I have always been the sort of person who happily moves with the times.
iPod instead of a Discman and an unwieldy stack of CDs? Why sure. Skyping instead of dealing with crackly international phone lines? Yes please! All my news conveniently delivered by Twitter instead of inky newspapers and magazines? Don’t mind if I do!
And CGI animation instead of all that old-fashioned hand-drawn malarkey? Well wait just a minute there will ya? Why not both?
Or in the case of Klaus, a gorgeously-rendered piece of animation from the enormously talented hand of accomplished animator Sergio Pablos (The Hunchbank of Notre Dame, Hercules, Tarzan) – you can read an interview with him at Cartoon Brew – why not forget the CGI altogether, just this once, and just go with hand drawn magic alone?
Much like cradling a real book in your hands, there’s something deeply warm and life-affirming about watching an animated film that’s been hand drawn, an aspect that Pablos deeply appreciates too.
“… like many of us, I miss the freedom and spontaneity of traditional animation. Don’t get me wrong, I love CGI when it’s well made. But there’s no denying that there’s a unique quality to hand-crafted animation when done by a great artist.”
Now working back in his home country of Spain, where he heads his own animation powerhouse, SPA Studios, he has developed a new system that deftly brings together digital technology and the more laborious, rich rewards of hand drawn animation.
While, as Cartoon Brew notes, he’s keeping the exact nature of this system under wraps, it promises to revolutionise the process of 2D animation so it’s every bit as much a viable option for animators as its newer CGI cousin.
If Klaus, the teaser trailer for which is below, is any indication – Pablos is “currently seeking investing, co-production, and distribution partners” for a full feature-length version of this charming tale – then you would have to admit he’s well on his way to succeeding with this exciting endeavour.
In the meantime, enjoy Klaus, and remind yourself that sometimes what was is every bit as good as what is and what will be, especially when you have accomplished dreamers like Sergio Pablos hard at work.