Blur Studio has produced two new 3D-animated shorts, IN THE ROUGH and GOPHER BROKE, that are currently short-listed for Academy Award consideration as Best Animated Short Film and are being submitted to leading international film and animation festivals.
The two comedies, written, directed and produced entirely by Blur Studio staff, are a bit of a departure as follow ups to AUNT LUISA (2002) and ROCKFISH (2003), both of which were also short-listed for Oscar consideration. We produce short films to stretch our creative wings and to create content that is entirely our own, said Blur Studio creative director Tim Miller. They provide an opportunity to apply our conceptual skills and to explore new animation techniques and processes. They also gain exposure for the studio as a creator of original content.
The production of original shorts underscores Blurs commitment to artistic achievement as its first priority. We invest as much time, effort and resources as we can into these projects, Miller said. The vision of this company is to nurture talent and promote creative excellence.
In contrast to ROCKFISH, a futuristic space epic, the two new films are styled in classic cartoon comedy tradition. IN THE ROUGH, written and directed by Paul Taylor, is a wry prehistoric fable on the pursuit of marital bliss. GOPHER BROKE, written and directed by Jeff Fowler, tells the tale of a cunning rodents smashing encounter with a produce truck on a lonely country road.
While highlighting the studios versatility and exquisite animation skills, the two films also showcase its abilities in character development, storytelling and humor. On contract work we are not always involved in developing the concept, writing the script or creating the characters, said Taylor. Short films give us the opportunity to see a project through from start to finish and develop skills that can be applied toward the production of a feature-length film.
Both Taylor and Fowler are first time directors. Each won the right to direct a short by winning an internal competition among Blur staff. This was a fantastic opportunity for me and one that I could only have received at Blur, Fowler said. This company is unrivaled in its support and commitment to the development of artists, not only through projects like GOPHER BROKE, but in every aspect of our work.
Miller added that Blur Studio was able to produce two films this year due to the recent growth of its staff and resources. We were coming off a large project for Disney, Miller said, referring to the studios most significant work on the best-selling DVD release, MICKEYS TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS. We were ready for a greater challenge that would give our staff a chance to grow as artists and for the company to grow as an artistic entity.
Blur produced nearly 40 minutes of original 3D animation a first for Mickey and his legendary friends. In undertaking MICKEYS TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS, Blur accelerated an on-going expansion effort to create a production pipeline capable of feature-length animation projects. The studio doubled the size of its staff and made commensurate additions to its production capacity and technical infrastructure. The studio also moved to a new production facility, quadruple the size of its former headquarters.
ROCKFISH and AUNT LUISA have enjoyed extremely successful runs in international film festivals and competitions. ROCKFISH recently won awards for Best Animation at the Imagina Awards in Monte Carlo and for Best Animated Short at Londons Raindance Film Festival. It won similar awards at the Malibu Film Festival, the Dragon*Con Independent Short Festival in Atlanta, the Internet-based Action/Cut Short Film Competition and the Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival in Florida. ROCKFISH is currently nominated for an Annie Award as Best Animated Short Subject and is airing on Nicktoons as part of the Nicktoons Film Festival. Vin Diesels One Race Prods. recently optioned ROCKFISH for development as a feature film and videogame.
Blur Studio is a state-of-the-art visual effects and animation studio founded in 1995. The company has produced numerous projects spanning a wide range of media large format films, commercials, concept art, feature effects, ride films and game cinematics. Blur Studio is located at 589 Venice Blvd., Venice, California, 90291. For more information, call (310) 581-8848.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
