Every Monday or so, Chris Robinson asks an animator how they made a particular film. This week: Elizabeth Hobb's Imperial Provisor Frombald
So, how’d you make this?
I made Imperial Provisor Frombald by printing with hand-carved rubber stamps onto clear 35mm film to illustrate a document about the first exhumation of a suspected vampire in Serbia in 1825.
Why this technique?
Imperial Provisor Frombald was an administrator, so I thought of making it with rubber stamps straight away. To make the rubber stamps for 35mm means that they are approximately 1.5 x 2.5 cm in dimension, so it’s necessary to greatly simplify the carved image and I really like to have some sort of restriction to work within.
How long did it take?
Not as long as you’d think perhaps! There are a lot of loops, and I got very quick at making the tiny relief prints. Perhaps 6 months stretched out over a couple of years. I didn’t have the time to cut on 35mm, so I digitised the frames for editing.
What was the most challenging part of the process?
I really enjoyed every moment of making this film, because I used to be a printmaker. The challenge was perhaps to try and make the narrative clear, and I think it might still be hard to grasp in parts.
Was it worth it?
Yes I think so. I’d like to have another go at the technique if I can.
A well-known figure in the world of independent animation, writer, author & curator Chris Robinson is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
