Interview with Amélie Cochet
When did you take the storyboard course?
I took the storyboard course in autumn 2023 (September to November).
What is your background (education and experience from animation and similar)?
I have a bachelor's degree in 2D Animation from Hochschule Luzern Design Film Kunst (HSLU), where I graduated in 2019. I’ve been working as a freelance animator on various projects (short films, feature films, and commissioned projects) since. Besides that, I’m co-curating the Industry Day at the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival and teaching the project-based course «animated narration» at the school of visual art in Biel/Bienne.
What was your reason for taking the storyboard course?
I wanted to expand my knowledge, learn new skills, and get better at telling stories through visual language. Framing, composition, camera, montage, and light are super important aspects of visually conveying feelings, (back)stories, and relations and I wanted to learn to use them consciously.
Did you feel that the storyboard course helped you achieve the goals that you were hoping for?
Absolutely, and it was a great experience. Especially because we had quite a small class and different lecturers every one or two weeks who made us do a lot of different exercises and talked about their individual experiences in storyboarding, storytelling, film history, scriptwriting, pitching, etc. In particular the individual feedback and advice they gave us were very helpful and precious.
In these 3 months, I met a bunch of amazing people from different backgrounds and with loads of experiences – teachers and students as well – and I had a fantastic time in Viborg!
What was the best thing about the storyboard course in your experience?
The most valuable thing, I think, was to get to know all these different people and lecturers who shared their knowledge and experience with us and gave us individual tasks and feedback. They also shared their personal workflows, tips, and advice for drawing, storyboarding, and portfolio. I made a lot of progress during the course, and I also got great resources to train further and grow even after the course is finished.
I would recommend the course to anyone who wants to grow as a storyteller and filmmaker.
Have you been able to use what you learned in the course in your work after graduating?
Yes! After graduating from the course, I went back to Berne, my home town, and I was able to work quite directly on various short films as a storyboarder. At the moment, there are more projects in the pipeline, including my own short film, where I'll be able to put what I've learnt to good use, and possibly also a feature-length film, which I'm also scheduled to work on as a storyboarder. Since the course, I've also been watching films differently and regularly try to do exercises to develop and learn more as a storyboarder and story artist.