“The Tyger” by Walter Stoehr
The Tiger is the most popular animal on the planet. At the same time the big cat species finds itself on the IUCN red list for being endangered. Three of the known subspecies are already extinct and the South China tiger appears to have suffered the same fate. This paradoxical situation is the foundation of The Tyger, a short film concerned with making the plight of the tiger palpable to an audience that might be able to affect the animal's fate.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
“As long as I can remember, I had an interest in big cats. I am just fascinated by them and, in extension, by our relationship to those animals. The way many cultures worship tigers but increasingly struggle to coexist with those apex predators is heart-wrenching. Human-wildlife conflict is on the rise, and we have to find solutions to these problems.
The Tyger, however, looks at a slightly different phenomenon. The image of the tiger is so widely used in our culture, but the struggles of the real life animal itself remain a side note at most. It seems as if the image of the tiger, the characteristics we attach to it, are conveniently utilized for selling products, while often times the production of the ingredients that are used in those very products have the potential to harm the real animal. I wanted to talk about that contradiction and shed some light on the matter.
Telling a story, that is based in reality, but aims to bend it in quite a few shots in order to get the point across, was challenging. I felt it was of the utmost importance for the images to feel grounded and tactile.
Considering the necessity to incorporate several VEX heavy shots, everything had to be planned out prior to the shoot. The way I'd normally approach my projects is to shotlist the whole film in advance.
The Tyger was no exception. At the same time, the concept dictated a rather unpolished look for the film, so that said VFX shots could be integrated seamlessly without breaking the illusion. Therefore, I allowed myself some freedom on set, trying to capture something that feels incidental. I opted for shooting mainly on 16mm film, some parts are even captured on an old hi8 Handycam. As a director I seldomly get the chance to DP my own projects. Only on smaller sized projects and when shooting on film, I every so often embrace this dual role in order to keep things fresh and immediate.”
-Walter Stoehr
Credits
Director, Producer, Writer// Walter Stoehr/ @walterstoehr
Director of Photography// Walter Stoehr
Executive Producer// Simon Fessler, Walter Stoehr
Production Company// Simon & Paul GmbH
1st AD// Max Duckwitz
Gaffer// Matthias Knebl/ @matthiasknebl
Editor// Walter Stoehr
Grade// Manuel Portschy
Title Design// Yinchel Fyon Tang
Art Director, VFX// Walter Stoehr
Sound Design// Hyve.Audio
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