YEREVAN—World-renowned filmmaker Atom Egoyan and his wife actress Arsinée Khanjian spent over two hours with students at Tumo this past Saturday discussing 14 animation pieces produced by participants in the Ego Film Arts logo project.
“What I saw in the submissions was so beyond what I could have ever dreamt of,” said Egoyan about the ten-to-fifteen second student-made animations of his company logo. “I mean I was in tears when I watched all of this.”
For three months, a group of 22 Tumo students conceptualized and produced original visual animations of Egoyan’s emblematic logo. Working with animation professional Edward Artinian via Skype and Tumo staff member Mariam Poghosyan, the students developed unique renderings of the logo with themes and narratives they felt represented the award-winning director.
“Each of you have found something from Atom’s personal life, whether knowingly or not,” affirmed Khanjian as she accompanied Egoyan in the discussion with the students. “You put things together and really summed up his essence.”
From an homage to Egoyan’s famous glasses, to a 360-page hand-drawn animation sequence, and various abstract formulations of the logo, each animation was constructively appraised one-by-one during his visit.
In the end, Khoren Matevosyan, Hakob Muradyan and Robert Voskanyan’s “Hands” submission was selected as the winning project. Egoyan indicated that he would use the animated logo in one of his upcoming projects.
The visit was Egoyan’s first to the learning center and he took time to engage in a rich conversation with the students about both his personal journey as a filmmaker, as well as his excitement about the potential Tumo holds for the future.
“We, as a people, are extraordinarily creative,” stated Egoyan. “We are amazing artists and you are all a part of this amazing heritage. Now, with this building and these resources, we have the ability to express that.”
Egoyan returned to Tumo on Monday to participate in a special panel discussion organized in conjunction with the Golden Apricot International Film Festival. The 3-person expert panel explored the topic of Transmedia, an emerging form of storytelling where multiple media platforms are combined to tell a single story.
The TUMO Center for Creative Technologies is a digital media resource center in Yerevan, Armenia. Since its opening in 2011, the center has provided thousands of students aged 12-18 an open environment where they can utilize the latest in digital communications, learn from media professionals, and explore the intersection of art and technology.
