16.08.2023
Here are TAFF Pro Forum’s speakers
On Thursday’s TAFF Pro Forum, gaming and animation professionals and experts can present their projects and connect with each other and exhibitors. The day will be filled with inspiring talks and interesting exhibitions. TAFF Pro’s coffee corner will offer a relaxed environment for connecting among professionals.
You can find the schedule for TAFF Pro from our timetable and tickets -page.
Exhibitors of TAFF Pro Forum:
Game Hub – Hive
IGDA
Turku Game Lab
Turku Scene / WFFC
Antti Laakso is a director, animator, animation teacher, and game creator who graduated from Turku Arts Academy’s animation line. His latest project is the computer game ‘Dreams in the Witch House,’ which was released in early 2023. It is based on the novella by American horror writer H.P. Lovecraft and combines elements from point-and-click adventure games and role-playing games.
Antti has also designed the visual identity for this year’s TAFF, drawing inspiration from the pixel art and fantasy imagery of 90s video games.
In his presentation Antti Laakso talks about developing his first released computer game, the horror adventure Dreams in the Witch House. How did the transition go from animation and film to games, and what kind of surprises there were on the long way to the finished product?
Curated by Tatu Pohjavirta.
Tiina Räsänen is an animator who employs storytelling as a versatile tool, not only in crafting visual content but also in UI/UX design and manual testing. Her engagement with the realm of games extends beyond mere playing, for she has also participated in Game Jams and contributed to the development of serious games.
In her presentation “Perspectives on Films and Games,” she delves into the use of animation in video games from the vantage point of the animation industry, exploring its connection with the motion observed in animated films.
Ville Korpela is a game-animator who has over a decade of experience in the game industry. Originally he studied traditional forms of animation such as drawn- and stop motion-animation in Turku Arts Academy and out of sheer love for gaming and games turned his skills and knowledge towards making game characters move. He has worked on several game development projects with companies mostly from Finland making mobile games, indie game projects to double A-games for all platforms, mainly working with Unity and Blender.
“Game animation is problem solving” is Ville’s take on what it is like to be a professional game animator centering on and detailing what a 3d character animators work is like and the different stages of the process. The presentation goes into how ones work crosses and interacts with other facets of game development such as game design, code and modeling to produce a game that is interesting and engaging. Discussed will also be “the why” game animation is so important to the game experience, storytelling and narrative of the game.
The audience will also hear about the realities of working in game industry – the challenges and triumphs along the way – and Ville’s thoughts on the future of game animation.
Liisa Vähäkylä served as the Executive Director of Finnanimation from 2009 to 2023 and has played a key role in founding both the Animation Europe Federation and the Nordic Animation Network. Additionally, she has extensive experience in organizing various animation industry events both in Finland and abroad. Liisa pursued animation studies in London in the mid-1990s and later ventured into multimedia studies in Helsinki.
With an academic background in Art Education and Journalism, Liisa has worked as a journalist and in the fields of advertising and new media. At TAFF Pro, Liisa will present her latest book, ‘Nordic Animation – Balancing the East and the West.‘
‘Nordic Animation – Balancing the East and the West’ is the first-ever book showcasing Nordic animation. The book was published in April 2023 as part of CRC Press’s Focus on Animation series. The book delves into the history of animation creation and the evolution of the animation industry across all five Nordic countries. While covering a broad spectrum of animation work and industry, the book particularly emphasizes known brands and emerging talents in the field.