It has been a very windy week in the neighborhood. I’ve been compelled to record the wind with my phone, and finally decided to animate something in an Altoids tin. This is a quick one. I wanted to do a camera test and play with the layers and light. I say it was a quick one, but it took a week to get this, after several false starts and abandoned takes.
Thanks for looking at this. I plan to do more elaborate attempts next.
Be well, stay safe and enjoy the autumn.
During non-pandemic conditions, the Sweaty Eyeballs animation festival opens with live musicians accompanying a silent animation. Since this year’s festival is online, Phil Davis decided to try the reverse, where animators add film to Baltimore musician’s recordings.
Phil asked me if I’d be willing to do one, and I asked to work with the band WUME. They sent me a track called Indigo, and this is what I made.
I started working on this in August. I listened to the song, wrote the lyrics in my book, and let the images appear. I like narrative, and the more surreal, the better. I threaded certain images into the loose narrative, and some key elements repeatedly show up.
I made dozens of puppets and props for the scroll, which ended up being 45′ long. I began the actual process of animating on September 27th, and finished on October 11th. The video clocks in at 4:11.
It is an honor to participate in Sweaty Eyeballs. I’ve drawn such inspiration from the programming there, as well as the time I’ve known Phil Davis. We have all done our best to persevere during these weird times (please make sure you vote – and as Phil said, please vote for people who support the arts).
I hope you enjoy this. I had fun making it, and fun with this opening!
JD
I’m so very happy to say that A Job as the Moon will be screened at this year’s Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival: Friday, Oct 23, 2020 – Friday, Oct 30, 2020. I’ll post more as I know it.
From the event site:
?Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival is a 7-day juried festival of the world’s most boundary-pushing, mind-blowing animation.
Since 2012, Sweaty Eyeballs has carried the torch of the animation scene in the Mid-Atlantic with independent programming & special events. Now in our 9th year, we have partnered with our longtime friends at the Maryland Film Festival to launch our 2nd international festival of animation.
The festival will take place October 23-30, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the festival will be held online in 2020. The festival will open with six original animated music videos set to music by six Baltimore area bands, an international competition of 80 animated shorts, a Baltimore showcase, animator retrospectives, and online workshops.
Here’s a quickie I did, to support my old college pal, Frankie Rollins. Her new book is called The Grief Manuscript. It’s powerful and moving and sad and about divorce. It’s available on Amazon, of course.
This animation is drawn from imagery in the manuscript.
I am happy to present my latest animation, The Benefits of Radiation. It’s the backstory for some of my action figures.
The story takes place in a Baltimore bar called Roshambos. You’ll figure the rest out if you watch the video above.
I’m happy with how this turned out. I’ve spent more time on this than anything I’ve completed to date. Time, both in terms of the hours it took to make, and also from the time I that had the idea for the story, up to this evening.
I drew each frame on a light box and used about a ream of paper.
I finally found a use for Space Dust, too.
I enjoyed doing the foley for this. I enjoyed getting to know some of the characters. Perhaps you will enjoy this.
In any event, please please please… Enjoy Radiation Responsibly!
