Roto-tango

CA 278 Class Project
March 24 – April 10, 2026
Lobby Screens – School for the Contemporary Arts
149 W. Hastings St., Vancouver

With Tim Carlson, Amelia Chong, Eli Fonseca, Stefanie Infantino, Jesse Jiang, Samantha Li, Ayessa Macalling, Katelyn McDonald, Darwin Miller-Hogg, Vania Ngok, Silvana Restrepo, Dominic Santorelli, Theo Seto, Tina Shi, Anisha Tang, Avery Warren, Sarah van Wuow, and Jennifer You.

Rotoscoping is an animation method in which artists trace directly over filmed footage, frame by frame, to replicate natural, realistic motion. The technique has roots in the earliest days of animation and is still used in contemporary practices. 

For the spring 2026 CA 278 class (Video and Projection I) led by the SCA's Miwa Matreyek, each student planned and filmed a unique gesture within a 3–4 second timeframe, engaging with objects and space. They then rotoscoped their footage, often taking surrealist liberties with transitions and reveals. The resulting 75-frame animations showcase each student's quality of line and sense of humour.

Tango by Zbigniew Rybczyński was an inspiration for this collaborative animation work.