The Bloom Machine
"The Bloom Machine" is an analogue instrument used to create live animations. Developed and built by Anna Givani, this instrument is formed by two transparent, rotating surfaces and a fixed one. A lamp at the bottom allows changing the background colour. The images flowing on different levels are filmed with a video camera and projected to the public.
This simple set stimulates fantasy and let it bloom (as suggested by the name itself, The Bloom Machine) to tell stories in a new way through live images.
The creator has taken inspiration from Lotte Reineger's work and the Wayang Kulit, the Javanese shadow puppet theatre. The Bloom Machine is an experimental project, constantly evolving.
Photo by Gino Menis
An ancient legend tells of the birth of the Chinese zodiac. Result of the Workshop "The Bloom Machine" by and with Anna Givani held at the Circolo Culturale Nuovi Orizzonti in Udine on 9 April 2022, on the occasion of the Far East Film Festival 24.
by and with Anna Givani
(2021)
"UBUNTU" video from the Laboratory held at Mediateca Pordenone of Cinemazero on November 27, 2021 at Palazzo Badini (PN) on the occasion of the African film festival "Gli occhi dell'Africa" (The Eyes of Africa). The young participants had much fun and committed to creating a story starting from a tale about an African tribe and the concept of UBUNTU, which in sub-Saharan African culture means "humanity", also translated as "I am because we are".
Animation: Valentina, Sofia, Nicole, Sebastian, Stefano. Shooting and editing: Tommaso Fabi.
Multimedia performance for "IKARUSFEST"
(2021)
Photographs of real lives and memories, but also the colours of an inner world inhabited by dreams and desires. Four stories, accompanied by historical photos and narrating voice, alternate with four moments of oneiric imagination made visual by live analogue animations and the interpretation of an actress. During this journey between reality and dreams, the conscious and the subconscious, the music and sound design create the thread that suggests, comments and glues the story. Perfumes and traditions, habits and popular beliefs passed on over time are evoked; all symbols of a past and present reality. But also transparent spheres, beings from the sea, inner journeys and Amazonian landscapes as a free expression of the imagination of this inner world.
An idea of Gushi & Raffunk with Roberta Colacino: Interpreter Amerigo Dorboló Uek: Narrator Anna Givani: Live animations with "The Bloom Machine" and props Gushi and Raffunk: Original music and Sound Design
Animated Short
(2021)
"Create an animation with The Bloom Machine by and with Anna Givani" was a laboratory carried out during the Summer Lab Mediateca of CINEMAZERO (PN) which involved several children who created a short story, script, drawings and animation with "The Bloom Machine" in few hours and having fun.
Animated Short Film
(2020)
The title of this short film, in fact, refers to an English expression (which can be translated as winner-winner, or I win-You win) that indicates the presence of only winners in a given situation. By extension, win-win is anything that does not displease or harm anyone involved. In 1960, the American psychologist, Marshall Rosenberg developed a communication model based on empathy; also called compassionate communication, collaborative communication or Giraffe language, i.e. NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION (NVC); according to which the frequent misunderstandings deriving from approximate statements are avoided, allowing to create win-win communication contexts. The animation was created with a simple smartphone using stop motion techniques with the free app STOPMOTIONSTUDIO.
Made at the event "3,2,1, contatto! Buone comunicAzioni", organized by Espressione Est APS - Circolo di Studi Artistici e Sociali
Music performance and animated set
(2020)
c/o the exhibition space "Karlgasse 8" Villach (Austria) kunst-raum-villach.org
From the homonym book by Carla Di Bert, KAPPA VU edition, book cover by Anna Givani.
Book trailer created with "The Bloom Machine". Directed by Anna Givani. Video editing and sound design by Sabina Freschi. Music by Patrizia Oliva.
Animation created for the design studio "Thea Kuta" by Elisa Bortolussi. October 2019.
Laboratory for the realization of an animated short film with The Bloom Machine by and with Anna Givani freely inspired by the story "IL COLOMBRE" by Dino Buzzati, made by class 1A and 2D of the secondary school Rufino Turranio of Concordia Sagittaria (VE) - Coordinator of the teacher Chiara Bonan. May 2019.
Intermediate performance
(2018)
The artistic action consisting of narrative voices, animated projections and live music wants to be a regenerated expression of the texts taken from the autobiographical book of Giulia Zatti "Qualcosa non và" ("Something does not go") edition La Gru. The writer's experience becomes an integral part of a broader representative journey, which has its roots in the collective unconscious: from the manifestations of primordial art, coinciding with the discovery of pain by man, to the perception of the precariousness of existence and of the mystery linked to it, a border but also a field of exploration of human awareness.
Angelica Pellarini is a storyteller and art therapist with the Debailleul-Giacconi method (Little Italian School for Storytellers "La Voce delle fiabe"). Through the narration of fairy tales and simple stories, he guided the group in the expression of emotions and in the discovery of their own and others' resources. In the second phase of the project with "The Bloom Machine", everyone's personal journey was enhanced through colors, shapes and images animated on the instrument and shared in a group.
"Animate with The Bloom Machine" workshop for the creation of a show inspired by the story "Il Colombre" by Dino Buzzati, held at the Circolo Arci Mis (s) kappa in Udine, March 2016.
Workshop with "The Bloom Machine", together with the students of the Einstein high school of Cervignano, for the creation of the scenography for the conference "Differences or Indifferences", Teatro Pasolini of Cervignano, 30 May 2015.
Since 2013 The Bloom Machine has supported the band Cameramia; live projections accompany their shows, creating a kaleidoscope of ever-changing sceneries.
Live animation by The Bloom Machine and music by the group The Mechanical Tales work together to tell three short stories. The rotating surfaces of The Bloom Machine bring to life figures in outline, small, bright, coloured objects and cotton clouds.
In the summer of 2013, the first collective animated short film featuring The Bloom Machine was shot in the area around the caves of Pradis. Anna Givani developed this idea and the animation director Michele Bernardi coordinated the project. A diverse group of people of all ages tried out new animation techniques using The Bloom Machine. The two-day meeting resulted in the short film Prima della storia (Before history). The cultural association TINAOS and the University of Ferrara took part in the workshop.
Here are some images showing what goes on backstage: the show organization, the work on the sketches and the elements for animating with the Bloom Machine. Where everything blooms...
