Happy thank you more cowbell please
Like a broken record, this has been my little rant since returning home last weekend from the SoDak Animation Festival in Brookings, SD.
This beautiful baby is the Golden Cowbell Award. I miss it! Because there it is, sitting cozy on Noey’s desk snuggling with her trinkets. We’re sharing it. Sharing is caring, but only for a little while right?? I need a new mantra.
In all it’s glory, the cowbell was constructed by Peter Reichardt + designed by Marc Wagner ~ who incidentally, also designed the festival poster.
{click here for full image}
Place Stamp Here was the big winner of the Independent Animation category for “intriguing visuals from interrelations of mixed media and found objects” + “narrative sentimentality”. I thought it couldn’t get any better than winning a cowbell award, but then bubbles fell from the ceiling when we went up to accept it. {!!!} The full list of 2011 festival winners is here.
Thanks so much to Cable Hardin for making it all possible + to the 2011 jurors ~ Dr. Leda Cempellin, Billy Sides + Giles Timms. Giles is an animator + he screened 2 very cool shorts at SoDak this year. We especially enjoyed the cut-out, meticulous, creepy style of Dead All Along.
We arrived at the airport bar + sipped Fat Tire Ale until we were picked up by Devanshu Narang, Filmmaker’s Assistant // four year crew member of the SoDak Animation Festival. After the hour long drive from the airport we learned Dev’s studied animation — he’s also a painter, musician + all-around hilarious gentleman {we’re all now best friends.}
We got to the fest just in time to geek out on animation.
“An evening with David Chai”
{Cable Hardin’s very classy interview with David Chai + there’s a dog}
It was awesome to finally meet Dave. We’ve been big fans of his work ever since Fumi + the Bad Luck Foot. He told funny stories, shared his process, insight + advice during the Q&A. It was a great start to an awesome weekend!
Alexia Anastasio’s documentary, Adventures in Plymptoons screened next. Bill is a dear friend of ours + such a down to earth guy that it’s almost easy to forget that he’s actually wildly famous! The intimate interviews with animators from all around the world are hysterical + inspiring. We wanted to go home to animate, but went out to Jim’s instead…
{vintage cigarette machine … just realized our dad used to have one like this in his old restaurant!}
We made our own after party with the filmmakers. David Chai + Dylan Hayes were ready to party! We were able to meet Erin OBrien — her animated short, Urban Myth, won honorable mention. We hung out with the crew, including Dev, Cable, Cole Behrends + had some surprisingly yummy South Dakota pizza at 2am. By the way, Brookings is FREEZING. My feet were numb + then we had a celebratory shot at Sully’s + then I feel asleep.
The following night we screened our short with some amazing animators:
{Dylan Hayes: Playing For Keeeps}
His animation style is QUALITY, up there with the likes of Superjail. Plus the wonky jams kick-f*cking-ass. We heart it even more now that the soundtrack can be purchased on a mixed-tape.
His site also features an animation-a-day for 12 days. This is insanely impressive considering the variety of styles, the never-ending silliness + think about how hard it is to complete just a drawing a day!
{Dan Markowitz: Board To Death}
During the Q&A ,Dan explained the tedious process of creating this jaw-dropping stop-motion piece. The characters were made of rubber bands + thumbtacks on a bulletin board, a truly original medium. Unpinning the pins repeatedly sounded pretty painful, but it was worth it in the end when the rubber banded, stretchy sea creatures came to life on screen.
And finally…
…
{Greg Bro: A Cock Tale}
Greg wrote a great recap after the screening. His graphic, GRAPHIC short warned the viewers what to expect {see above} but Greg felt that perhaps this audience wasn’t ready for such “mature immaturity”. In the back, in our little corner of the theater, we were all cracking up at the uncomfortable, fast-paced, raw humor… the quick, witty banter between the characters. However, Greg got mixed reactions. “About the only audible reaction I heard was a collective gasp during an abortion joke midway through the film.” But he loved every awkward minute of it.
I had a similar feeling when we curated a generally DARK screening in Vineyard Haven last year. People walked out of our show! One guy from the audience came up to me afterwards, proudly, and explained why he left. “The animators are too much in their own heads, I didn’t understand most of it, too dark for me.” Somewhere between the blah blah blah, it was a learning experience {ick} I learned that not every audience is going love what I love. And even since then, my decisions have inevitably led to unavoidable “mistakes” bc well, you can’t please everybody. Recently, a little old lady came up to me after Place Stamp Here + told me she couldn’t follow any of the dialogue. “Young people talk too fast these days, old folks can’t follow it.” Meh.
{dinosaur dance party + mandatory coffee break at cottonwood coffee}
BONUS: my top 5 favorite filmmakers who were not present, but it was such a treat to see their work on the big screen anyway are…
5. Prayers For Peace: Dustin Grella *** Honorable Mention – Student Award for “treatment of personal + reflective content”
4. Nosy Bear: Fran Krause
3. Accumulonimus: Andy Kennedy
2. The Extinction of the Saber-toother Housecat: Damon Wong
1. Defective Detective: Avner Geller ***Winner of the Golden Cowbell for Student Animation, “Humor and brilliant content” + “outstanding technique and facial expression”
I think that’s a wrap or I’m tired.
Have I mentioned I have a golden cowbell?
~Joy
