UMPRUM's Studio of Animation and Film prides itself on its long tradition, established primarily during the leadership of Adolf Hoffmeister and, later, Miloslav Jágr. As indicated by the name of the studio, the work is focused on animated film, covering, however, everything even remotely related to films (image stories, 3-D objects such as marionettes, movie awards, posters, games, toys, puppet and cartoon theatres, etc.). This "playful" approach to animated films and cartoons fully corresponds with the creative and artistic character of the Academy, compensating, at the same time, the need to work with utmost care, precision and patience. This concept also makes the studio different from the Department of Animated Films of the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), where students are more systematically prepared for a career in the animated film industry. Nevertheless, our students are definitely not to be seen as animation artists only, waiting helplessly for the help of more experienced FAMU graduates.
The new competitive conditions prevailing in the privatized film industry require well-prepared artists benefitting from a good knowledge of all production stages of classical and modern audiovisual works. Therefore, the study includes not only courses fostering creativity and imagination but also practical lessons where students learn to ‘transfer' their creative visions to the screen. In particular, special focus has been given to the basics of cartoon and marionette animation of late.
In addition, there are other courses and areas closely related to the practical implementation of one's ideas - for instance script editing, screenwriting and post-production editing. Here, students learn the secrets of the ‘film language', discovering how to join moving pictures into a single logical whole, essentially turning from animators to filmmakers.
In recent years, Czech animated film has been undergoing profound changes resulting both from new economic conditions and the growing importance of computers and video technology. These are strong pressures influencing the aesthetics and nature of today's animation and opening possibilities which would not be possible few years ago. This new technology introduces into the animated film industry what is often called ‘positive anarchy', destroying the age-old boundaries between live-action and animated films. This involves also substantial changes in the ‘film language', often breaking away from the traditional mantras. In spite of the studio not rejecting these modern methods, we are sincerely convinced that it is necessary first to understand the fundamental traditional rules and technologies used and taught by our forerunners. Therefore, we always try to persuade our students that in embarking on the path of computer animation they should not start in virtual reality outright but rather with a pencil, paintbrush and paper.
In the Czech Republic, animated films have had a long and successful tradition. Therefore, students leaving our studio should be not only skilled and flexible animation artists but also original and headstrong individuals, who will never allow the good name of Czech animated film to disappear under and avalanche of Japanese, American, Chinese and Korean works.
Notable artists connected with the studio include Adolf Hoffmeister, Miloslav Jágr, Jiří Barta, Michaela Pavlátová, Barbora Šalamounová, Barbora Dlouhá and Jan Balej.
