Alex Boya

Animator and Filmmaker, National Film Board of Canada

Jelena Popovic

Production Manager and Associate Producer, National Film Board of Canada

In this behind-the-scenes case study of the National Film Board of Canada animated short Bread Will Walk, director Alex Boya and producer Jelena Popović explore a four-year research and development process that combined traditional animation, stop-motion experimentation, digital compositing, 3D workflows, virtual production tests and emerging tools.

Beginning with more than 4,000 hand-drawn ink-on-paper drawings, the project evolved through a series of prototypes and exploratory pipelines, testing bread-based stop-motion experiments, 3D-printed assets, Unity environments, VR previzand custom digital collage techniques. Rather than pursuing automation, the team ultimately used technology as a creative partner within a human-centred production process.

Through production materials, failed AI experiments andexcerpts from the final film, the presentation examines how innovation can support artistic authorship while preserving the unpredictability, imperfection and expressive power of handmade animation. The talk also highlights how the NFBcontinues its long tradition of artistic and technical experimentation by creating spaces where filmmakers can test new tools while remaining grounded in storytelling and craft.