"One man" feature animated films?

11 posts / 0 new

By mdotstrange | Sunday, May 28, 2006 at 7:44am

Hello.... I was just wondering if anyone knew of any examples of feature animated films being created by one person... Who has done it? where and when? I'm just curious... Any type of animation is applicable... 2d/3d/stopmo.... And I'm talking about one person writing, directing, animating, editing, compositing etc.... Not a team animation deal.... Recently I saw a 70min stopmo film online that was made by one woman but thats the only example I know of.... Thanks

Sun, 05/28/2006 - 8:47am

(Reply to #2) #2

outerspacerace

"Voices Of A Distant Star"

Anime, done on a mac by one man, dubbed originally by him and his wife, primarily 2D though includes some 3D and is damn good.

Google it, I think it is exactly what you were asking about.

Sun, 05/28/2006 - 11:28am

(Reply to #3) #3

AlanO

Gene Hamm, an animator here in the Bay Area did a solo feature called "The Dream Hat". Check out his web page at http://www.hammination.com
Gene did all the voices and music too.

Alan

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Sun, 05/28/2006 - 6:32pm

(Reply to #4) #4

cherokee158

I've done it, at least on a small scale. I created a 25 minute DVD (which is really more like 16 minutes plus extras) and managed to connect with a small distributor. The only assistance I had on the project was with the music, which is simply beyond my capability to produce myself. It has only sold a couple thousand copies thus far, but it targets a real niche audience, so I am gratified to have sales at all. (hardcore military aviation history buffs love it).

I am currently working on a sequel, which should run about 25 minutes, with much more ambitious visuals, and a better story. The first DVD was cobbled together from some web shorts I had made over time.

It is, without a doubt, extraordinarily labor intensive, and the quality of my animation would never get me on the A list of animators, as I routinely take shortcuts. But it succeeds in entertaining, and I think that is all that really matters in the end. I don't think my style of animation would work for a longer feature, though.

I think it is very possible to make a one man feature, although I would not describe it as profitable, if you consider your time worth anything. But today's tools make it very possible, if you can stay focused on its completion long enough. (Easier said than done, given all of the other demands real life can make on your time and interest) The beauty of solo projects is that you don't need to spend as much time on communication, which consume a lot of resources in a small company, in the form of tight storyboards, animatics, scheduling, and the like. My own storyboards are chicken scrawls on scrap paper, but they are adequate for me to work out what I need to do. I spend most of my time just creating the art...which is as it should be.

There are days I would kill for a competent in-betweener, though...lol.

If you are curious, you can learn more about it at http://www.fritzthefox.com

The next feature is visually far more sophisticated than the old one, and is consequently taking longer (more refined character animation, for one thing, and a more painterly treatment of the backgrounds, and even some toon shaded 3D), but it is looking great. BUT...I am lucky to complete 30 seconds in a week, and some weeks see almost no progress at all, due ot other distractions.

So, abandon all hope of free time, if ye enter here. But you can do it! It just takes obsessive persistence, and very patient family members.

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What's red, furry and on your six?

Sun, 05/28/2006 - 10:21pm

(Reply to #5) #5

pascal

?????????????????????????/
what about bill plympton???

Mon, 05/29/2006 - 12:13am

(Reply to #6) #6

outerspacerace

this is worth a look;

http://www.advfilms.com/favorites/voices/information/information.shtml

Mon, 05/29/2006 - 12:42am

(Reply to #7) #7

Cooker

When I try to think of a one man animation-machine success story, Bill Plymptom comes to mind. On many of his projects he has used multiple helpers (paint, photographing cells etc) but his work almost always looks like he did all the drawings and animations (e.g. his features: The Tune, I married a strange person, Mutant Aliens, etc).

Although Plymptom's success makes it seem like he's paragon--remember stubborn independence comes with a price and risk: Plymptom's last feature, Hair High, still hasn't been released, it looks like distribution fell through. Ouch! Well, Bill, if you make it available on DVD, we'll buy it.

Mon, 05/29/2006 - 4:28am

(Reply to #8) #8

mdotstrange

Thanks for the replies... I had seen "Voices of a distant star" around... it was created by one man but it is not feature length as it is 30 minutes long... A "feature length" animated film is 70 minutes or longer... Here is the definition of feature animated film by the Academy of Motion picture arts sciences...

I. DEFINITION

An animated feature film is defined as a motion picture of at least 70 minutes in running time and where a significant number of the major characters in the film are animated, and animation figures in no less than 75% of the picture's running time.

I have never heard of "The dream hat" but I looked it up and found this "

"Hamm's first animated feature, the 52-minute, animated musical-fantasy The Dream Hat, took five years to make."

http://www.metroactive.com/bohemian/12.14.05/hamm-0550.html

So it seems that it is not a full "feature"... The stop motion film I saw online that was 70 minutes and was made by one woman can be found here.... it took her 12 years to make...

http://christianecegavske.com/BloodTeaRedString.html

I had thought of Plympton but he does work with a team right? So it seems that it is not impossible for one person to do everything it just takes a really long time....