In the Great Hall of the Student’s Cultural Center (SKC) in Belgrade last Thursday, a panel discussion on “Illustration in Film” was held, as part of a wider project and exhibition of the same name by art historian Marija Ristić.

For the third year in a row, Iervolino Studios supports another tremendous exhibition by Marija Ristić and participates in it with the works of #IES artists from the series “Puffins Impossible” – illustrations, storyboards, 2D animatics, character and object designs. The goal of this instructive and educational project is to show the diverse representation of illustration in the fields of fiction, animation and advertising film, and to encourage a theoretical understanding of illustration within contemporary art.

“Illustration as a profession arose in the 19th and 20th centuries, in the form of drawings, corresponding to the printed text it would stand next to. At the end of the last century, it significantly expanded its field of activity. With the rapid development of digital technology, illustration has taken a prominent place as a visual transmitter of narrative, which no longer takes the form of a printed text, but of a film or digital “canvas”. Today, an illustrator is an artist who creates two-dimensional images for various companies and industries – film, television, commercials, pre-production, various types of advertising…” explained the author of the project, Marija Ristić.

Besides Marija Ristić, artists Biljana Sovilj, Borivoje Grbić, Branislav Cimeša, talked about various projects in the field of audio-visual arts, while representatives of Iervolino Studios – Peter Nalli, Head of Animation and VFX at ILBE Group, and Dragutin Vukelić, 2D Lead Storyboard Artist at Iervolino Studios, focused more on illustration in animated form. “Former Yugoslavia is characterized by an exceptional artistic heritage and narrative culture, which are of great importance for the development of animation and local artists, among whom illustrators definitely stand out. At Iervolino Studios, we truly value artists based on their ability to tell exceptional stories for audiences around the world,” said Peter Nalli.

Dragutin Vukelić spoke about the role of a storyboard artist and the importance of the storyboard as the basis which carries the episode of an animated series, stressing the importance of constant learning, in step with the development of methodology and work technology in this industry.