Karel Zeman

Karel Zeman was a brilliant pioneer of special effects in film Despite his artistic talent his parents insisted he study business At the age of 17 he went to AixenProvence in the south of France where he studied advertising design In 1943 the film director Elmar Klos offered him a job at the Bata Film Studios Zeman often had to struggle against difficult conditions in the technically illequipped Kudlov Studios Many of the workers with whom he started had no particular experience of filming They like Zeman himself had to learn everything on the job Journey to the Beginning of Time released in 1955 became Zemans breakthrough film his first to combine live action animation and puppetry Four years later Invention for Destruction saw him shoot to worldwide success Zeman continued to develop his highly successful use of special effects in The Fabulous Baron Munchausen and the two Jules Verne adaptations that followed In the 70s Zeman returned to making strictly animated films In the late 70s Zeman was threatened with the loss of his sight but he overcame the disease and continued working In the final stages of his life he suffered from heart problems