PARALAND: THE PROLOGUE, 4min., USA
Directed by Patrick McCarthy
Paraland is the story of three heroes charged with rebuilding the realm following the reign of a hateful tyrant. As they struggle to unite the land and bring together the twelve races, they must also solve magical mysteries, defeat legendary foes, and endure the gods’ twisted sense of humor.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I've been working towards having my own cartoon show for a long time. And, I had been tweaking this same idea for quite a few years. I tried to shape Paraland around my life, and it really became a good idea when I made two of the main characters myself and my best friend. However, something was still missing and I almost gave up on it. Then, I met my now wife, and I knew that was the dynamic it had been missing. So, I was very motivated by the fact that we became a trio that tease each other but always have a good time, and our lives felt very much like the show Seinfeld. So, I wanted to meld that with an engaging fantasy world for audiences to explore.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I started working on this version of the pilot in 2020. And, I started animating the opening to the pilot (The Prologue) in 2021. I did all the animation myself, so it took a bit of time, and I finally finished it all in November 2023. And, the final product (music and SFX) was ready for viewing in January 2024. But, it was a great journey as making aesthetic decisions about the world and magic then inspired changes in the pilot and world building, which in turn created new ideas for the animation as I was making it.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Fast and Fun!

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Technology limitations. I learned 3D Animation and Blender specifically for this project, because I knew I wanted the backgrounds to feel more like video game levels. So, not only was it a challenge learning a whole new software, but my computer isn't exactly the newest or most powerful. And that led to a lot of issues with files crashing. It got to a point where I would have nearly a dozen files of the same scene because they were all corrupted, but I had to keep them all because each piece that I needed to import to a new file was only salvageable in certain files. Long story short, every time I was dealing with the backgrounds I had my fingers crossed that it wouldn't crash.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Reassurance. I appreciated them taking the time to watch and give meaningful compliments. They were all very kind, and I know that given the context they wouldn't say anything negative. However, within all the compliments I saw continuity, and their perceptions of my intentions aligned with what I truly hoped to deliver as a product. So, that was very encouraging to know that people are enjoying the trailer in the way that I hoped they would.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Freshman year of highschool. We were all assigned Mac laptops (it was a new thing, and also a very good school - I was very lucky to be there). I constantly used my laptop to make fake movie trailers in iMovie and I knew eventually I wanted to move to LA and try to be a part of the industry.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
I almost hate to admit that it's Shrek. It's both technically sound yet strangely original. Having the odd couple with Shrek and Donkey worked so well, but how the heck did they think to pair an Ogre and a Donkey?!

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Not going to lie, when I first heard about the audience feedback films I thought it was going to be a video of people in the theater watching the video in real time. I would have loved that a lot. Having people take time to think about what to say and give heartfelt feedback is great, but there's something special about seeing their initial reaction. It's something you don't get much in film/animation, and it's part of the magic of live events like a festival.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway makes it so easy to find so many different festivals and really helps streamline the submission process, which has been absolutely amazing. I have been a little sad to see how many different festivals will decide to change the notification deadlines without notifying people of a reason why, but that definitely hasn't been the case with your festival. You guys were great and gave me an early acceptance and have been wonderful with communication!

10. What is your favorite meal?
Sushi is usually my go to, but on special occasions it's American BBQ.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Paraland: The Prologue was quite literally the beginning of the pilot and the beginning of my journey with trying to get the show made. The next steps have been to gather more people to the team and try to find a network/platform that wants to help see this world brought to life.