Ivana Savova

Ivana Savova is an animator from Sofia, Bulgaria. Before moving to London for her higher education her work consisted of still images that usually told stories charged with symbolism related to her cultural background. She started her journey as a filmmaker at Kingston School of Art in 2017 where she achieved a BA in Illustration Animation in 2020. The course further developed her skills in illustration while at the same time she found a new, exciting, and unexplored direction in which she could move forward her work – animation.

In 2019 she took on an internship at Gallery Art & Co in Sofia, where she was given the task of elaborating the project: Plan for the development of an Art Residency Programme in Bulgaria. The summer internship not only introduced her to the issues in Art institutions such as financing, the connection between artists and the public, but also consolidated her theoretical knowledge and its application in real practice.

After graduating from Kingston University, she felt the need to continue her exploration of the audio-visual world, and this is what led her to the Animation program at the Royal College of Art in 2020.

The overarching theme in my work is the exploration of the self. What alleviates the person and takes them out of the routine of everyday life. The different forms of escapism that we practise and what are the reasons for that. Often through the lens of comedy and self-irony my narrative-based animations strive to provoke questions in the audience related to the inner worlds of each and every one of us.

There is a saying in Bulgaria which I use when describing my work, which goes like this: ‘It is good we have comedy so that we can tell each other the truth.’ And I think that it is fundamentally true because with comedy one can tackle subject matter which at times might be even painful to talk about.

My preferred method of animation is a mix between Stop-motion and textured 2D digital animation, which allows me to keep the overall tactile sensation of the produced image. Frequently the two techniques represent the different realities in my stories and the tensions between them.

The story investigates the different ways in which we cope with reality - the imaginary scenarios we create in our heads that make living more interesting. It asks questions such as: How well do we know ourselves? How does society impact the way we live our lives? What happens when our own perceptions about life and how it should be led are in a stark contrast with what has been established as normal and acceptable? Moreover, it explores the doubts that torment almost every young adult in modern society.

The main character is unable and unwilling to fit in the constraints imposed by society at the cost of most - if not all - of his relationships with people. He is a misfit who lives life as if it is a boring duty and the only thing which brings him joy are the imaginary scenarios, he places himself in. The person that has stuck with him throughout the years is his inner voice, and even he is getting fed up with the main character’s inability to sort out his life.

The project is executed using a mix between Stop-motion, traditional frame by frame, and 2D digital animation.

In Collaboration with:

Gabe Clarke - Animator

Executed the traditonal frame by frame animations and texturing used for the 2D characters.

Conor Thompson - Sound Designer

Micaela Carballo - Composer

James Zeki Rose - Voice Actor (Inner Voice)

Freddie McKee - Voice Actor (Main Character)

Medium:

Stop motion, traditional frame by frame, and 2D digital animation

Size:

6 minutes and 10 seconds

The Puppet, Silicone, wire, felt, metal tubes and fabric

Medium:

Silicone, wire, felt, metal tubes and fabric

Sets and Props, Cardboard, wire, paper, rope, fabric, sponges, gouache and acrylic paints, and polymer clay

Medium:

Cardboard, wire, paper, rope, fabric, sponges, gouache and acrylic paints, and polymer clay

The film has been made during the first year of my MA studies. Its entire production took place in my bedroom due to the pandemic.

Through the lens of comedy and especially self-irony, the animation conveys the frustration that comes with the artistic block. It also asks questions related to the conversations we have with ourselves and how constructive or destructive they can be at times. The narrative is based on real stories, and it portrays one of these many clashes between the self and self-criticism.

Medium:

Stop motion and 2D digital animation

Animation Comedy Humor stop-motion

Ivana Savova

In Collaboration with:

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Social

About

Royal College of Art