Tomas Schats has been with Film Annex since its early days. When online video was a newborn baby, he recognized its potential and thought it would be a good idea to distribute his animated videos on the Internet. And that’s when the Film Annex team met the brilliant filmmaker/animation artist from the Netherlands. At the end of October 2011, we featured Schats’ Web TV Channel on our homepage. He earned $7000 in one week. Here’s a brief interview about his work and how he plans to use his earnings. Film Annex: How did you first hear about Film Annex? Tomas Schats: Through internet/email. F.A. What was the first film you uploaded on Film Annex and when did you upload it? T.S. Thumb (dutch title: Duim), uploaded in 2007. F.A. What do you think makes Film Annex different from other online film platforms? T.S. The possibility to get sponsored so that you can fund your projects that are in development. Film Annex also gives you the opportunity to show your movies to a large group of movie lovers. F.A.When were you featured on Film Annex's homepage? And why do you think you were picked by the Film Annex team? T.S. October/November 2011. I’d like to think that it was because of the double layered content of my animations. F.A. How much money did you earn during the period you were featured and how are you planning to use this money? T.S. I earned about $7000 and am planning to use this money towards “buying” more time to create my animations. In addition to my work as an artist, I work as a part-time teacher. With the money I made on my Web TV, I can dedicate more time to personal work and take a break from teaching. F.A. If you were to describe your work in three words, what would those three words be? T.S. Short, light-footed, and poetic. They’re like moving phrases of poems. More about Schats: Tomas Schats (1976) makes clear line animations and drawings from which everything superfluous has been omitted. They are miniatures created in pencil and displayed against a blindingly clean and white background. The narratives he tells are layered and occasionally take unexpected turns. Tomas Schats says himself: 'In their minimal linearity, these animations resemble cartoons but they are, in their simplicity, more lyrical and more ambiguous, wry, but nevertheless light-footed. They are based on reality, but transcend it is a subtle manner. They tell stories about humankind, with all its possibilities and limitations. --Interview by Eren Gulfidan
