ShareAmbitious stop-motion and animation artist conjures up stunning videos
Kawthar Bu MeteaWhen you stumble across one of Kawthar Bu Metea's reality-defying stop-motion vines, the first thing you ask is: "How in the world did she do that?" The 24-year-old Bahraini stop-motion and animation artist creates a world of art where you can paint with flowers, diamonds and even use plastic surgery tools to make Disney villains more striking!
Kawthar goes far with her imagination, where every video tells a story of creativity and gives a different vision of traditional animation characters. Kuwait Times spoke to her to learn more about her art. Some excerpts:
Kuwait Times: Tell us about yourself.
Kawthar: I graduated from Bahrain Polytechnic with a bachelor's degree in web media in 2016. Throughout my four years in collage, I was able to efficiently combine my studies with my work, demonstrating that I am self-motivated and proactive when working under pressure. I am currently a freelancer in the field that I enjoy most - stop-motion, animation and art. I have worked on numerous projects with big and small brands, including Disney UK, Microsoft, Guerlain, Mackintosh, Zain, Nada Dairy, Signature Juices and more.
KT: When did you discover your talent? Tell us more about your technique.
Kawthar: Ever since I was little, I enjoyed art, craftwork and computers. I still remember using Paint software to create digital artworks. As I grew older, my love for art and technology grew. I started to learn and experiment with new software and applications. In the summer of 2014, I did my first stop-motion video. I fell in love with the technique, and day by day, I tested different methods. What made my work stand out was my ability to mix all my skills (arts, computer and photography) to create unique and creative videos.
Kawthar holds a workshop for children.KT: How old were you when you made the transition?
Kawthar: 21 years old.
KT: You clearly have a very strong background in art. At what point did you decide to combine your drawing skills with the digital medium? And were you actively making videos before?
Kawthar: When I was little, my dad had two cameras - one big camera for pictures and another for videos. Back then it was rare to see people have them. He would let us shoot pictures and videos. He made me fall in love with photography and videography. When I was in my teenage years, I learnt how to edit my videos. I started to experiment, which made my skills get better in this field.
KT: How did you get the idea of mixing art with flowers, diamonds, medical surgeries, etc?
Kawthar: It is all about experimenting and trying different objects, materials, ideas, techniques and concepts. It is one of the reasons people love my work - offering variety and posting something new and fun every time.
KT: Your videos have a recognizable style. Why did you decide to use stop-motion and paper?
Kawthar: There is something magical when you see an animation on paper, rather than seeing it on a screen. I also love to mix real-life objects with animated sketches. I love the surprise factor, in which the viewer doesn't expect what will happen next.
KT: What were some of the challenges you encountered when making this change?
Kawthar: Not all my ideas turn out the way I imagine them. I sometimes spend a lot of time and effort in creating something that I end up not using. But this falls under the learning process and I learn from my mistakes.
KT: What is it about stop-motion animation that attracts you as an artist? What keeps you excited about it?
Kawthar: The ability to create very unique videos. I also love that it is a very rare technique which not a lot of people practice or know about.
KT: Can you describe what sort of planning goes into a stop-motion shot? Since it is such a time-intensive process, what aspects are the most important?
Kawthar: The most important part is to know how to execute an idea in the most efficient and best way. Before I start recording, I make sure that I have planned it out perfectly, if it is a complex idea, I usually create a storyboard. Planning it makes working on it much easier.
KT: What advice would you give or what resources would you recommend for beginners who are interested in pursuing stop motion? What's a good place to start?
Kawthar: Watch lots of stop-motion videos on YouTube and Instagram and try to figure out how they could have executed an idea and what tools they used. Even by looking at bad examples, one can see the mistakes and avoid making them.
KT: What artists have inspired your style the most?
Kawthar: I honestly can say that my style is very different from others. But a few artists that I really admire are PES film, Pinot Ichwandardi and Meagan Cignoli.
KT: How much planning do you do before making a video? What's your process usually like?
Kawthar: I come up with an idea, figure out how to implement it (in my head), take the pictures and finally edit. As simple as it sounds, I do get stressed when I start implementing the idea, because I want it to be perfect the first time. The most time I spend on the editing part. I take no less than four hours even if it is just a six-second video.
KT: If you could change one thing about your videos, what would it be?
Kawthar: I want to take it to the next level and create very large-scale projects using people and large environments.
KT: Now that you post on Instagram as an option, do you plan on experimenting with new apps?
Kawthar: Not at the moment, but if a new app comes around and it can be the next big thing, I will certainly start posting my work there.
KT: How do you come up with your videos?
Kawthar: I create what I imagine and create what I want to see. For example, seeing a sketch come to life or painting with flowers.
KT: Many of your videos adopt the idea of transforming ugliness into beauty through plastic surgery. Why is that?
Kawthar: In some very famous and beloved movies, characters are transformed magically. Like the Evil Queen in snow white or Ursula in the movie Little Mermaid or even Prince Adam in the movie Beauty and the Beast. What I did was create videos showing how they could have transformed for the purpose of entertainment. A lot of people enjoyed watching them and starting asking for more characters.
KT: Name one product or brand you'd love to work with and why?
Kawthar: There are so many. I would love to work with very high-end designers and brands with a high budget. I am a very ambitious person. I can build a team and create very extraordinary works for them. It would be a very exciting and rewarding experience.
KT: How do you spend your time when you're not working?
Kawthar: I love to watch movies and spend time with my family.
KT: What would you be doing if you didn't have a career in stop-motion videos and animation?
Kawthar: Perhaps be an optometrist. But I feel that every point in my life, everything that I went through and what I was exposed to made me what I am today. I am very thankful.
KT: Last word.
Kawthar: Whenever I work on something and I feel that I do not want to do my best, I remember this hadith: "Allah loves someone who when works, he performs it in a perfect manner (itqan)." By doing things perfectly, I got in return so many things that I never asked for or even imagined I would have - mainly the clients that I got and the very exciting projects.
By Faten Omar
