Merel Schuurman: “At ArtEZ, you are trained as an animation artist”
- Design
“During the course you discover that you learn much more than just animation. It’s mainly about storytelling and the means you can use for it,” says Merel Schuurman (23), fourth-year student in Animation Design. Now that she is almost graduating, she feels a mix of excitement and enthusiasm about leaving ArtEZ. “Yes, sometimes we were thrown in at the deep end, but only afterwards do you realise how much you learn from that.”
Two years before she started studying, Merel had already wanted to apply for the Animation Design course. “But I thought I wouldn’t be good enough,” she explains. Still, she continued to be attracted to it and discovered that animation is more than just making a moving film. “At ArtEZ, you are trained to become a versatile animation artist. The focus was mainly on the technical side of storytelling, something I have become much stronger in. Of course you also learn how to make animations, and after four years you can handle all the different software, but storytelling is also a very important part of the course.”
Overcoming obstacles
Merel is honest: Animation Design is not a course that you can do on the fly. “But you do get a lot out of it,” she believes. “I have learned so much in four years” time. Also about myself. For instance: What do you do when you are in a less creative period and are way too critical of your own work? For me it works to take a step back and reflect on what I am doing. To then start creating again with pleasure and inspiration. I got better at this with each semester.” According to Merel, how an artist overcomes obstacles is different for everyone. “And the good thing is: rather than solving it for you, ArtEZ really gives you the space to discover it yourself. Everyone works through it in a different way.”
Do you really want to be trained as an artist or do you choose the applied side of animation? Once you have made a choice, ArtEZ will provide you with good guidance”
The course has made her look much more critically at the structure of a story. “For example, we regularly had to analyse films, together with the storytelling lecturer. Really interesting!” In addition, Merel learned to let go of the aesthetic part more often and to focus more on creating interesting images. “How can you really capture the viewer’s attention? If you want to build a future in animation, it is important that you master these kinds of skills.”
The variety of assignments, the space you are given to experiment and the time to discover which direction you want to go are three aspects of the course that Merel remembers most. “The direction you are going depends largely on your own attitude,” she says. “Do you really want to be trained as an artist or do you choose the applied side of animation? Once you have made a choice, ArtEZ will provide you with good guidance.”
Writing a book
When she looks at her own classmates, there are actually three types. Merel: “There are people who excel in applied animation work, others are good at storytelling and yet another group likes to guide and direct the process.” Which group does she belong to? “I’m more into creative thinking,” she says, “that is, driving ideas and editing.” In between, she is also working on her own book, which is about the beauty of life’s difficulties. “A completely different way of storytelling,” Merel explains.
Tackle things together
Once she graduates, Merel wants to finish her book, delve deeper into the directing side of things and she plans to start an artist collective with classmates. “Or a small studio,” she adds. “That’s a multi-year plan, though. But I have noticed that you can achieve much more if you tackle things together.” During her internship she also taught at her own course. She had not expected beforehand that she would enjoy it so much. “So that might be another direction I want to develop more in the future. As you can see, I’m a real jack of all trades, ha ha. But let’s graduate and catch my breath a little first, then I’ll really get going.”
More about the Animation Design bachelor's course
