April 07, 2011 from nathanbweller's blog
It's been a few weeks now since I discovered the work of Ryan Kothe on vimeo. The first video of his I watched was this 20 second stop animation called, "Bottlecap Swim Park". Something about it really struck a chord with me. Even though it is extremely short, it's able to communicate a time, place, feeling, and even the suggestion of a story. I knew from experience that getting all of that with very little is no accident, that requires a lot of talent. So I quickly watched the other 6 videos on his channel seeing that each one did something similar and I was more and more impressed with his unique style, incredible knack for stop motion, and his ability to provide a sense of narrative in just a few seconds.
Bottlecap Swim Park from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.
After poking around on his vimeo page for a bit I found his email address and told him that I'd love to chat about his work and feature him on Abduzeedo. He was all about it and we even tried doing a skype video but that didn't work out too well. Anyways, long story short, the more I got to talk with Ryan the more I liked the guy. He's a real laid back dude that's friendly and easy to get along with. I hope you enjoy our interview below and be sure to show some love in the comments and on his vimeo page!
Q: So, tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do?
A: I guess I'm mostly from New Zealand at this point in my life. I was born in South Africa and as a family we moved to New Zealand when I was 14. I finished high school, then studied Art and Design at university and went on from there to build my own life. I currently work in television as an on air graphic designer, and in my spare time I'm heavily involved with all sorts of projects.
C42 Quake from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.
C42 Waves from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.
C42 Weaves from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.
Q: What is your favorite activity for blowing off steam? I believe the last time we chatted you mentioned carpentry and bike riding?
A: Yeah, I ride my bicycle a lot and I'd say having the wind (or rain) in my face has to help. A fair bit of my time consists of wood-working, there's something about being outside cutting and sanding wood that's pretty nice.
Q: When did you start making these amazing stop motion animations and where did the inspiration come from?
A: Hmmm, I guess I started stop motion almost 10 years ago. I used to make little characters and photograph them, they weren't manoeuvrable but I remember wondering how I could make them so that they could be manoeuvred. That possibly lead me to make and create different things, things that were manoeuvrable, and then I just went from there.
Q: All of your pieces have a heavy narrative element to them even if they're just 30 seconds or less. How important is it to you to tell a story with your work or does it just happen naturally?
A: Well, as much as I try to put narrative in my pieces (as it is important to me), sometimes it does just happen, but usually I have an idea of what I'm after and attempt to create the same feeling and mood in each shot/scene. Music is a help with this. Which leads into your next question.
Billy Brown's Coupe from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.
Q: The choices you make in sound effects or music strike me as very clever and effective, what is your process with choosing and crafting the sound you use?
A: Most of the works I do, music comes in half way. I usually have an idea of what genre/speed/style I'm after, and when the music does come into play, I'll try a few pieces and see/hear what's close and work from there. I also like to include quite a a few gentle and subtle sound effects. When tweaked correctly, they really hammer a piece home.
Little Boats from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.
Q: What are your main sources of inspiration?
A: I've always liked a good magazine. There was this cafe I used to go to that had stacks of really good ones. I'd flick trough one of them and ideas would just leap out at me. I'd also have to say that just going out and doing things has an effect. Often enough ideas come from very simple experiences. Just a simple walk up the road with my lady love to get a drink or two can bring on a few ideas. There's always something new on that same road we travel everyday.
Worn Out from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.
Q: Who would you call your biggest artistic influence?
A: Hmmm, I don't really have a huge list of artists that I continue to follow and learn from but I do look at a lot of stuff from all around. Of course there's been the odd person or two in my life that has influenced me. When I was younger I remember making a shelf and my older brother made one too. I liked mine but his was a different design, something I hadn't imagined - It was really cool. I'd say growing up alongside him kept me on a creative edge, but then again I could just say that he's only 16 months cooler than me.
Q: Got any new projects that you're excited about?
A: I do have many projects that I'm very excited about. One is the opening titles to a short film. Second, is a project I came up with last night, and is called 'Night Flowers' - soon to be complete. Both of these will be stop motion works. Thirdly, is a rocking chair I'm in the middle of building - all that is needed now is some sewing and stitching of leather and some upholstery fitting - also, soon to be complete.
Q: What's your workspace look like?
A: Attached are some photos. Dependent on the project, I clear space somewhere.
Q: Where can our readers follow you to see more of your work?
A: The best spot for now would be http://www.behance.net/RyanKothe/frame I recently joined up with them and am very impressed with what they offer and am happy to be on there.
Otherwise my Vimeo page http://www.vimeo.com/ryankothe but this only holds my animated works.
Thank you Ryan so much for this interview, you're a cool guy who makes cool stuff and I wish you the best!
