WEEK 11: SLAPSTICK, 2min., USA
Directed by William (Sharp) Walker
After a little boy loses his ball on a roof, he tries increasingly outlandish strategies to get it back.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

This film was part of a project made with my creative partner Genus. It's called 15 over 15. We made a 30 second minimum film every week for 15 weeks straight based on random prompts in different animation mediums. This was one of our more successful films.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you
to make this film?

Because of the nature of the project, this was all done in a week. We wrote and storyboarded it within a few hours then spent the rest of the week modeling and animating.

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

Old re-run. This short feels like the old cartoons that networks would play to fill time slots when I was growing up. Short and to the point.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Getting the look right. I think we succeeded because all the reviewers seemed to think it was animated in stop motion. We did everything in CG using Blender. Our stop motion animator friends were somewhere between angry and amused when watching the feedback video. I'm working on a real stop motion film to make up for it.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking
about your film in the feedback video?

I was happy to see people responding well to the story. I was worried there wasn't much to latch on to but I'm happy it was well received.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I realized I wanted to make films in highschool. Me and a few other students used to get together and concoct wild ideas for film projects. We never ended up making any but it got me inspired to get better at making art and films.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Probably Fern Gully. I attended a summer camp when I was a kid that would play it every Friday while kids waited to get picked up. Over the years I was there I probably watched it at least over 100 times in part or to completion. Somehow I still remember very little of it.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other
festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking
career?

Honestly I'm super new to the festival scene so I wouldn't know. This festival was pretty painless so just keep at it.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your
experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I submitted through FilmFreeway. It wasn't bad at all.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I don't think I have a favorite meal, but something I really want to have again is sinigang na hipon. I made it once years back but never had it since.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I'll be making more films but hopefully finding some work to keep me in Chicago. Whatever happens I'll stay making stuff.