Masyanya’s dad Oleg Kuvaev: “I’m still a lousy animator :)”

The biography of the bright and cheerful Masyanya is known to everyone who watched cartoons with her participation (see hi-Tech PRO 8/2007, p. 94). But its creator Oleg Kuvaev is a modest man, so he often undeservedly remains in the shadows. But when we finally managed to catch Oleg during a short break between work and travel, he agreed to tell us more about himself. So, over to Mr. Kuvaev.

Did you have any chances in life to become a non-artist? Who could Oleg Kuvaev become, “if not”?

Not only were they, but in general everything went the other way around, that I wouldn’t be an artist :). Initially, I studied physics and mathematics, before that at an English school. Well, in general, I drew in kindergarten and painted for myself, but I never intended to make it a profession. At first I wanted to go to medical school and become a doctor :). But they didn’t take me there. And after physics and mathematics, I went to the Leningrad Institute of Aviation Instrumentation at the Faculty of Radio Engineering. There, that means, all sorts of circuits and computers were soldered. Then I had various aspirations to become a musician, because with Sashka Vasilyev and the group “Splin” we started in my apartment. But at some point I still realized that I needed to make a choice, and decided to become an artist and, of course, I don’t regret it.

Which area of ​​artistic activity is your favorite?

Well, to be honest, what I love most is making sculptures. A terribly pleasant experience when you are dealing with an object that you felt with your own hands. Although making cartoons is also great, maybe even better in some moments than making sculptures, because what you are doing is also running, moving, talking, being rude and having fun. True, I’ve already killed Masyanya several times and tried to give up cartoons, since I’m still a lousy animator :). Maybe I know how to make flash cartoons, but I didn’t study it.

First of all, you are known as the creator of Masyanya. What do you think people should know about Kuvaev of the “pre-Masyan period”?

I myself don’t remember much of what happened before Masyanya, because I was busy with so many things. The fact that I am known mainly as the creator of Masyanya is nothing abnormal. Masyanya really appeals to many more people than, say, my paintings or sculptures. What is natural is not ugly, right? 🙂 I was just having fun and having fun with my friends, they sent each other these flash drives, small and funny, and then it turned out that everyone else liked them too. Well, that’s great, I’ll draw for pleasure, and if people also enjoy watching, then we have excellent cooperation.

How soon will your projects be launched on Mult.ru?

On Mult.ru “Masyanya” has now been fully restored, all the episodes are there, more than a hundred pieces. There are still projects that will appear, I hope, in six months. But these are very large-scale projects.

How would Maska feel about the idea of ​​appearing on the big screen? For example, in movies based on short films?

There were a lot of proposals for the big screen. All sorts of men came, fat, thin, with or without money, and offered such things. We have always refused, and I believe that, at least for now, this is completely unnecessary. Until now, I haven’t liked a single project from those big screen incarnations. Well, they are good films, more or less, but these are rather ideas, still oriented towards short forms. And the large form is rather a kind of commercial step. For now, I don’t see the point in making such a commercial move with Masyanya, but we’ll see.

It is clear that Masyanya would not have appeared if you had not sat down at the PC. When did you become interested in a computer as a work tool?

Well, I already said that when I entered the Institute of Aviation Instrumentation, it was in the late 80s. They were sitting there with such a huge machine and even then they were trying to draw some things on it using crosses and toes. Back then, of course, it was quite naive compared to what is happening with computers now. Then this wonderful little computer ZX Spectrum appeared, without a monitor, just a keyboard, and that’s it. Everything was very serious there, and toys, graphics, and programs were already there, in general, I also worked with him. And I don’t consider PC to be something anti-art. It’s just a convenient working tool.

Do you ever have time free from creativity? If so, what do you usually do? Do you have a hobby related to technology, or, on the contrary, do you take a break from it?

The fact is that I have always strived to have it all together – both hobby and work in one bottle. In fact, with Masyanya, with flash cartoons, it turned out that work and hobby are one and the same thing. Of course, I rarely have free time, but mostly I either read books or go to the sea. That is, the head is still a working tool, but you need to be able to ventilate and relax it. But it’s not so relaxing that you would read Dontsova’s detective stories or watch TV series, of course not 🙂

Which environment is more interesting to you – virtual or real? Why?

Well, it’s the same thing, it’s a myth for now – virtual reality. After all, the advent of telephones, say, did not lead to the emergence of some kind of alternative reality, the same with the computer. This is one of the forms of manifestation of the same ordinary reality, it is the same communication as on the phone or shouting across the street or writing letters, it’s just that the Internet has made it possible to communicate a little more widely.

Your LiveJournal, unlike many blogs of famous people, is never boring. What is an online diary for you? How long ago did you have it?

I got it a long time ago, back in the early 2000s, but at first I didn’t run it because we had our own forum on the site and didn’t have time to communicate elsewhere. And then, when he disappeared, I gradually moved to samoleg.livejournal.com< /a>. There are actually a lot of benefits from it. It’s impossible to list how many times I’ve been helped through LiveJournal. Well, besides, you can know what is happening with all your friends without calling them, but by looking at your friend’s feed. That is, it is simply a very convenient tool.

You often come across angry speeches under the general motto “The Internet is evil.” If you at least partially agree with this, then what is the worst thing on the Internet and how to deal with it?

There is nothing bad on the Internet! 🙂 Unless there is an abundance of pornography, maybe some filters need to be built. Although, for example, I have a child who grew up on the Internet and has not become any kind of pervert. Therefore, I don’t see any particular sin on the Internet, except that people sometimes disappear there completely. But this is one of the most progressive things that greatly unites the world, and is simply a base of general information.

What would you like to wish the readers of hi-Tech PRO?

First, do fewer things that harm you. Secondly, don’t bother other people :). Don’t bother your neighbor, don’t bother your colleague – don’t bother! Mind your own business and be happy for other people who have succeeded. Let’s all do something great! Well, that’s it, thank you, goodbye, bye!

Find the full version of the interview with Oleg Kuvaev in MP3 format on hi-Tech DVD.

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