Join AWN and ‘The Spine of Night’ Creators Live Q&A January 19

AWN and The Spine of Night creators will host a live Q&A on YouTube, January 19 at 4PM PT/ 7PM ET. Co-writers/directors Morgan Galen King & Philip Gelatt will be joined by producer Will Battersby and AWN’s Dan Sarto for a lively talk riffing on influences like Ralph Bakshi and Heavy Metal as well as the ins and outs of indie animation filmmaking.

Here’s the link to stream – bookmark it and get your questions ready!

One of 26 animated features eligible for Oscar consideration this year, Gelatt and King’s raucous, epic 2D fantasy tells the story of an ambitious young man who many years ago steals forbidden knowledge from a sacred plant and, as he falls to its darker temptations, unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. As his power grows over the years, it falls upon heroes from different eras and cultures to fight back. There are many who stand against him; among them are a daring tomb-robber, star-crossed lovers, a maniacal necromancer, winged assassins, and an undying guardian. Will humanity be saved?

King, Gelatt and Battersby will discuss the ins and outs of making the film including topics such as:

• The history of rotoscoping and why it was used for this particular project
• How the team developed the rotoscoping method used
• The difficulty of producing indie animation, including putting together a team, budgeting, and casting
• The influence of Ralph Bakshi, Heavy Metal, and other genre art from outside the mainstream

The Spine of Night is written and directed by Gelatt and Galen King; the film’s voice cast includes Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, and Joe Manganiello. A true passion project seven years in the making, The Spine of Night is a violent tale of sinister, dark magic, with the fate of mankind at stake.

Mark your calendar: live Q&A on YouTube - January 19 at 4PM PT/ 7PM ET.

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.