 35-second film featuring characters and environments, animation style, and visual design that is loyal to the subject matter, matches the client's wishes, and works well for the target audience.
The client, subject and the creative storytelling
Process sketch from the film, ’Jorogumo’
Watch the films by the students and learn more about their process below
Duel at Dawn
Dynamic anime-style guide to the museum
Having never worked with real-life artifacts before, it was definitely a challenge to make them shine throughout the short duration of the film. However, this was a rewarding experience that helped the students’ problem-solving skills evolve. Many of the stylistic and narrative choices were made in accordance with client feedback, while keeping in mind our limitations as students. Ensuring that the action was effectively conveyed while utilizing the locations proved to be the biggest challenge in the making of the film, as the two were often “fighting” for attention.
The Animation Workshop:
Anna Tsangada - Director/Editor/Animator // Gunnhildur Osk Signarsdóttir - Production Manager/Animator // Julia Christina Lund - Art Director/Animator // Cathrine V. Jensen - Animation Lead/Animator // Kimi -Khan Kouakou - Technical Director/CG Generalist // Aleksandra Kozierkiewicz - CG Generalist // Sophie Dirkje Overdulve - CG Generalist // Jennifer Krainok Lyck - Pipeline Manager/CG Generalist // Cathryn Hanel - CG Generalist // Johanne K. B. Jespersen - Animator // Stef Hoogerwerf - Animation Assist Lead/Animator
Sonic College:
Maria Hjøllund Hansen – Sound Designer // Kalle Erlang Andersen – Sound Designer //Jarl Stæhr Rødtnes – Sound Designer
Jorogumo
Japanese yokai myth with a samurai duel!
The short is a love letter to the Japanese art culture and cinema. It is inspired mainly by the Bunraku theater with the protagonist being a puppet like those from this specific theater style and the animation resembles stop motion to reinforce the theatrical element. All that, combined with the very influential Japanese horror cinema strive to create a unique little short that showcases the armor of the Danish War Museum and captures the charm of the culture it is representing.
The Animation Workshop:
Angeliki Ioekeimidou – Director and Animation Generalist // Ulrikke Bastian – Art Director and Animation Generalist // Len Quaranta - Technical Director and Rigging // Mihka Mäntynen - Animation Lead // Halfdan With – Production Manager and CG Generalist // C. Rosini - Pipeline Manager and CG Generalist // Adriana Kacalova – CG Generalist and Rigging // Line Schmidt – CG Generalist // Yihan Liu Overgaard - Rigging // Theodor Ellegard Borch – Animation Generalist
Sonic College:
Bastian Rathschau Nielsen – Sound Designer // Lasse Linus Knudsen – Sound Designer // Jonas Kongpetsak Pedersen – Sound Designer
Kabuto
A curious cat leads us through crafting techniques and immersive environments, revealing the mystery of what’s being made through sound, visuals and motion.
The audience goes on a journey through the eyes of a curious cat. This cat quietly explores the world around it, watching closely as something is being made. We see everything from the cat’s point of view, which helps us notice small details and feel more connected to the process. The craft is shown in real time, so we can fully understand how much work and care go into making it.
Each step takes time, focus, and effort. We don’t just see the finished result — we see how hard it is to get there. The process is long and often difficult. It’s not easy, and that’s what makes it special. What’s being made is more than just an object; it’s a passage — something that must be built slowly, piece by piece.
The cat walks through different spaces, each one showing a new part of the journey. These places are full of color, sound, and texture, helping us feel the mood of each moment. The sounds of tools, materials, and movement add to the feeling. In the end, we understand not just what is made, but how much patience, skill, and heart it takes to make it real.
The Animation Workshop:
Viktoria Markevych - Director // Gabriele Rozenaite - Art Director // Beinta Brynhildardottir Egholm - Production Manager // Marie Heegaard Pedersen - Technical Director // Tom Vonlanthen - Co-Technical Director // Robin Rine - Animation Lead // Esben Yu-Jie Tu Mellerup – Animation Generalist // Hannah Sofie Brandt – Animation Generalist // Adrianna Aleksandra Macierzynska – CG Generalist // Leda Hergešić – CG Generalist // Márk Szabó – CG Generalist
Sonic College:
Bjarke Illum Dalsgaard - Composer and Sound Designer // Mads Dahl - Composer and Sound Designer // Vilhelm Weldingh - Composer and Sound Designer
Play Fight
A battle between two samurai
Working on the movie made for a lot of great experiences and fun moments with the team. It was interesting to do research into the life of samurai while also learning about Japanese media. Working in a group felt like a puzzle, every piece is essential for the full picture.
The Animation Workshop:
Zacharias Bentaouzina Meyer - Director // Zsófia Weisz - Director // Rafał Kazała – Art Director // Nina Makarchuk – Art Director // Camila Moreano-Nielsen - Production Manager // Camille Ravn Backhausen - Technical Director // Mailila Hauptmann - Animation Lead // Marika Piasecka - Animation Generalist // Ofelia Giannini - Animation Generalist // Ása Eikhólm Trygvadóttir - CG Generalist // Daniela Soroková - CG Generalist
Sonic College:
Emil Graabæk Jakobsen – Sound Designer // Heini Holm Johannesen – Composer, Sound Designer and Voice Actor // Tobias Riber Jakobsen - Sound Designer and Voice Actor // Maria Hjøllund Hansen – Voice Actor
Ritual
A samurai prepares for battle.
Our intention with the short film was to show the contrast between the serenity of tradition and the reality of war, that characterized the life of a samurai. Our approach focused on combining ritualistic elements of Japanese art, like wood block textures and patterns with modern 3D animation.
The Animation Workshop:
Kristina H. Hristova - Director // Jannes Eskil Luth – Director and Technical Director // Miguel Gallardo Cortes – Art Director and CG generalist // M. Aubrey jones - Animation Director // Cathrine Søndergaard - Production Manager and CG Generalist // Lykke Skaaning Zwisler - Animation Generalist // Nora Holmstedt - Animation Generalist // Nikoline Sommer - Animation Generalist // Maja Brankin - Animation Generalist // Yihan Liu Overgaard - CG Generalist // Matthew Noga - CG Generalist
Sonic College:
Emil Roland - Composer and Sound Designer