An interview with the Director of Nix’s Symphony, screening at the 2024 Mosaic World Film Festival.
Libelle, Nix’s mother, possessed exceptional abilities. She not only excelled in the fields of science and engineering, but also gained fame as a distinguished inventor and composer. Nevertheless, at a tender age, Nix, an aspiring musician and inventor in her own right, is now burdened with the responsibility of upholding this remarkable legacy.
1. What drew you to create this film?
Nix’s Symphony was a solo project for my grade 12 Media Arts class. After seeing many professional short animated films, I challenged myself to create something with a similar level of quality using the resources I had access to as a high school student. I wanted to make a film that reflected my own struggles with composing music. Steampunk and music are two themes that are rarely combined. I really liked the idea of a big symphony of mechanical instruments built and conducted by a character roughly my own age. Not only did the steampunk theme provide an interesting environment, it allowed a perfect mix of mechanical, musical and magical elements.
2. What does filmmaking mean to you?
As an introvert, verbal communication has always been a challenge. Making films allows me to work under my ideal conditions to tell my stories in my own way. As a kid I loved making things and imagining my own worlds, but had no way to bring them to life. Then I learned 3D modelling and animation, and all that changed. With animation I can create anything that I can imagine. I have been studying and making music since I was three years old. Lockdown during the pandemic gave me the opportunity to apply my musical knowledge and teach myself to compose music. I soon discovered that I can combine music and film to tell a story without dialogue. This is something that I’m sure many introverts can relate to.
3. What advice would you give students or beginners that want to make films?
Art is hard. And film is hard. Be nice to yourself. If things don’t go your way, don’t you dare give up! Film has so many facets, and each one is unbelievably difficult to master, be it camera work, lighting, animation, audio, music, editing and putting it all together. It is impossible to master all this on your first film. Take your best shot, try your best, and when the film is done, look at it critically. There are hundreds of superb YouTube videos out there by professionals who share their knowledge. Learn from them and use each film you create as a stepping stone to make an even greater one next time. Even after the last couple of years of learning film, I still consider myself to be a beginner.
4. What films do you watch again and again?
Ironically, I really don’t watch a lot of films, apart from the ones screened at film festivals. I can’t pull myself away from animating long enough to watch a film. I also have the attention span of a goldfish.
Thank you Karina!
You can get tickets for the #2024mwff here: https://filmfreeway.com/MosaicWorldFilmFestival/tickets