Tomek Popakul is a Poland-based animator, musician, VJ and graphic designer.
Tomek Popakul studied fine arts in college with traditional physical techniques. His first attempts at animation were in a 3D Pixar style in which he wanted realistic camera movements and shading. After not receiving any recognition for those pieces, he realized he was not meant to create in a "perfect" visual style. He then turned to his current style, using cel shading combined with a large amount of grain and blur. He went in the total opposite direction, and the visuals on his current animations are beautiful in his own style.
During his presentation, Tomek screened "Acid Rain", his most critically acclaimed film, and his newest film, "Zima", which he co-directed with Kasumi Ozeki. I enjoyed both films; although the films were about vastly different topics, they shared a similar vibe that originates from Tomek's past experiences. They are both based in Polish culture and contains a sense of Eastern European gloominess. Tomek claims that during the making of "Acid Rain", he analyzed thousands of photos taken of Poland and Ukraine, and picked out the colors that were absent. It is truly magical that he was able to submerge a sense of paleness and sadness in such a colorful film. Tomek's low-rez visual style fits along the themes of "Acid Rain", which includes heavy drug use and electronic music; there is often distorted imagery and colors.
For "Zima", Tomek chose a simpler color pallet, consisting of mainly black,white and red. This constraint in color contrasts with "Acid Rain", and it settles the mood well. He uses large areas of black and shading, showing only what is necessary. Tomek claims he is inspired by old Noir films and comics that utilize negative space efficiently. He also introduced new art styles, including hand drawn animation and ink-like brush strokes. These additions make his characters and environment feel more organic and closer to home. "Zima"'s plot is loosely knitted together, with flash backs and jumps in time, but I get that Tomek is going for atmosphere over plot. His choice of overall visuals and sound design effectively makes me nostalgic; it reminds me of a place I have went but forgotten a long time ago. I feel connected to this film, even though I have never visited Tomek's hometown, or even Eastern Europe.
Tomek is inspired visually by old children's book illustrations and traditional printmaking. He believes there is much to learn from physical mediums. For example, in a forest scene with many trees, it is efficient and visually pleasing to only add details to the foreground and simplify the background. This contrast in clarity directs the sight of the viewer to what is important. I hope to absorb more elements from all art forms and bring them into my own work.