U.S.-based animator, illustrator and filmmaker Norma V. Toraya (aka Crankbunny), whose short film, ‘Animals Will Leave Us First,’ is part of the permanent collection at MOMA, joins the IAMSTATIC talent roster.
TORONTO, ON – A longtime collaborator with IAMSTATIC, Toraya has recently teamed up on a campaign for JTW/Dempsters. Widely known under her moniker Crankbunny, Toraya has created an impressive portfolio that includes commercial spots, TV intros, music videos and documentary films for Nike, ING, Nestle, Darkhorse, Holt Renfrew, the band Rush, Etsy, W Network, MuchMusic, United Airlines and other similar folks. Toraya’s animated short, Animals Will Leave Us First, is part of the Museum of Modern Art New York permanent collection, and her impressive mechanical paper puppets and beautifully illustrated handmade goods are on display on her site.
The work of IAMSTATIC duo Dave Greene and Ron Gervais leans towards the darker cinematic end of things. Their recent title sequence work for Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak is an example of the style they are best known for. But in the mind of the team, Toraya’s approach is the perfect complement to their own.
“Norma shares our love for narrative. It’s exciting to work with such a talented artist whose style and process is different from ours, but yet wants push for the same result of creating work that can tell a tale and hopefully leave a lasting impression,” Gervais said.
Some things in life are slick, polished & blatantly obvious. But for Toraya, these are exactly the things she shies away from. Crankbunny is more inclined to explore storytelling through curiosity and timeless concepts.
In Toraya’s words, “I have gone to big fancy schools for years and years of fine arts/film/animation studies -- yet in the famous words of a few old men, ‘I’d rather be fishing.’”
Source: IAMSTATIC
