As the refrain goes, "it's a medium, not a genre." The more artists continue to expand storytelling using animation, the more people are starting to understand why. Is it a coincidence that the award for Best Short has gone to an animated film for the last two years at Sundance? What's changing in the animation genre? What tools does it take to tell amazing stories?

At Sundance 2016, No Film School sat down with three amazing animators at the top of their game to ask these questions and more.


Here is Part 1 of that discussion with Mickey Duzyj, director and animator of The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere, as well as Drew Christie and Rose Stark, two animators who worked individually on NUTS! to creatively interpret the story of J.R. Brinkley. The talented artists talk about the growth of the medium, what tools they animate with, and the difference between doing it on paper and doing it on a computer.

Check it out:

Below, we've found some of these animators' best work on the internet. Feast your eyes!

This short story by Mickey Duzyj about Rick Baird's perfect day at the Putt-Putt was nominated for an Emmy:

Rose Stark's Sundance-channel commissioned story about a man losing his virginity:

This account of Charles Bukowski from Drew Christie is fantastic (albeit NSFW):
https://vimeo.com/103458089

Keep an eye out for Part 2 of this roundtable discussion.

For more, see our complete coverage of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

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No Film School's video and editorial coverage of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival is sponsored by Blackmagic Design.