Hisko Hulsing Releases Danse Macabre Featurette
Director Hisko Hulsing debuts a new making-of featurette for his animated short film, Danse Macabre.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Animation
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Director Hisko Hulsing has released a new seven-minute making-of featurette detailing the production of his animated short film, Danse Macabre. The film, which runs for five minutes, was inspired by the music of Shostakovich.
Why it matters
The short film serves as a notable example of modern animation techniques that blend traditional fine arts with digital workflows. Its creation involved an international collaboration across several production studios.
The production of the five-minute film relied on software including Blender, Houdini, TVPaint, Davinci Fusion/Resolve, and the Adobe suite. The process combined physical oil painting and pencil drawings with digital compositing.
The players
Hisko Hulsing
He is an animation director known for his distinctive style that often incorporates traditional painting techniques into film.
Dmitri Shostakovich
He was a renowned Russian composer whose musical works served as the primary inspiration for the Danse Macabre film.
The details
The project involved a collaborative effort between Valk Productions, Autour de Minuit, Vivi Film, and Cinemon Entertainment, with additional animation support from Gao Shan Pictures. The artistic process featured a unique combination of oil painting on canvas and pencil on paper, integrated through style transfers and digital modeling.
Timeline
Danse Macabre screened at the Annecy Festival during the summer of 2026.
The making-of featurette was released in October 2026.
The World Animation Summit occurs from November 16-18, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The project follows the exhibition pattern set by the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where experimental short films are platformed for global industry recognition. This highlights a broader trend of cross-border animation production where studios leverage specialized expertise from multiple countries.
Viewers can now access the seven-minute behind-the-scenes look to understand the intricate production methods used in the five-minute film. This release provides fans of the genre a deeper look into the digital and traditional tools used by modern animation studios.
The takeaway
The intersection of classical oil painting and contemporary digital animation demonstrates how creators can evolve traditional art forms. Aspiring animators can look to the specific use of tools like Blender and Houdini as a roadmap for integrating mixed media into their own workflows.
What happens next
Hisko Hulsing is scheduled to speak at the World Animation Summit held in North Hollywood from November 16-18, 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in the Animation industry.
More information
To attend upcoming industry events, visit the World Animation Summit pass purchase page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Animation Magazine.
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