Red Hatchet Films

Behind the scenes: WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK"

2010-07-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Finished with the 1st and 4th sequences of WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK"...very, VERY happy with the way it's looking so far. So now it's on to the lab, which I decided to build on a rotating stage for ease of access:

It's basically a giant lazy susan that can be locked down at any angle. It's so well balanced you can spin it completely around with one gentle push of a finger.

This is going to save me so much time and energy having to turn the set around or move cameras & lights.

Glimpse at a few of the interior lab walls, barely dressed:

More to come!

Behind the scenes: WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK"

2010-06-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Things are going smoothly with WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK". Here's a few pics of what's been happening lately:

The first setup, a long hallway. Having sets with full ceilings required making flip-top sections that could be raised and lowered between frames to position the puppets:

A look down the hallway set in between shots:

Stage 1 and Stage 2 both in use:

The fabulous Kristen Meyers building armatures:

Three awesome armatures ready to go:

More to come....

Puppets of "NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY"

2010-06-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest things about working on the stop motion for NEVER SLEEP AGAIN was getting to recreate some of the most memorable scenes from the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET films. One of those scenes for me was definitely the image of Nancy's dead friend, Tina, standing in the hallway wearing nothing but a clear bodybag and a bucket of Type O+.

The shot as it was in the film:

Our version had to open up the shot a bit and give it some color:

Like most of the projects around here, a good deal of recycling went in to the animations for NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. The puppet of Tina was no exception...she was originally the star of the music video PUNDING for awesome L.A. rockers, boxViolet!

She may not have had a mouth but she did a lot of acting back in the day. The role of dead Tina may not have required as much acting but she did get a mouth along with a couple of other noteworthy additions:

Another favorite moment from the film: Tina's body being dragged off by an unseen force.

I think we did it justice!

Since she's in retirement now, she's been permanently mounted in a puddle of eels...just like in the movie!

More to come....

Catching up: THE CHRISTMAS FLIP-FLOP

2010-06-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

Boy oh boy do I love Christmas. It seems that every year I get to work on at least one cool project due to the enduring memories that people have of all those fantastic stop motion animated Rankin/Bass holiday specials of yesteryear. One person who cherishes those films is the uber-awesome Dan Finnerty, creator and lead singer of The Dan Band. You may have seen him performing in the hit films OLD SCHOOL or THE HANGOVER, or maybe seen him doing correspondent pieces for Jay Leno. If you've never seen him perform live, you're missing out:

Dan called up last November, acting on a recommendation from our good friends over at Santasia, to see if we could put together a video for Christmas. "THIS Christmas??" I asked, looking at the calendar. "Well, we'd actually need it like December 5th," Dan informed me. I love this business.

The project would be to create a music video for the song, "THE CHRISTMAS FLIP-FLOP" from Dan's spectacular holiday party album, "HO: A Dan Band Christmas".

It was a blast to create mini-version of Dan and his bandmates!

Dan is an amazing guy, and surprisingly chill in person compared to his onstage persona. I was already a fan before this project, but after getting to work on this video AND scoring comp tickets to The Dan Band's Live Holiday Show at the Avalon Theatre here in Hollywood, well, I'm just in love with the guy. I hope our creative paths cross again, hopefully on a stop mo Dan Band Holiday Special!

Now in the studio: WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK"

2010-06-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

We're very excited to announce a new project underway here at Red Hatchet Films: WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK"! The film is a stop motion collaboration with Morgue Art Films featuring the fantastically demonic infant terrible called Won Ton Baby from the forthcoming live action feature film, WON TON BABY!, starring Debbie Rochon, Lou Martini, Jr., Suzi Lorraine and Gunnar Hansen and directed by Morgue Art founder, James Morgart.

The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind of puppet and set building, with an eye to start animating shortly. James is a fantastic collaborator, and his creativity and enthusiasm have given a great energy to the project. Conceived essentially as a hyperkinetically-violent "Tom & Jerry" cartoon, WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK" will hopefully find its way onto the festival circuit someday and may also be shown as an opener for the feature film, WON TON BABY!

More pics to come soon, but here are a couple teaser shots of the cast...

NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY

2010-06-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest projects ever!

The makers of the ULTIMATE documentary about the Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise, Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch, asked me to create stop motion title sequences as well as some chapter wraparounds for their epic and amazing film...what an honor!

NEVER SLEEP AGAIN has been been getting sensational reviews, and it really is a staggering achievement...a 4 HOUR documentary that never drags and basically sets the gold standard for what a horror documentary should be.

THE NAUGHTY LIST!

2009-09-04T18:05:00.001-07:00

Check out my new holiday film, THE NAUGHTY LIST, which I made for the FOX/Aniboom Holiday Contest! Described as "the demented lovechild of Rankin and Bass after a five-day bender in Tijuana", THE NAUGHTY LIST is at this time the most-viewed stop motion short in a field dominated by Flash entries (and some CGI). Please show your support by watching the film, rating, and leaving comments! Every view counts!

http://www.aniboom.com/competitions/Fox/391830/The-Naughty-List/

Hurry! Voting ends September 30, 2009!

"BOKRUG"--first looks...

2009-04-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to report that Red Hatchet Films is deep in production on a new, stop motion animated project titled “Bokrug” based on the short story, “The Doom That Came to Sarnath” by H.P. Lovecraft. It's been a dream of mine to get back to working with a Lovecraft tale ever since our 2006 production of "From Beyond" proved such a blast to do. My friend Craig Mullins over at UNFILMABLE.COM suggested "Doom..." and after reading it I knew it was perfect.

"Doom..." tells the story of the decadent city of Sarnath, whose greatness is built on the destruction of an older, primitive race of beings who live in the stone city of Ib, where they worship an ancient, reptilian god called "Bokrug". On the night of the 1000th anniversary of Ib's destruction, strange forces signal that the beings of Ib are about to be avenged....

Here are a couple test shots of some of the puppets and sets. I'm hoping to have the film completed by spring of 2010.

Much more to come!

THE SNOW PRINCESS is going to Cannes!

2009-04-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

I got an email from my friend Audrey Holland, director of "THE SNOW PRINCESS" which was filmed here at Red Hatchet Films last year, who informed that little Princess Gwyneira is heading to the Festival de Cannes to be a part of this year's Short Film Corner! This after getting accepted to the LA Shorts Fest, the San Luis Obispo Film Fest, and the Beverly Hills Film Festival, to name a few. There's also a new trailer for the film up online, which you can view below:

Audrey and I have already begun work on a second film, a wonderful, wicked fairy tale called "TICKET TO HELL" which I'll be writing about shortly. But hats off to Audrey for getting her film out there and accepted to CANNES!!

Catching up...PULP CHRISTMAS

2009-03-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Back in 2007 I was given a chance to create a short called "SAN ANDREAS SNOWMAN" for the Sherman Oaks-based holiday comedy troupe, "SANTASIA"--a terrific and hysterically funny group of guys whose work I look forward to every Christmas. The guys liked "SAN ANDREAS..." so much they commissioned me to do another short for the 2008 show that was much more ambitious: a spoof on Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, "Pulp Fiction" to be titled what else? "PULP CHRISTMAS"!!

In it, two elf hitmen named Jules and Vincent are seen heading to a violent showdown with a gang of naughty elves who've made off with Santa's bag. It was a great chance to pay tribute to both "Pulp Fiction" AND the Rankin/Bass animated holiday classics that I watched growing up.

In my original sketches for the main two characters, Jules and Vincent, I wanted to try and create Rankin/Bass versions of the two actors, Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, who played the roles in "Pulp Fiction", capturing their essences without making them too literal...

After sketching out the two leads, I went right to work making up the puppets...

The armatures for Jules and Vincent: Super Sculpey over aluminum wire armatures with latex-dipped hands and foam tape built-up legs and arms...

Supporting players getting there...

All of the puppet armatures in various stages of doneness:

The heads were all made of Super Sculpey with Magic Sculpt hair added on afterwards to get finer detail. All of the facial features (mouths, eyes, eyebrows) were stuck on with "Quake Hold" Museum Wax.

The finished puppets of the three elf characters who are going to get an unpleasant visit from a couple of elf hitmen. I watched all the old Rankin/Bass "Rudolph" segments on YouTube to try to capture the style but bring something original to the designs as well...

I took these three puppets to the recording session and they all had their pictures taken with the actors who would be voicing them:

James Elden as "Brett"...

Brandon Loeser as "Hermey"...

...and yours truly as "Flock of Penguins"...

Some stills from the actual film:

Jules...

Vincent...

Jules terrorizing Brett...

And here is the result! A lot of fun to build and animate, and another great collaboration with some of my favorite L.A. talent!

The best thing about this whole process was that the director of SANTASIA, Shaun Loeser, told me that I'm now a part of the group, and as far as he's concerned I'll be adding a new piece to the company's repertoire every year! THAT is the kind of Christmas present you can't put a price tag on!

More to come!

AMBERSONS...Behind the Scenes

2009-03-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

Sooo much has gone down since the last post. In addition to concluding "Mythic Journeys" last September, I also completed the 8th and final installment of "Adventures with the Ambersons" for SuperDeluxe.com. Shortly thereafter, SuperDeluxe was gobbled up by Turner's other, more popular website, AdultSwim.com, and now NONE of the hard work we did is viewable online (for the time being). I did find a few cool behind the scenes pics recently and figured I'd upload them:

Here's a couple of shots of the "Buttkraken" emerging from the sea in Ambersons 5, "Pirates of Funkytown",
and the final shot of the Buttkraken taking down the pirate ship. The ship was the inspiration for the whole episode. I was walking home from Ralph's and saw a guy carrying it out to the curb, just leaving it in the grass with some other doo-dads. "Are you getting rid of that?" I asked. "Yeah, help yourself," the guy said, and I did, thinking, "This is going to be so much fun to destroy on camera someday!". I got my wish.

Here are a couple shots from Ambersons 4, "Little Clown of Bethlehem". This is the scene where Mr. Tinkles, the evil, re-animated chihuahua tries to cut Marshall in half with a scythe.

I also found some pics of the Wes puppet coming together. Starting from the beaten-up remains of the all clay version of Wes from my original film, "Valley of Gwombi".

I traced the puppet onto paper to keep the proportions the same and made a wire armature.
The armature had tie-downs for the feet which I never used, since I just ended up hot-gluing these guys to pieces of card stock and sliding them around.

Over the wire armature was baked super-sculpey for the "bones" of the puppet.

I painted the super-sculpey the colors of the clay that would make up the bulk of the body.

The finished puppet looked pretty good, I thought, and pretty close to the original clay figures, which is what SuperDeluxe wanted.

Teeny Ambersons, used for long shots. These were simple wire armatures with super-sculpey heads and torsos, fully animatable (including Polly's teddy bear).. More to come!

AMBERSONS 5 assaults the airwaves...

2008-09-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS Episode 5, "Pirates of Funkytown" is now online at SuperDeluxe.com! Check it out!

In other news, the FINAL episode of AMBERSONS has just wrapped! Crazy to think to that TWO year-long projects--AMBERSONS and MYTHIC JOURNEYS--have both wrapped within a week of each other. There's more work coming up, so check back for more posts soon!

MYTHIC JOURNEYS...that's a WRAP!

2008-09-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, as unbelievable as it seems to write that, today saw the completion of the stop-motion portion of "Mythic Journeys" which it has been my pleasure to be a part of. It's been just over a year since Steve & Whitney Boe and I started the very early preproduction on this special project, and today, suddenly, it was all done. What started out as a 3 month production schedule turned into 9 months as the directors' visions for the project grew, and all of us on the technical side worked really hard to make it happen.

I'd like to give a personal shout out and huge THANK YOU to my friends Kelly Mazurowski, who got our software and cameras going, Cam Leeburg for helping me animate some really awesome shots, Dick Kaneshiro for bringing in his AMAZING motion control rig--an invention I am in awe of and can't wait to work with again! Also the awesome Todd Smith for being in on this from the beginning and being a fantastic technical director. Leo Gotlibowski, you mad Argentinian genius, I cannot wait to work with you again. Jeannette Baitty for recreating Wendy Froud's costumes so perfectly! Tennessee Reid Norton for his expert consultations on how to get rid of evil flickering, and downtown Sarah Brown for creating some beautiful backdrops for us. To the other talented animators: Tom Smith, Justin Rasch, Jason Gottlieb, Matt Manning, Pete Levin--who spent insane hours in the garage/animation studio. I've gotten to see all these folks work come together and let me tell you, it's really going to be something.

And of course, to the unstoppable team of Steven & Whitney Boe, who should be the model for every husband/wife production company. They do what they love every day-- make movies--with each other. I can't think of a better way to live.

In other news AMBERSONS 7 IS ALSO WRAPPED! We only have ONE more episode of the AMBERSONS left! Who will survive??? What lies in store for the intrepid time travelers? Tune in and see!

New AMBERSONS Premiere!

2008-09-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

After a loooong wait, "ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, episode 4" is finally here! Enjoy:

Catching up...HOUSE OF BLACK WINGS

2008-06-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

Going back to talk about projects I missed...

Last year I got an email from Craig Mullins of UNFILMABLE.COM (one of my favorite websites, devoted to Lovecraftian cinema) introducing me to a creative & driven young director named David Schmidt, who heads the Chicago-based SWORD & CLOAK PRODUCTIONS. David and his colleagues were finishing up on his second feature film, the Lovecraft-inspired HOUSE OF BLACK WINGS, a wonderfully creepy tale set in an old hotel infested with "Dreamfeeders"--strange, insect-like creatures that feed on people's subconsciouses. David asked if I'd be interested in creating a stop-motion shot of a Dreamfeeder for a sequence in the film.

David, you had me at "strange, insect-like creatures"...

It was interesting that this came along after I had done the fly puppets for the COMFORT DRAG video, since I was going to be using the same bug-making techniques again, only on a fantastical kind of animal.
I ended up making a wire armature and using Magic Sculpt for the legs and carapace--the long drying time makes it possible to sculpt in nice details and insert individual nylon hairs. The puppet was fully poseable with a segmented body, antennae and a couple of whiplike tails. I don't mind telling you, the damn thing creeps me out...
The Dreamfeeder was lit with one 60-watt bulb bounced off a small, adjustable mirror that could be animated like a flashlight beam. We talked out the blocking of the shot, and I filmed it in one, ten-hour session.
I'm really excited to see the finished film...'until then, here's the super-creepy trailer:

SICK! (and brilliant...)

2008-05-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, I don't know who is responsible for this video, but I have my suspicions...I laughed my ass off so much I had to post it:

**UPDATE: I've gotten confirmation that this is indeed the work of Space Bass Films, under the wonderfully-warped direction of Corky Quakenbush. My friend Robin Jennings sculpted the characters and did the majority of the animation. Way to go, Robin!! Awesome work!

SAN ANDREAS SNOWMAN, now online...

2008-05-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

The SANTASIA guys I told you about 2 posts ago have put SAN ANDREAS SNOWMAN up on YouTube. Give it a look and let me know what you think!

We're already in pre-production for a new piece for this year's SANTASIA, and it's going to be really funny! More on that as it comes together...

"Comfort Drag" Video unleashed...

2008-05-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Last September I blogged about a puppet making gig I undertook: creating an animatable housefly for a music video. Well, the director, Chris Calzia, and the Artist, Talons of Spring, have finally finished assembling their vision for the song, "Comfort Drag" and uploaded it for all to see. Chris did the animation himself on set using just a digital still camera to take pictures of the puppet which he edited down to a couple of frames each in post to create the creepy stop-mo effect seen here...I'm glad the puppet got some good screen time!

Catching up..."SAN ANDREAS SNOWMAN"

2008-05-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

(Going back to talk about projects I haven't had time to cover...)

Back in December 2005 Gary and I went to see a great show that's become a Christmas tradition over in Sherman Oaks: SANTASIA! For those of you unfamiliar with it, picture "THE KIDS IN THE HALL" meets every Christmas special you've ever seen in your life and you get the idea. G and I have gone every year, and now we take along friends just to watch their (shocked) reactions. Although most of the show happens live onstage, they also have several filmed sequences that play within the show. So I was THRILLED when they contacted me about doing an animated short to include in Santasia 2007!

Santasia director Shaun Loeser had written a great little script (more of an outline, really) titled SAN ANDREAS SNOWMAN, about two kids who set out to build a Snowman, with unexpected results. Despite my schedule, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Plus, it was an opportunity to build some cool puppets and utilize the costuming skills I'd acquired working over at Shadow Machine Films on ROBOT CHICKEN SEASON 3.

The armatures were simple wire construction built up with cotton and latex. To give the bodies that unique winter bell shape I used...wait for it...styrofoam cups! The cups gave just the right amount of rigidity without adding unnecessary bulk to the puppets, allowing their legs to move freely. The heads were made of Super Sculpey baked and painted. I went with stick-on mouths and eyes to give 'em that Rankin/Bass Christmas Special-ly feel.

The snowman was built out of three styrofoam balls coated with artist's gesso and various prop parts. The super-simple set was cotton batting and a white skydrop, with a couple miniature fir trees to break things up visually.

The guys at SANTASIA really went wild for the finished short, and the audience response was HUGE the night G and I saw the show. Hopefully, we'll get to collaborate on more cool stop-mo projects with these guys in the future!

(To visit the SANTASIA website, click here.)

2008-05-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

Just a brief update:

MYTHIC JOURNEYS is still trucking along, and I've been privileged to get to do some really fun and challenging animation on it so far! I've had to take a little time off from that project to film...

...ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, Episode 4!
In this next installment of the SuperDeluxe.com series, Marshall, Wes and Polly are surprised to find the family dog, Mr. Tinkles, brought back to life after being exploded to pieces in Episode 1. Mr. Tinkles has come back from the grave with special powers and a vendetta against Marshall for turning him into a monster.
The time-travelling trio stop for a potty break and realize they've landed in the little town of Bethlehem, right next to a manger full of livestock...and a man and his VERY pregnant wife! Could they be about to witness the birth of Jesus? Coming soon to SuperDeluxe.com!

Also...

Animation has wrapped on THE SNOW PRINCESS!

After many weeks of building and animating, this delightful fantasy film has now left the Red Hatchet Films studio, and is currently in post-production under the watchful eye of writer/director Audrey Holland.
Thanks to my good friends Tommy Keiser and Robin Jennings for helping with the puppet construction. I look forward to seeing this one when it finally screens to the world!

More to come...

Going out of my gourd for a GREAT cause...

2008-02-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I took the plunge. After mulling it over and not being able to talk myself out of it, I started training this morning to run the 2008 SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON! Assuming that I finish (and don't get eaten alive by those gigantic hills!) this will be my second marathon (after Dublin, Ireland, in 2005) in which I will be raising money for the angels at AIDS Project Los Angeles, who minister much-needed food, transportation, housing, and medical services to our thousands of brothers and sisters living with HIV-AIDS.

There are lots of reasons NOT to want to run 26.2 brain-melting miles, but this is a cause I truly believe in, as I also believe in giving back to the universe when the universe is good to you. I've been really blessed in the last year, and the timing, as busy as things are right now, feels absolutely right. So, for the next six months, I'll be getting up at the crack of dawn to run my skinny ass off to help raise money to make the lives of others a little better. If you would like to join TEAM MIKE and help me out in reaching my fundraising goal of $2400, please feel free to DONATE HERE.

Thanks, everyone!

FROM BEYOND to be released by Lurker Films!

2008-01-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

I got word a few days ago that my adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's FROM BEYOND has been included in Volume 5 of The H.P. Lovecraft Collection created and distributed by Lurker Films! Andrew Migliore, the founder of Portland, OR's infamous H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival has been incredibly generous to my film, which he also plans to include on an upcoming disc of all animated Lovecraft films in the not-too-distant. You can read all about the contents of the DVD (or order a copy for your very own!) right here.

Notes from the trenches...

2008-01-26T22:37:00.000-08:00

I can't describe how busy it's been around here the last few months, but the lag time since the last entry should give some indication. Here are some pics and stills from a couple of projects currently in the works.

THE SNOW PRINCESS:
Status: Deep into production. Several scenes are completed, with several more to go. This is such a fun, colorful, sweet project, and I love animating these characters!

MYTHIC JOURNEYS:
Status: In production. After weeks of prep, we have FINALLY begun animating the stop motion portion of the film. Lots of wonderful, talented people have come out to help with this project, and the director/producers have been amazing and PATIENT with the amount of time it takes to make animation happen. Here are a couple of behind the scenes pics of our first setup, which happens to be the Tree Girl puppet I blogged about a while back:

More to come!

Mythic Journeys Update: The Cast

2007-11-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we held the voice recording sessions for MYTHIC JOURNEYS at LA Studios in Burbank. It was an incredibly exciting day as I got to meet three of my longtime idols, back-to-back-to-back.

First to come in to record his role as the Sorcerer was one of my all-time favorite actors, the brilliant LANCE HENRIKSEN.
He's probably most recognized for playing the role of the "artificial human" Bishop in the movie "ALIENS", which my brother and I saw about 25 times between us when it first came out. When the session began and his deep, resonant voice came thru the speakers everyone in the recording both did a take--you could feel the marrow in your bones vibrate...He completely dove into the material and gave us a chilling performance!

Next to record his role as the King, the incomparable TIM CURRY. This man needs no introduction, and I was completely starstruck the minute he walked in. He settled right into the mood of the piece and gave a powerful performance as the King. Both he, and Lance before him, infused the readings with bits of their own in-the-moment inspiration...I could see the personalities of our characters coming to life...

And finally, in the most challenging role as the Corpse, the incredible MARK HAMILL. Of all the sessions this one really blew me away. The Corpse is an insanely wordy character, and Mark freakin' nailed it. He summoned this unbelievable character out of the most difficult dialog you can imagine. I was sketching key poses for the Corpse while Mark was giving his readings--he was so animated, it was pure gold for character animation. By the time we were done I had so much material and was feeling great about how to approach the movement of the character. Mark was totally into both the mythology side of the project and the stop-mo side. We talked about Ray Harryhausen and Willis O'Brien films--I was in geek heaven.

The day was a blast and it wouldn't have been possible without the genius of our Voice Director, CHARLIE ADLER. If you've seen much animation chances are you've heard Charlie's work. This man is everywhere, both as an actor and a director. Most recently he voiced one of the mechanical characters in the TRANSFORMERS movie, after having been one of the voice actors in the original animated series. Watching him direct the voice sessions was like watching a symphony conductor at work...pure genius. We got so many brilliant takes, which was so important since we only had one day to get everything we needed!

Several animation tests have been done, and the results have been very pleasing. Here's some stills for now; video to come soon....

AMBERSONS 3!!

2007-10-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

At long last, "ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, Episode 3" is up! Special thanks to all the folks who helped bring this film to life: My producing partner, Doug Draizin; the great folks at SuperDeluxe.com, especially Daniel Weidenfeld; the fantastically talented and hilarious voice actress, Lisa Guarino; my bud for life Tommy Keiser for building the "Witch-o-Mater" that figures heavily into the third act; my after effects guru, Behn Fannin, for lending his magical touches--err, torches, I should say; and most of all, my main man Gary Green, for just supporting me while I pursue this insanity. Enjoy!

The passing of a friend...

2007-10-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday saw the untimely and very unexpected passing of a cherished member of my extended family: Gary's sister, Kelli Seely, and her family, lost their beloved French mastiff, Benson.

Benson was not an old dog. On the contrary, he was less than three years old. He entered the Green family about the same time I did. I remember Gary's description after the Seelys brought home the new puppy: "I don't know if I can't stop looking at him because he's so cute or because he's soooo ugly..."

Everyone's first reaction when they saw Benson, with his gigantic face looking like something that might have resulted from the unholy mating of a walrus with a giant catfish, was one of delighted fascination. His farts could clear a room. He could eat a whole sofa and still have room for a pair of expensive shoes (see pic). His snoring rattled the window panes. He loved having his head rubbed, and when he planted his enormous skull in your lap to be petted, you were literally pinned down until HE decided you could get up. He was the sweetest dog I ever knew.

Benson apparently died in his sleep while napping in the backyard, possibly from an aneurism, according to the vet. He didn't appear to have suffered any pain. We're all really sad about this, but Gary noted that Benson had an AWESOME life, with all the food, attention, space, an incredible family and love a dog could hope for. My heartfelt sympathies go out to Kelli, husband Jeff, and daughter Lauren during this unexpectedly sad time.

Thanks for bringing so much love into our lives, Benson! We will miss you!!

MYTHIC JOURNEYS: The Tree Girl

2007-10-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Right after the arrival of the awesome Wendy Froud-designed puppets for MYTHIC JOURNEYS, director Steve Boe commissioned me to construct the next puppet member of the cast, a forlorn and bark-covered beauty called "The Tree Girl".

"The Tree Girl" is one of a series of sculptures by Virginia Lee, a fantasy artist whose works have graced many a feature film (sometimes working with her father, Alan Lee, who won the Oscar for art direction on LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING). Steve was really captivated by the piece and asked if it could be turned into a stop motion puppet. "Suuuuuuure," I casually replied. Inside I was jumping with excitement to get started on a really unique puppet-making challenge. Virginia graciously gave us permission to use her beautiful sculpture as the starting point for our character...

The first task was to construct a wire armature. Since the lower half of the body was going to be a solid piece, I used only one wire. The arms were several bundled smaller wires left looong at the end to build her finger-branches off of. Some steel epoxy anchors the torso and pelvic regions...

Next I cast a head in plastic. This head comes from a mold I made that is pretty neutral and can serve as a base for many variations...

Five holes are drilled into the plastic head, for the wire branches to go into. The branches are held in place with a little JB Quik...

The head here, some of the wires have begun to be coated with Magic Sculpt, but there's lots--LOTS--more to do before the head will be done!

Also start adding Magic Sculpt to the body at this point. Magic Sculpt is the best for sculpting features that don't require flexibility...

Half-done head joins half-done body...

The head sculpt complete. The face has been altered by shaving off part of the old face and building new features with Magic Sculpt...

Sculpting complete and puppet base-coated. I built up the arms, shoulders and next with liquid latex and cotton and tried to smooth it in with the rest of the body. I also built up the joints where the "fingers" join the hands, tho the fingers themselves aren't flexible. Little beady eyes add some personality...

The finished puppet...I brushed on another layer of liquid latex to strengthen the skin and create a slightly rippled surface, like tree bark. Stipple painting and dry-brushing with black acrylic gives some nice definition.

Steve took the groovy portrait seen here and at the beginning of this post...it's fun to have built a puppet to act alongside Wendy's magnificent designs!

Project C: Snow Princess

2007-10-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

As I spend time preparing five new AMBERSONS Episodes and the MYTHIC JOURNEYS project, I'm also in the early stages of designing & building sets and puppets for SNOW PRINCESS, a short, gothic fantasy written and directed by Audrey Holland. I saw an ad Audrey placed looking for scenic artists and animators for her film on the StopMotionAnimation.com message boards and introduced myself. Audrey and I share a lot of the same inspirations when it comes to stop-mo, and I'm thrilled to be working on her project.

The set above is one of seven that I'll be designing for SNOW PRINCESS, (the puppet is an old cast member from DREDD MANOR standing in for scale) in addition to animating the film (with a little help, hopefully!). It's going to be fun to work on something a little bigger scale than I'm used to. Lots more details to come about this exciting new work...

Got Myth?

2007-10-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Things are so busy right now I can barely keep my head facing forward. The AMBERSONS getting extended is huge, really huge, but actually, that's just one of FOUR exciting projects that are currently being done under the Red Hatchet Films banner. I'm going to need some sort of numbering system to keep myself and you, my tens of readers, from getting confused. Let's call AMBERSONS "Project A".

Now, on to "Project B"...

Several months ago I answered an ad on Craigslist (YAY, CRAIGSLIST!) looking for 2D and 3D animators to assist with the production of a documentary on the Mythic Imagination Institute, an organization devoted to enlivening the imagination thru the study of mythology and its relevance to contemporary living. I wrote to the director, Steven Boe, and asked if he'd considered using stop motion. He said he hadn't but was a fan, so we talked sporadically in the ensuing months about how to use stop motion to tell one of the key stories in the film, an ancient fable called "The King and the Corpse." At one point, Steve told me that Brian ("The Dark Crystal", "Labyrinth", all those "Faerie" books) Froud and his wife Wendy (Henson puppet designer and builder of "Yoda" and the Gelflings from "Dark Crystal") Froud were connected to MII and suggested we ask THEM to create our three main puppet characters for the film. My thought: "Good luck..."

He asked them.

They said yes...

Wendy Froud undertook the design and construction of our three main characters: one king, one corpse, and one sorcerer. She'd never built stop motion puppets before, and had a few questions, which we answered over emails as she and Brian are based in London. After a couple months we got an email that the puppets were on their way, along with an almost apologetic explanation that she'd run out of time and couldn't work on them any more. The box arrived, and this is what was inside:

Could you just freakin' die?? Steve took the pics and added the groovy backgrounds but these are the actual puppets, and they look alive...suffice to say I cannot WAIT to start animating with them! It's going to be awhile as we still have sets to build along with other puppets, storyboards, etc., but to have such a gift from such a talented artist for our film is a breathtaking thing. Thank you so much, Wendy Froud, you are magic!!!

There is much more to tell about this exciting project--as well as projects "C" and "D"--but it will have to wait for now...stay tuned!

"AMBERSONS" Picked Up for Further Online Nuttiness!

2007-09-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

As the world (or at least I) awaits the premiere of ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, Episode 3 (slated for a Halloween release) things have finally progressed far enough along in the "yes-this-is-really-going-to-happen" channels to share the news: The Ambersons have been picked up for FIVE more episodes! Look for Marshall, Wes, Polly and some brand new friends to be causing more chaos in the time-stream hopefully as early as this Christmas on SuperDeluxe.com... Thanks, SuperDeluxe!!!

The Flies have it...

2007-09-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

Craigslist yielded another cool gig for me this week: an up-and-coming young director posted an ad looking for someone to build a stop motion puppet of a fly for a music video. After sending him my reel and resume, he gave me the job and I started learning everything I never wanted to know about the common housefly:

I started by constructing the legs out of floral wire, wrapping them with thin strips of foam tape for bulk. I interwove some black nylon fiber to create the long hairs that cover the fly's body. The legs were painted with black acrylic paint and drybrushed with metallic copper tempera. A bit more glue was added and the legs were rolled in tiny bits of fake hair. The wings were cut out of acrylic sheet. I traced black veins on them, then went back over the veins with a bit of glue to raise them up slightly.

Once the wings and legs were done, I wired them all together to a floral wire "hub" that had loops on both ends to build the fly's head and abdomen off of. I mixed up some plumber's epoxy and formed it into the fly's three main body sections: head, thorax, and abdomen.

Now the fun really begins! Using Magic-Sculpt resin (a mainstay over at Robot Chicken and my new favorite sculpting medium) I sculpt the details of the main body sections onto the epoxy core. In addition to shaping these sections, I also start poking holes into the Magic Sculpt and inserting individual nylon fibers into the fly body.

Flies use these hairs to smell and taste their food, and if you study a fly closely (as I have the past few days) you'll notice the hairs aren't randomly placed: they're laid out in a definite pattern. I tried to copy my reference pictures as closely as possible.
I added the head details last, sculpting the fly's large eyes and pressing into them with a bit of fine steel mesh to give them that compound eye look.

As the Magic Sculpt hardens completely I start giving the hairs a trim. Once the resin is totally hardened, I give the whole body a paint job, let it dry, then add fine bits of hair all over. The last bit is to add the proboscis, the long tube that the fly eats with (Note: if you ever want to eat after seeing a fly crawling on your food again, I advise you NOT to research how the fly uses this mechanism to ingest its meal...)

Finished! The completed fly puppet with proboscis in place. This fine, furry fella is ready for his closeup...
At just 2.5 inches from nose to wing-tip, this is one of the smaller puppets I've attempted, and I'm really happy with the way he turned out considering the amount of detail I tried to get in. I decided to do a short test to show the director, converting the animation to black and white since the video will be shot that way. Enjoy!

I'm NOT Gay!!

2007-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Corky Quakenbush of Space Bass Films conceived the following animated short to try and capture the Larry Craig predicament in his own inimitable way. He built the set and the puppets, and I did the animation (in about 8 hours) so he could get it on the web before it was all old news. Animating those little feet was a lot more complicated than it looks! Thanks, CQ, for letting me be a part of (making fun of) history. Enjoy!!

2007-08-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

As I await the unveiling of the latest episode of "ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS" on SuperDeluxe.com, a sudden, unexpected surprise came up out of the blue: The 2007 Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival has asked to feature a BLOCK of Red Hatchet Films stuff this Friday! Festival director Matthew Foster and I have never met, but he's been encouraging me artistically since "VALLEY OF GWOMBI" was a runner-up for Best Animated Comedy at DCIFF 2005. "FROM BEYOND" won for Best Animated Horror in 2006, the same category that "GEORGIE'S WISH" is in this year (go, Georgie!). "Animation featuring the works of Michael Granberry" will include "VALLEY OF GWOMBI", "FROM BEYOND", "GEORGIE'S WISH", "A WINTER'S TALE", and "DREDD MANOR". If anyone can make it (not sure of the exact time, yet, but I'll post it when I do) I'd love to hear how it goes, so please report back to me. And to Matt Foster, a humongous THANK YOU for the great honor of getting to play my films at DRAGON*CON!!!

COMING SOON

2007-07-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

After several looong weeks in the sweltering confines of the Red Hatchet Films studio, ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, Episode 3 is almost finished! The hapless Ambersons find themselves stuck in Salem, MA, during the height of the witch-hunt hysteria and meet lots of new friends. I thought the previous episode was tough because of all the action, but subtlety is much more challenging. There's a lot of character stuff going on in this episode...not to mention PAGES of dialogue that had to be animated. Had some serious puppet issues this time around which I'll bitch about later...and did I mention it's really HOT? A couple weeks more, and it'll all be worth it.

"Adventures with the Ambersons," Episode 2!

2007-04-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hey kids! Check out the latest chapter in the AMBERSONS saga, posted this morning by SuperDeluxe.com!

This was an exciting, challenging piece to create, and I couldn't have done it without the following amazing people:

The lovely and talented LISA GUARINO, who gamely jumped in to voice the Slave Girl both in the show and in some hilarious BLOOPER footage, coming soon!

My good friend and after-effects guru, BEHN FANNIN, who inspires me to incorporate digital effects--something my old-school mentality fights against sometimes.

College buddy and brother in every sense of the word, SCOTT SIMPSON for his catchy themes and musical stings...

TOMMY KEISER , who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite people. TK created the awesome Maddus Maximus puppet, complete with horse-drawn chariot from hell that was so much fun to animate! He built over a dozen additional puppets & sets, helped me animate group scenes and did several on his own (all of which made the final cut).

My producing partner DOUG DRAIZIN, whose instincts and storytelling skills I learn from with each new project. I've seen my work improve because of his input, getting more streamlined and less self-indulgent. Doug's a pro's pro, knows the business and understands the hard work required to cultivate success. I'm honored to be associated with him.

And of course, my GG, whose enthusiasm for all-things-Polly spurs me to work faster than I normally would (his rafter-shaking queries of "WHERE'S MY POOL??" keep the tempo up, too!)...love you, GG!

New friends!

2007-04-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Just spent the most awesome afternoon with two of my favorite artists in the online stop-mo community, Justin Rasch and Shel Wagner-Rasch. They are the geniuses behind STUNT PUPPET PICTURES, whose work you can follow thru their blog, Stop MOTION Mission. What a couple of gems. Together with the jewel in their crown, Aedon, we spent April Fool's eating great Indian food, talking shop, digging thru Red Hatchet Films sets, puppets, and props (good God I have a lot of crap) and hiking Runyon Canyon where, as you can see in the pic, the Hollywood sign still hovers protectively over us, unscathed by her recent brush with fiery destruction (see previous post). Anyone interested in stop-mo production from the inside-out can find great inspiration from these two (I certainly do). It's quality work from quality people, and the love they put into it shows onscreen. Can't wait to hang out with them again over at THEIR cool-ass studio/garage (which I totally covet) and learn more about how they make those beautiful puppets.

Why I love L.A...

2007-03-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

...because you never know WHAT you're going to see when you look out the window.

The pics above were taken from the roof of my apartment building this afternoon. I'd been sitting in my favorite chair with my back to the window reading a book when GG called, asking: "Are you OK?"

MG: "Yeah, why?"

GG: "There's a big fire."

MG: "Wher--oh SH*T!"

The brushfire that started this afternoon in Universal City is totally out now and the sky is clear as a bell. Thanks to all the firefighters who stomped this puppy out and saved all those valuable homes I love to covet on my daily hikes thru Runyon Canyon.

FROM BEYOND goes over Down Under

2007-03-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Just heard from the directors of A Night of Horror Short Film Festival in Sydney, Australia: FROM BEYOND won an award for Best Lovecraft Film! It's nice to be recognized for creating what others feel is a worthy adaptation of Lovecraft, who is notoriously difficult to translate to the screen. I experienced that difficulty intensely as I sweated over the script for five months. It was definitely worth it, as folks have been genuinely enthusiastic about FB's depiction of stop-mo creepy-crawlies from another dimension.

In other news, AMBERSONS 2 is just about done. The folks at SuperDeluxe really dug the rough cut and I've just handed over a 2nd pass incorporating some minimal changes. Thank god for outside eyes...after 6 weeks of animation I have no objectivity. Wish I could say more but you know, confidentiality and all...screen caps coming soon!

Treats from Not Behn Fannin!

2007-03-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Check out this insanely cool new Melvins video by the incredibly talented BEHN FANNIN. Behn and I became friends after meeting at the L.A. International Short Film Festival. He had a miniature spatula pinned to his lapel and his business card was a picture of dishwashing liquid. I knew at once he was a visionary and if you don't see it after watching this vid, you just ain't the seein' kind:

It's so cool to see my bad influence rubbing off! I love the stop-motion character (Behn's first attempt at stop-mo) and the digitally-done pop-out singing faces. And to top it all off, the hot chick with the mouth where her eye socket should be? That's his wife...

Georgie goes South...by Southwest

2007-02-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

I got a call a couple days ago from my friends over at The Daily Reel saying that they had been offered a block of time to showcase some of their favorite films at this year's South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, TX...and lil' GEORGIE'S WISH got an invitation to come along! I have to admit I'm in love with the entire TDR staff (and you too, GG). They're young, cute, smart and have EXCELLENT (or at least highly-questionable) taste, and have really helped me gain exposure for my work (just like you, GG). Thanks especially to Alex, Felicia, and Spencer for championing Red Hatchet Films' not-so-fluffy-yet-cute-in-a-dark-sense vision. You can read about TDR's SXSW Showcase here.

Principal photography on ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, EPISODE 2 is finished. Sound mixing is happening now, and I plan to have a rough cut done by this Thursday. Stay tuned!

2007-02-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

Y'all say hello to my new friend and collaborator, Tommy Keiser. This hot young desperado is new-ish to L.A., having moved out here last October after graduating from the University of Arts in Philly, PA. Our paths almost crossed at the H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival where his stop-mo film, COLLECTALL & HYDE was playing in the same block as DREDD MANOR and FROM BEYOND. HPLFF Founder Andrew Migliore (who picked up COLLECTALL & HYDE for distribution thru his company, Lurker Films) introduced us via email, and soon after the intrepid TK (or "Wiki-Wiki" as GG has nicknamed him) was offering his skills to be put to use on ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS. Having him around has taken an unbelievable amount of stress out of the process, both in terms of the building and animating and also just by breaking up the long, monotonous hours with human camaraderie. To see what he's all about, go check out his great webpage at www.TommyKeiser.com. You can see his films on there along with great shots of his puppets and sets. Sign his guestbook and tell 'im Mike sent ya...

My Reel

2007-02-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

In a bid to cultivate a more professional image I finally put together a show reel of my stop-mo work from the last couple years. I was having trouble getting started when my new pal and assistant animator, Tommy Keiser (more on him later), gave me the BEST advice: "Get the music first, then everything else will fall into place." Here's the result, which I'll probably continue tweaking for awhile:

In other news, Ambersons 2 is kicking along, and will hopefully be done in a couple weeks. I want to be finished with it before GG and I take off on our long-delayed Christmas vacation up the coast.

More to come!

2007-02-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

Today, February 13th, marks a really special day in the annals Red Hatchet Films and in my life in general. On this very day in 2005 I put the finishing touches on the soundtrack for my first stop-mo film, VALLEY OF GWOMBI. Fast forward two years and the unfortunate Gwombi clan have metamorphosed into the no-less unfortunate Amberson family, and have an actual online series. Who would have thought it possible? One person, in particular, did before anyone else: my light, my muse, my inspiration, the incomparable GARY GREEN, whom I also met two years ago on this very day. Gary was the first to say "This is going to go somewhere" (referring to the film, of course). I don't know which is the greater surprise, that the film turned into something or that Gary and I did, but I do know this: I'm one of the luckiest guys alive...

I love you, GG!

ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, EPISODE 1

2007-02-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

My new gig:

I have to give a special shout out to my mom, Gloria, and my dear sweet guy, Gary. These two not only made sure I didn't have to sweat the rent while I was designing, building, and animating this puppy, they rallied for me on my dark days with constant encouragement. I love you both so much!

On to Episode 2!!

FROM BEYOND goes DOWN UNDER!

2007-02-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

I just got word that my little Lovecraft yarn, FROM BEYOND, has been selected for inclusion in A Night of Horror Short Film Festival in Sydney, Australia. This is probably more exciting to me than to anyone else, simply because I've been trying for a couple of years now to get ANY of my films seen outside of the U.S., with no luck (til now). Guess it's true what they say about Aussie hospitality. I would really love to go but unfortunately I'll be wrapped up in work during the fest.

In other news FROM BEYOND, Andrew Migliore, founder of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival is going to include the film along with DREDD MANOR, Episode 1 on his upcoming DVD anthology, Uncle Cthulhu's Re-Animations which will be released thru his company, Lurker Films. It's really an honor to have one film picked for distribution but TWO is just crazy-cool! Andrew's a really awesome guy and I truly hope to be part of the Lovecraft Festival again (sans the excruciating peritonsillar abscess I had to endure last time).

Oh, and for those of you awaiting the first episode of my new series ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, it's been submitted to its new guardians who are no doubt slaving away to get it ready for its world debut. Thanks for your patience!

COMING SOON!!!!

2006-12-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

Man oh man has it been busy around here the last few weeks. But it looks like the first episode of my new series, ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, is just about finished! I'll be discussing this project in much more detail in the near future, but here are a few screen caps for now:

Guess who's back?

2006-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Coming soon to an internet near you!

boxViolet's "PUNDING" video is UP!

2006-11-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

Bless me, father, for I have slacked. It's been a month since my last blog post.

Actually, it's been quite the opposite around here lately, and Red Hatchet Films has gone into hyperdrive over a new project I'll be talking about soon. For the moment, I'm happy to announce that the "Punding" video is edited and online! "Punding" is a song by boxViolet, a trio of hottie indie-rockers based here in La-La whom I've grown to love. The video was directed by Michael Wormser (who kindly gave me co-director credit, thanks Mike!!), who I worked with previously on the "Shrimp & Cookies" video for singer Mooney Starr. Michael is one of the hardest-working guys I know, and his videos rock! He's setting himself up to be a major player in the film biz and I'm hoping to ride his coattails straight to the top :).

The finished video is a combination of my original cut, the director's cut, and the band's, and I think it strikes a nice balance. Enjoy!

"Georgie's Wish" Part Final

2006-10-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

At long last, here's my much-delayed final report on GEORGIE'S WISH, featuring what may be my favorite character in the film: The WATCHDOG!
Watchdog was the only character that was built from the ground up for GW, not recycled from another film, and I seriously debated having him in the film at all, since he presented a major design challenge. In my head I envisioned a doberman--sleek and muscular canine torpedo--which didn't leave a lot of room for hiding tie-downs and such, but I'd just had some practice building and animating a cat for the "Punding" video (glimpsed at the very beginning) so I decided to go for it.

A wire armature was constructed with super-sculpey used for the pelvis, ribcage, and skull. The bones of the legs and feet were made using sculpey-flex, which I've had mixed results with, but it worked in this case. Other moving parts included wagging tail, ears, and lower jaw. After baking the joints were filled in with a latex-cotton mixture and the whole thing painted to give it that instantly identifiable dobie-look, and on camera he went.

Animals are always a challenge, though I have to say I'm pretty proud of how this one turned out. Instead of recycling him, Watchdog now resides in my stop-motion shrine of coolness, where he guards the loot and drives away any pesky cat-burglars...

"Brown Jenkin" and the Artistry of Arkham Studios

2006-10-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today's post goes out to Jeffrey Roche of Ubatuber Productions, who asked for a better pic of the Brownie Award I collected in Portland last weekend. Ask, and ye shall receive!

The Brownie is based on the character "Brown Jenkin" from the short story, "Dreams in the Witch House" by H.P.Lovecraft, and was sculpted by Bryan Moore of Arkham Studios. Bryan's work is so uncannily realistic that you can get lost in the faces of his characters...like a 3-D equivalent of comics artist Alex Ross. In his catalog of works you will find (in addition to Brown Jenkin) representations of H.P.Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Anton LaVey, and a very art-deco version of the Great Cthulhu itself.

Bryan began his career as a sculptor working on such projects as the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and television's Tales of the Dark Side, meaning that his artwork was influencing me long before I had a piece of his work sitting in my Stop-Motion Shrine of Coolness (and getting along famously with the creature cast of FROM BEYOND, I must say). Check out Arkham Studios to see some really inspiring character sculpts (complete with rotating 360-degree views) that'll make you want to stay up way too late working on your sculpting techniques!

Fun times at the H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival!!

2006-10-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

After many months of excited anticipation, I've just gotten back from my first ever H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, OR! It truly was everything I'd hoped it would be, and founder Andrew Migliore and his staff were by far some of the most gracious hosts I've ever met. To see how beloved this festival is by the sold-out crowds that attended (many of whom travel from all over the country, year after year) and the celebrity guests he manages to attract, well...Andrew and his crew seem to be doing just about everything right....

An added bonus to this festival was actually getting to meet some folks that I've become huge fans of over the last few months, including artist/animator/filmmaker Sven Bonnichsen! I've been a fan of Sven's ever since I saw the teaser trailer for his film-in-progress, LET SLEEPING GODS LIE, which still makes my hair stand up after untold number of viewings. He and creative partner, Gretchin Lair, run Scarlet Star Studios, a place for all-things creative in Portland. In addition to his filmmaking skills, Sven has become my new hero for building metal ball-and-socket armatures for animation. I look forward to the day that I can follow in his footsteps and move away from the simple wire armatures I currently use.

I also got to meet Craig Mullins of UNFILMABLE.COM, which is THE place on the internet to learn about all things connected to Lovecraftian cinema. Craig gave me invaluable feedback when I first finished FROM BEYOND and needed a hardcore Lovecraft fan to tell me that I was either on the mark, or off (he assured me that I was on). For such an afficionado of horror films, I have to say that Craig seems like one of the most down-to-earth, genuine guys and if you saw him on the street you'd never suspect what horrors lurk on his dvd shelf!

Speaking of lurking horrors, if you plan on attending the Lovecraft Film Festival I recommend renting your hotel room waaay in advance. Otherwise you might wind up at the notorious PALMS MOTOR HOTEL. This was the tenth place I called for a room a MONTH before the festival and it was the first one to have a room available. I called them based on the suspiciously high rating of 9.1 listed on some Portland Hotel-Finder Guide. Having seen it firsthand, I'm pretty sure those numbers were reversed..or maybe I stumbled upon a Hotel-Finder for crystal meth addicts and prostitutes. Boyfriend Gary had the worst time of it, since the wireless internet access we were told was available (which he needs for his job) did NOT work unless he was sitting out by the office manager's door, shivering in the cold. I will say this for the Palms, tho--they got one bitch-ass cool sign:

Later that night it was on to the screening of Shorts Block 3, in which I got to see DREDD MANOR and FROM BEYOND on the big screen at last! It was so exciting to see DREDD MANOR in a packed house...it got LOADS of laughs! There's a lot of humor in DM, but I think horror film fans know it's cool to laugh and non-horror fans are just, well, horrified. The crowd on Saturday got all the jokes, and it was so much fun to hear all that laughter.

A few films later, FROM BEYOND hit the screen, and I got really nervous. FB is one of Lovecraft's best-loved stories, and here it was playing for the first time in a room full of die-hard fans...INCLUDING my favorite actress/scream-queen of all time, the impossibly gorgeous BARBARA CRAMPTON, who starred in horror maestro Stuart Gordon's Lovecraft-based films RE-ANIMATOR, CASTLE FREAK, and, of course, FROM BEYOND!

After the Shorts Block we reconvened for an awards ceremony, hosted by Festival Director Andrew Migliore, along with special-guest presenter, Barbara Crampton!
The awards, sculpted by Bryan Moore of Arkham Studios, are really something. The "Howie" awards, representing Lovecraft himself, are given to those whose work has furthered the understanding and appreciation for Lovecraft in some way, either thru writing, film, or similar scholarship. The "Brownie" awards, representing the character of Brown Jenkin, the evil human-faced rat character from Lovecraft's story, "Dreams in the Witch House" are awarded to filmmakers:

WAAHOO!! FROM BEYOND takes home a Brownie!! I didn't actually make out with Barbara Crampton as this picture might suggest, but I couldn't get that near one of my favorite stars without getting a hug. "I LOVED your film!" Barbara gushed to me. "I love YOUR films!" I gushed back, having such an extreme case of fan-overload I almost forgot to say something at the podium. Andrew made the observation: "Isn't it ironic that the star of Stuart Gordon's FROM BEYOND is giving an award to another version of FROM BEYOND?" Ironic, yes, and sooo sweet!

To all the folks at the H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival, I have to say congratulations on doing such an amazing job of making everyone feel welcome and creating an atmosphere where we can treasure our excitement about genre films. Thanks to Andrew Migliore for being such a great host...I look forward to attending future festivals when I can spend more time enjoying the full experience. But the guy who made this weekend the best ever was, as always, my beautiful man, Gary. It was no easy thing for him to jet out of town with so much work on his plate, but he did it, and if he hadn't been there I'd have totally fallen apart since I came down with a FREAKIN' PERITONSILLAR ABSCESS and by Sunday couldn't even speak! I thought I was getting strep throat, but this was way worse, tho I've been to the doctor and am on the road to recovery. Gary took care of everything, and gave us both another adventure we can look back on fondly and laugh about. I LOVE YOU, GARY!!!!!

Georgie & Company, Part 4

2006-10-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

To the left are my gravediggers, whose appearance in GEORGIE'S WISH that makes me smile every time I see it. Originally, Grandpa's resurrection was to be a big solo number, with no witnesses. But as I kept thinking about what sort of transition I was gonna use from the cemetary to the street-crossing scene, the idea came up to use these guys as a cutaway. I like the contrast of Grandpa's dramatic entrance with the quiet, incredulous "WTF?" look on the guys' faces...a throwback to VALLEY OF GWOMBI humor where characters say the most when they say nothing.

The short gravedigger was built over an old stop-motion model that I picked up really cheap on eBay. I think he was constructed for a TV commercial but never completed or filmed. He had no head or hands, has an aluminum wire armature, and the body was covered in rapidly dry-rotting foam rubber. I decided to recycle him since he wasn't much to look at, gave him a head, hands, and some new duds, and cast him as the driver in DREDD MANOR that takes Adam Wellsbrook to his doom. He will have a larger role as DM progresses, if he hasn't been recycled into a hundred other things by then.

The tall chap is "mini-Steve", built to complement "mini-Gary" from the previous post. Steve Eliot is real-Gary's co-host on FOR THE BOYS, their outrageously politically- incorrect talk show. Since the animation for that show was never done, mini-Steve, like mini-Gary, was just hanging around here unfinished, waiting for something to come along to give his life some meaning. I'm really glad I had him for this, as I think these two guys make an awesome visual pair:

Georgie & Company, Part 3

2006-10-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the "Behind-the-scenes-after-the-fact" thread, today's post will focus on some of the supporting players of GEORGIE'S WISH to show just how deep Red Hatchet's motto of "Recycle Everything" actually goes...

Granted, it's not the first time I've heard my better half utter these words, but his little stop-motion counterpart never had pants to begin with. Several months ago I was set to do a stop-motion intro for FOR THE BOYS, boyfriend extraordinnaire Gary Green's hilariously politically-incorrect talk show, but other projects came up and it was never filmed. He'd been sitting around the house in his half-finished state since then (mini-Gary, not real-Gary), making a brief cameo as a homeless alcoholic (no foreshadowing intended) in the PUNDING video, and now serving as the driver of the SUV that almost runs Grandpa over. This meant that mini-Gary got to share screentime with real-Gary's favorite character:

POLLY GWOMBI! Since first appearing in VALLEY OF GWOMBI, Episodes 1 & 2, Polly has waited patiently in the fridge with the other Gwombis, anticipating some future day when they would once again bring joy and laughter into the world. Several sharp-eyed scouts recognized Polly, even with her slightly different hair styling. This is a good example of one of my earliest attempts at making stop-mo puppets...the construction is mostly clay with too little supporting wire and some sculpey for solid sections like the head and those barge-like feet (to keep her from falling over).

Lining up the actual shot (which is less than 1 second of screentime) involved cutting the toy SUV apart and lining up the sections around the characters so that it looked like they were riding in the car...a ghastly experience that took about 4 hours to set up and 30 minutes to shoot. Anything for a laugh, though!

Georgie & Company, Part 2...

2006-09-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

Blogger seems to be having some problems with uploading lots of pics at once, so I'm trying for smaller installments to get all these pics posted. Here are some closeups of Grandpa's handsome kisser (no drooling on the screen...you know you want to...) which was made out of Super-Sculpey with a separate lower mandible (also made of Super-Sculpey) that I formed over a single piece of aluminum wire, the ends of which were stuck into the skull where the jaw would naturally connect. I baked the whole thing and after cooling attached it to the freshly beheaded armature of Adam Wellsbrook (a.k.a. "Mouthless Boy") who was ripe for a new head anyway.

The whole thing was painted with acrylics, and then given a thin coat of latex and cotten (pigmented with acrylics the same color as the base coat) which I picked at and smooshed around to give it that mummified flesh look (or what I imagine it to look like, anyway). It seems like mixing acyrylic paints into the latex before it goes on the puppet seems to make the latex dry faster. Anyone else notice this? I didn't give Grandpa too many lines because with only one wire holding the jaw in place too many back and forth moves would have caused it to break off, and there was really no way to fix it without major headaches.

Grandpa's hands have held up really well, having been thru several films now in different incarnations. The fingers were made of twisted green florist wire, which I find lasts a long time without breaking, and in this instance I added tiny Super-Sculpey finger bones so that they would bend where the knuckles would be. I dipped the hands in latex (pigmented with acrylics) and they turned out pretty well, providing very fluid movements but NO grip strength at all. Holding props requires a small piece of Stick-Tac (the stuff you use to make picture frames hang straight) or Sticky-Wax (which they use extensively on ROBOT CHICKEN but I've been unable to find yet...) My only qualm is that they were a little long and spidery for the earlier films this armature was used for, but they fit Grandpa's spindly frame just fine...

More to come!

Georgie & Company...

2006-09-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Over the next few posts I'm going to attempt to make up for the fact that I always forget to take pictures of my characters as they are being built. I spend so much time reading the blogs of other incredibly talented artists like Grant Goans, Jeffrey Roche, Shelley Noble, and Mike Brent who DO take pictures that I get all excited and forget entirely. I took some pics of the puppets from GEORGIE'S WISH which I'll be uploading over the next couple of days to make up for my being such a slacker...

At the top of the post is, of course, the whole cast photo, posing with the oversized cake top that was made for the title shot complete with burning candles. I sculpted the cake top over an old metal candy tin that I had in my "Misc. Supplies" box, which always seems to have whatever weird item I need when I need it.

Silly Georgie! If your legs don't show, you don't get pants! You're lucky you have LEGS! Due to the insane time constraints of this no-frills production, all of the puppets (with the exception of one doberman pincer) were recycled or drafted from other projects. Georgie was built up over a puppet I originally made for DREDD MANOR that wasn't used (hence the "gingerbread man" legs). The shirt was made out of an old shirt that used to look good on me, but I think it looks much better on him.

Iiiiiiiiit's Grandpa! I have to say, I love this puppet the most. Not just because of his dashing good looks, but because it is my best-built armature to date, having played Adam Wellsbrook in DREDD MANOR, Episode 1, (and the opening scenes of the still in-production DMep2), the Mouthless Boy in the video for PUNDING, and now Grandpa. All his limbs have broken off and been reattached at least once, but the overall construction has held up really well. I've decided to retire him now, because a.) I really like Grandpa, and b.) I'm tired of fixing his broken joints, and it's just gonna get worse. If you ever come to my house, you'll find Grandpa resting comfortably in the Stop Motion Shrine of Coolness with other retired puppets and animation memorabilia (including one incredibly rare and highly collectible HALFLAND button! Thanks, Shelley!).

More to come...

"Georgie's Wish" makes The Daily Reel's Top Ten!

2006-09-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

There's something to be said for being a repeat customer, all right: the good folks over at The Daily Reel have selected GEORGIE'S WISH for their Top Ten List, making this the second film by Red Hatchet to be so honored. The first was A WINTER'S TALE, which went on to be selected for the 2006 H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival taking place next weekend in Portland, OR. Thanks to all the folks over at The Daily Reel for giving me such a nice boost, especially after the insanity that was the shooting schedule of GW (and also for pointing out to me that GW is currently one of the Editor's Picks over at Revver.com!) I promise I will grab more screencaps soon to illustrate the blog with when I reference GW (instead of showing the same party pic over and over), but for now I'd just like to flash my official Daily Reel Seal of Freshness, which I plan to have tattooed somewhere on my body. THANK YOU, TDR!!!

"GEORGIE'S WISH!"

2006-09-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes an idea pops into your head fully-formed, in need of almost no alteration before it goes from your brain to the screen. Such was the case with my latest film, GEORGIE'S WISH, which I'm pleased to say is now finished and ready to inflict upon the world!

I got the idea for GEORGIE'S WISH about a week ago, and literally started making the puppets about half an hour later (this was in addition to finishing the PUNDING video, which has gone into overtime due to additional shots and set pieces that have been added to the original shoot). I didn't write a script for it, and only did basic storyboards to make sure the idea would hang together as a film. Now here we are, one week later, and it's done. When inspiration strikes, you just gotta go with it...

Click HERE to watch GEORGIE'S WISH, and please click on the ad at the end to support Red Hatchet Films!

Portland gets the Hatchet

2006-09-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

So I've just learned (though it's not been officially posted yet) that the H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival will be showing THREE of my films over the course of the weekend: FROM BEYOND, A WINTER'S TALE, and DREDD MANOR, Episode 1. Is this happening? Do I get to see THREE of my babies up on the big screen on the same weekend? I think this is what they call an embarrassment of riches.

It may have something to do with the fact that Festival Founder Andrew Migliore believes that you can never have enough animated horror to look at...a sentiment I couldn't agree with more!

And in keeping with that theory, I'm pleased to announce the imminent arrival of my latest film, GEORGIE'S WISH. It began as a little joke in my head about a week ago, and before I knew it I was building puppets, sets, and staying up til three in the morning shooting them (after spending the day working on the PUNDING video, that is!). I haven't had time to grab many screenshots yet (much less post to my blog as often as I'd like) but fear not, they will be coming soon...here's one for now...
Stay tuned!

"Punding" pending...

2006-09-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Seems my posts lately have all been about stuff I've already done, and too little about what I've been doing. Here to rectify that are a bunch of pics from the "Punding" video, which is nearing completion:

The deadline for final print is September 20th, so I've got just under 2 weeks left. This fear of not making the deadline has kept my nose to the grindstone pretty hard, but it's been worth it. I put together a ruthless edit last night, just to try and get all the shots in, regrettably having to cut a few shots for time. Considering that the original storyboard was 80 panels and the song is only 3 minutes long (which comes out to about 2.25 seconds of screen-time per shot for those of you doing the math), it's amazing that more didn't have to be cut.

FROM BEYOND makes daddy proud!

2006-09-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to the news that FROM BEYOND was named Best Animated Horror Film at the 2006 Dragon*Con Film Festival! I don't quite know how to react because A.) I've never won anything, and B.) I wasn't actually there, so it doesn't seem quite real. In any case, it's incredibly exciting and I'm just thrilled beyond words. Dragon*Con has held a special place in my heart since my high-school days, and it's really an honor to be recognized by them for doing something I genuinely love. THANK YOU, DRAGON*CON!!!!

So who's coming over? I'm buying the first round!

Festival acceptance letters worth framing

2006-09-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

I just got my official letter notifying me of FROM BEYOND's acceptance to this year's H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival, and it made me laugh out loud. One of the primary ingredients of any good Lovecraft yarn is the arrival of a telegram filled with dreadful portents. The folks at HPLFF have taken this concept and created what is no doubt the best festival acceptance notice I've ever seen. Check it out:

It's a little hard to read here, but it says:
RE: FROM BEYOND
WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR FILM WAS ACCEPTED INTO THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL STOP WE THINK OUR PROJECTIONIST LOVED IT BECAUSE HE RAN SCREAMING FROM THE PROJECTION BOOTH STOP ALTHOUGH SOME UNNAMEABLE ELDRITCH HORROR NEARLY CONSUMED OUR FESTIVAL JUDGES DURING THE SCREENING WE DECIDED IT WAS NECESSARY TO PROMOTE YOUR BRAND OF INSANITY STOP THE STARS ARE RIGHT STOP SINCERELY THE HPLFF FILM COMMITTEE STOP
I'm already in love with these people and I haven't even met them. Portland is gonna be SO MUCH FUN!! I can't wait for October...

In other news, the "Punding" video is coming along nicely, and today I got to show the dailies to the band. I was a little worried that they might not like it (you have LOTS of time to think about these things when you are clicking away all those frames) but my fears were unfounded. Both Luke and Margot were extremely happy with the footage they saw...they are both such creative spirits, and they see the process for what it is. I'm so happy they enjoyed the footage, as I've grown into a full-fledged boxViolet fan and want to give them a video they will enjoy having in their repertoire.

"A WINTER'S TALE" featured on THE DAILY REEL!

2006-08-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I came across The Daily Reel, a website created to, in their words: "...showcase the best in online video. TDR’s mission is to sift through the [crap], find the good stuff, and show you what you need to watch. We devote all of our time and resources to finding the quality content among the hundreds of thousands, even millions of videos that are out there. TDR believes that a handful of these creators represent the future of the medium; we don’t want tomorrow’s filmmakers to go unnoticed today."

"We have assembled a team of film and television critics, pop culture commentators and online mavens from traditional and online media to find the best broadband videos out there. Our contributors come from The New York Times, Variety, The Village Voice, Filmmaker Magazine, The Austin Chronicle, and more."

I loved their website and thought about submitting something to them, but after re-reading the paragraphs above I ultimately chickened out.

But Fate has a way of bringing things full circle. On Tuesday I got an email from an assistant editor at TDR saying that she'd seen A WINTER'S TALE online and asked me to submit it for consideration. I did so, and a few hours later got an email from the managing editor praising the film and telling me that it had been scheduled for immediate inclusion as one of TDR's Top Ten! I can barely describe my joy at getting some vindication for A WINTER'S TALE, a little film I truly love that has yet to be accepted to a single film festival.

So if you're reading this post on Thursday, August 31st, 2006, pleeeeeeaaase go over to THE DAILY REEL, watch A WINTER'S TALE, leave some comments, and click on the ad at the end of the film to help support my little operation here! And to everyone over at TDR (especially Felicia and Alex), THANK YOOOUUU!!!

Dragon*Con schedule update

2006-08-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

Looks like I didn't read the Dragon*Con schedule closely enough. FROM BEYOND is scheduled to play TWICE during the festival; once during the 10PM Friday horror block and again in the weeeee hours of Monday morning in the 1:30AM H.P. Lovecraft Celebration block!
This is probably too late for most non-vampires to attend, but for any con-goers who are out late Sunday night the HPL block looks like it's got some GREAT films lined up. Thanks to my good friend Michael Brady (no, not THAT Michael Brady) for pointing out this additional screening!
In other news, the "Punding" video is coming along nicely. I've finished all of the boy's scenes which take place in my cool alley set (pictured here) so it's time to put together the second major location, an apartment belonging to the girl character. I've completely filled up my 293GB hard drive, and I can't delete anything, so my director is bringing over an external hard drive tomorrow.

Dragon*Con Film Fest announces schedule...

2006-08-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Dragon*Con Film Festival has posted its schedule for film screenings and it looks like FROM BEYOND will be showing in the 10:00 PM Horror Shorts Block on Friday, September 1st. It's a 2.5 hour block of short films, and FB is listed near the end, so it probably won't go on 'til close to midnight. This may be a bit late for some, but to the typical Dragon*Con attendee this is when things are just getting started.

I'm excited by this placement as I think my films play better late at night, preferably after the consumption of much alcohol. My first film, VALLEY OF GWOMBI, had its premiere here in Hollywood on a Friday pretty close to midnight (at the fabulous Arclight Cinema), and the response was pretty rowdy (and fueled by much alcohol)...

Check out the Dragon*Con Film Festival Schedule HERE, and let me know if you plan to attend...I'd love to hear how it goes!

"FROM BEYOND" accepted to the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival!

2006-08-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders: FROM BEYOND has been accepted to the H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, OR, this coming October! Why is this such a big deal, you ask? Ordinarily it wouldn't be; acceptance to film festivals is such a subjective procedure it's really not worth getting worked up about. In this case, however, it was the very existence of the festival that inspired me to create the film, so the fact that it WAS accepted sort of completes the creative cycle. So it looks like I'll be heading to Portland this coming October, to get my scare on with the other Lovecraft enthusiasts!

More to come...

Sights you don't want to wake up to...

2006-08-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

I first met my good friend and technical guru, Behn Fannin, last year at the L.A. International Short Film Festival when he came up and introduced himself after seeing VALLEY OF GWOMBI. He was wearing a jacket with a miniature spatula safety-pinned to his lapel, and his business card had a picture of a bottle of mouthwash on it. I knew instantly that he was a kindred spirit, and we struck up a great friendship. He invited me to create some animated bumpers for a show that he was working on called "Refused TV," which was unfortunately canned before my work ever got on the air.

Recently, Behn asked me to do some animation for his latest film, a sardonic little satire called RELIGIOUS CANDIDATES. Despite my already full plate with the music video, Behn wasn't really asking for much: just a couple of giant monsters to represent various Beasts of the Apocalypse. I told him I was all over it, and started throwing together some puppets.

The picture above is a still from an animation test, which you can check out by clicking HERE.

More to come!

"FROM BEYOND" Teaser Trailer is online!

2006-08-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

I took a break from set-building for the "Punding" video this evening to put together a trailer for FROM BEYOND. Since the film's being submitted to festivals at the moment I can't put the whole thing online...well, maybe I can, but it seems a little tacky to me...but like any proud parent I really want my baby to get out in front of an audience... :)

Click HERE to watch the FROM BEYOND teaser trailer, and please click on the sponsor's ad at the end to help support Red Hatchet Films!

To HD or not HD...

2006-08-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

Upon returning from a weeklong vacation to the Carribean with Gary and his family, I found out the director of the "Punding" video, Michael Wormser, and the band, boxViolet, really wanted to go with HD video for this project. My first response was, of course, great apprehension as I haven't worked in HDV and haven't a clue as to what it entails. Having done a little research and calling upon animator extraordinnaire Tennessee Reid Norton for some advice I think I may be able to swing it, but I'm still nervous. After all, it's not MY money that's being spent, and I don't want to let anybody down. However, both Mike W. and the band seem really happy with the work I've done so far, so I'm still on the boat as far as they're concerned. And I have to admit, the opportunity to step up my production quality and technical skills is really appealling.

I'm still building sets and props, and finalizing storyboards for a meeting with the band this Friday. I'm looking forward to meeting them as I've become quite a fan of their music!

In other news, my film A WINTER'S TALE was not selected for this year's Shriekfest Film Festival here in Los Angeles. That's 0 for 2 for AWT, which happens to be one of my favorite films to date. It started out as a simple project to try my hand at digital effects...a ramp up to FROM BEYOND.
The whole thing was finished in two weeks (not counting the week I spent constructing the house out of an old shoebox) and turned out much better than I ever expected it to. I've gotten great feedback on it from lots of folks, which is very nice considering its humble origins.

DREDD MANOR, ep.2, sidelined...

2006-07-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

After a couple solid weeks of working on DREDD MANOR, ep.2, my computer has suffered some sort of nervous breakdown. Actually, this is its SECOND breakdown, after having one about 2 weeks ago. So, production has been shuttered temporarily while I go thru the excruciating pain of not being able to work while it's being repaired.

A few people have asked me if the dark, hooded character that the hapless Adam Wellsbrook sees at the end of DREDD MANOR, Episode 1 is the Countess Von Dredd whom he was on his way to meet when he was attacked by the giant wolf-creature. I won't spoil the fun by giving away any major secrets, but I can tell you there are several OTHER suspects on the horizon, such as the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Malverse (pictured above), to name but one. You'll just have to check back and find out!

More to come, I hope...

OBJECTS AT REST creates visual wonderment

2006-07-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

Nothing gets me going like an artist whose work grabs me by the eye as well as the brain. Atlanta-based animator Grant Goans is just such a guy, and his work is truly a visual feast. It reminds me of a cross between the Brothers Quay and the mask & puppet work of designer/director Julie Taymor, whose work has inspired me for years. The characters he creates are both archetypal and specific, a very difficult combination to achieve.
Not only does his website offer great pictures of his work, but Grant has included unbelievably detailed how-to entries that I've started going to regularly for ideas and advice. I urge anyone interested in stop-motion or just incredible artwork to check out his studio, Objects At Rest. Definitely check out his online animation tests, which show some of his models (in various stages of completion) acting out simple scenes set to classical music. The disembodied pair of legs walking across the screen is my favorite! If I ever move back to GA I'm asking Grant for a job...

In other news, my director from the "Shrimp & Cookies" music video, Michael Wormser, has invited me to do animation for another project. However, THIS time the video will be ALL stop-motion (as opposed to a live-action/CGI/stop-mo combo), which means I'll be much more directly involved in the overall production, and not just a hired gun brought in for the last bits. It's an exciting prospect, and the band seems to like our initial ideas. Look for more news on this in the coming weeks... :)

CIRCLE OF FREAKS

2006-07-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

I first heard about David Popolow's film, CIRCLE OF FREAKS, when it was in competition against VALLEY OF GWOMBI at the Dragon*Con Indie Film Fest last year. Luckily for me, David had posted his film onto his website, Right Brain Animations, where I proceeded to watch it about 30 times. Afterwards, I wrote to David and told him that he had inspired me to pursue a stopmotion animated horror project of my own, and the result was DREDD MANOR.

David's a totally great guy, and I'm thrilled to post his film up here for all to see:

SPACE INVADERS re-enacted by HUMANS!!

2006-07-22T01:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you find a GREAT clip that makes you want to stand up and applaud. After watching this one, I DID applaud, scaring both of my cats out of a deep slumber. They couldn't possibly appreciate this video: SPACE INVADERS re-enacted by HUMANS! That's right. The classic video game brought to life by what has got to be the most patient group of living "pixels" under the direction of visionary madman, Guillaume Reymond. The whole thing is created using stop-motion, colored t-shirts, auditorium seats, and a what must have been weeks of pre-production choreography. It's always the simplest ideas that translate into inspired magic. Make sure to see the "pixels" take their bow at the end!

TONS of new clips on the RHF Movie Page

2006-07-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last couple of days uploading several super-short clips onto the web that were originally intended to be used as "bumpers" for a local cable tv show called Refused TV. I completed nine segments before being informed that Refused TV had been cancelled, and these little clips wound up with nowhere to go! They seem to work perfectly for internet audience consumption, which likes its laughs in small, bite-size portions. You can check them out by going to the RED HATCHET FILMS MOVIE PAGE here. And please be sure to click on my sponsors' ads at the end of each film to help keep RHF alive and kicking!

FROM BEYOND selected for Dragon*Con Film Festival

2006-07-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Submitting to film festivals is a necessary right of passage for any filmmaker. It can be devastating when your work DOESN'T get accepted (if you let your ego get too wrapped up in it) but when your work DOES get accepted there's no denying the adrenaline pump straight to your creative soul! I was just informed that FROM BEYOND has been selected to screen at this year's Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival in Atlanta, GA, Sept. 1-4.

Dragon*Con is without a doubt one of the largest fantasy/sci-fi conventions in the country, if not the world. Last year saw my first film,VALLEY OF GWOMBI , get accepted there, and while it didn't win any prizes I was told by Festival Director Matt Foster that it went over like gangbusters! Matt himself listed VOG on his website, FOSTER ON FILM, as one of the Best Modern Animated Short Films...quite an honor for my first! Thanks so much, Matt!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make Dragon*Con this year, but I know many folks who will, so hopefully I'll get a report back from them as to how it plays with an audience. I'm submitting FROM BEYOND to a couple other fests in the coming weeks, so hopefully this streak of good karma will continue...

DREDD MANOR, Episode 1 is ONLINE!

2006-07-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce that the 1st Episode of DREDD MANOR is finished and online! It's being hosted by Revver.com, which supports filmmakers by attaching ads to the ends of their films. The way it works is after you watch the film, click on the ad and the filmmaker makes money! It costs you NOTHING but the click of a button! I've put a couple of other films up as well, VALLEY OF GWOMBI and A WINTER'S TALE, so check them out and tell your friends!

Check out the brand new RED HATCHET FILMS MOVIE PAGE by clicking HERE!

Episode 1 of DREDD MANOR inches toward completion

2006-07-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

With the heat here in L.A. reaching the "don't-even-bother-going-out" levels that make air-conditioner salesmen oh-so-happy, it's been the perfect time to lock myself in the studio and work on DREDD MANOR. It's coming along so swiftly it's a little scary, but then I went thru a long testing phase before I started the shoot. How could I possibly create an open-ended, stop-motion animated, gothic melodrama on a non-existent (and I mean NON-existent) budget? We shall see...

I knew I would have to learn how to do green-screening in order to quickly create backgrounds...there was no way I was going to build sets for every shot like some of the other films. The results are pretty cool, and this technique has opened up many new possibilities.

The coolest part of this effort is that I actually have a few collaborators this time around. My good friend Scott Simpson is creating some original music for DM, and another friend, Rory Ledbetter, has agreed to lend his voice to the lead character. It's so great to have others' energy folded into the mix...makes me want to work that much harder.

Here are some pics from the film, more to come soon!

"Shrimp & Cookies," anyone?

2006-06-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Just when it looked like I was going to have a ton of time to work on DREDD MANOR I stumbled upon a Craigslist ad looking for a claymation animator. I answered the ad and had the good fortune to meet Michael Wormser, a great guy and talented director who was in the final stages of creating a video for a song called "SHRIMP & COOKIES" by singer Mooney Starr. The assignment: take two CGI characters that were already created for the video and construct clay versions of them--as fajitas. Yes, fajitas. I've never tried to interpret humans into Mexican cuisine before, so I was all over it.

The puppets themselves were pretty simple, with only eyes and mouths to worry about since fajitas don't do much but lie there and sizzle. My main concern was matching the puppets, which were stop-motion, with the grill they were lying on, which was CGI. The two elements actually looked pretty darn cool together, and I learned tons about greenscreening that I'm now able to put to good use on DREDD MANOR.

Check out the final results here, courtesy of YouTube (PS-My animation comes up at the very end, so no sneaking out early!):

Onward towards the dark

2006-06-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

Been having a lot of fun over the last couple of days messing around with cutout animation for DREDD MANOR. A few interesting results, and some shots worth keeping, like the one above.

More to come...

The Gwombi Clan re-invade Red Hatchet

2006-05-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about VALLEY OF GWOMBI drawing some interest but not being able to say anything about it. While that's still the case for the most part, I can say that I've had to totally neglect DREDD MANOR for the last week because I've been creating a promotional trailer for GWOMBI. Going back and looking at the GWOMBI films again after almost a year has really made me look at it in a new light. I can't really say any more at this point, but keep your fingers crossed for the GWOMBIS!

In other news, I was recently invited by Producer/Writer/ Personality/Boyfriend Extraordinnaire Gary Green to put together an animated opening sequence for his and his partner Steve Elliot's rowdy and risque talk-show, FOR THE BOYS. Of course I was thrilled to be offered such an assignment, and couldn't wait to start trying to interpret my two dear friends into clay. They're not finished yet, but they wouldn't shut up about wanting to have their picture taken (especially mini-Gary!) so I took a couple pics of them this afternoon. Here they are in real life, followed by their mini-sized counterparts. Aren't they cute?

I've totally given up on Dario Argento

2006-05-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

As you may have guessed by the choices of material I tend to pursue, I'm a big fan of horror films. So, naturally, I gravitate to those filmmakers who are regarded as masters of the genre. However, after years of trying to comprehend his popularity, I have finally come to one inescapable conclusion about Italian horror director, DARIO ARGENTO: the man is a talentless, incompetent hack.

I just finished watching PHENOMENA, in which a VERY young Jennifer Connolly plays an American girl sent to a European boarding school where a serial killer is brutally murdering her fellow students. I don't know if you get your tuition refunded when you make a discovery like this on your VERY FIRST NIGHT at school (Headmistress's first line to Jennifer after she arrives: "You! Get in bed! NOW!"), but I think a class-action suit would probably be warranted. Luckily for Jen, she possesses the very special talent of being able to communicate with insects telepathically, a discovery made by Donald Pleasance (always a welcome face in any horror outing tho sadly underused here)as a wheelchair-bound entomologist whose nursemaid and caretaker is--I kid you not--a chimpanzee.

I have enjoyed moments in all of Argento's films, and therein lies the truth of his skill as a filmmaker: he has MOMENTS of greatness, and they are few and far between. I remember watching the opening fifteen minutes of SUSPIRIA and almost wetting my pants, only to find out that that was it. Film after film of his I've watched, or tried to--INFERNO, OPERA, TENEBRE--only to catch these glimpses of brilliance surrounded by amateurish cinematography, atrocious scripting, and complete LACK of directorial capability whatsoever. Where is the brilliant film, marred only by a fleeting moment of badness? In the canon of Argento's work: nowhere.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh on the man because I've given him so many chances to impress me and he's failed to do so in any way, shape or form. Or, perhaps it's because I've just spent two hours watching a film whose climax involves Jennifer Connolly being rescued from a psychotic killer by a chimp wielding a straight razor.

Ultimately, I'm happy to have made this revelation so that I can avoid wasting another moment of my life on the putrid dreck that IS the cinema of Dario Argento. I'm done with him, and nothing will lure me back...not even the chance of seeing Oscar-winner Jennifer Connolly in a swimming pool full of rotting, maggot-ridden corpses:

DREDD MANOR takes shape...

2006-05-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days have been pretty busy. Most of the cast of DREDD MANOR Episode 1 are ready to go, and the set pieces are starting to take up all available space in my apartment. Today's picture is a screen cap from another test, showing my protagonist against one of the set pieces.

THE VINES "Anysound" video

2006-05-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Man, some people just don't know when to stop raising the bar for the rest of us! Check out this awesome new video for "Anysound" by The Vines, animated by T. Reid Norton and some of his insanely talented cohorts:

DREDD MANOR Teaser Trailer is Done!

2006-05-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

I did a test with one of my puppets yesterday and liked it so I crafted a 30-second teaser trailer out of it. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Welcome to DREDD MANOR

2006-05-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

I've been cooped up in the puppet factory for a couple days, churning out some characters for a new animation project tentatively titled DREDD MANOR. It's going to be a gothic horror melodrama played out as a series of short installments...sort of like the old DARK SHADOWS television show, only less boring. The story will include all manner of ghosts and ghouls you'd expect to find in such a story, and hopefully a few new surprises as well. Check back often for more pics of this exciting project as it develops!

New blood

2006-05-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Been working on some new puppets today for a film idea that's been brewing for awhile. Most of them don't look like much yet, but the furry fellow above seemed near enough to completion to share, as did the charming damsel below:
More to come in the days ahead...

The Wraith of Cobble Hill

2006-05-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about Hollywood is that you can be reading about someone in a magazine one day and having lunch with them the next. In this case, the magazine was Animation Week which contained an article about someone called Adam Parrish King whose stop-motion film, THE WRAITH OF COBBLE HILL, had captured a Jury Prize for Short Filmmaking at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Lunch was held the following day (actually a couple of weeks later) at Cafe 101 on Franklin.

Adam, like myself, grew up in surburban TN during the style-challenged '70s, and we were both deeply affected by the Rankin-Bass Holiday Specials such as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. I traded him a copy of FROM BEYOND for a copy of WRAITH and boy, am I now a fan of this film! This hauntingly beautiful story, which is actually three stories interlaced, is destined to become an indie-animated classic, and I'm just so damn glad it's gotten the attention it deserves. With the win at Sundance, and another Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival, THE WRAITH OF COBBLE HILL has the street cred that will give it that kind of longevity. ADAM KING!! YOU WILL WIN AN OSCAR SOMEDAY IF YOU KEEP THIS UP!!

VALLEY OF GWOMBI hits the 'Tube

2006-05-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

YouTube that is. You can now check out the film that got Red Hatchet rolling by clicking on the screen below!
Thanks to my good friend Behn Fannin for compressing it down to a manageable size for me, and to Gary for teaching me everything I know about HTML...and making me put that knowledge to use!

Behind the scenes

2006-04-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Some folks have asked me to post some behind-the-scenes shots from my productions, and every time they do I think to myself, "I've GOT to remember to take some behind-the-scenes shots on the next one!" It's clearly an area I need to be trained into doing more regularly, but I did manage to find a couple, posted here today for your viewing pleasure.

The first two are from FROM BEYOND, and give a pretty good idea of the scale of the models I'm working with.
The next two are from VALLEY OF GWOMBI, Episode 2 and really show what kind of visual trickery is necessary to pass off a 9" deep staging space as a vast, primordial jungle. Marshall Gwombi is almost as tall as the tree that is supposed to be several yards behind him, and you can just barely make out the tiny model of Wes Gwombi clinging to the sheer cliff face in the "distance"...actually just a few inches away.

Remarkably, I don't think any housecats are visible in these pics. Here's a shot of them, too, so they don't feel left out:

For the love of Lovecraft

2006-04-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks I've had the great fortune to e-connect with a genuinely cool and enormously dedicated fan of H.P. Lovecraft, Craig Mullins. In addition to being a filmmaker himself, Craig is the man behind what has to be, bar none, the most thorough compendium of Lovecraftian cinema anywhere on the web, Unfilmable.com. There you will find news, reviews and articles about all things Lovecraft, though his focus is mainly on cinematic adaptations of HPL's writings. Naming his site "Unfilmable" perfectly captures the difficulty faced by most filmmakers (including myself) who have attempted to transpose HPL's cerebral brand of chills into the medium of film.

I sent Craig a copy of FROM BEYOND upon its completion and his feedback gave me a definite and much-needed boost. While I was very happy with the finished film and the reviews of my inner circle of friends whom I force to watch and critique my work, I was really anxious to hear what a hardcore Lovecraft fan would have to say. Craig's response was overwhelmingly positive, and if ANYONE is qualified to speak about Lovecraft-based cinema, he's the guy. I hope Fate someday conspires to make me a visitor to Craig's house, because I'm dying to look thru his video library!

I've also been contacted by another filmmaker whose work I'm now anxious to see: Sven Bonnichsen of Scarlet Star Studios wrote encouraging me to enter FROM BEYOND into the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, OR and included a link to the preview of his own upcoming HPL-inspired and wicked-cool-looking film, LET SLEEPING GODS LIE, which you can see here. It's skedded for a 2007 release and I can't wait! The preview made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up...a testament to Sven's bold use of color and sound.

CLASH OF THE TITANS turns 25

2006-04-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

I had the great joy to revisit one of my favorite childhood films on Wednesday, April 19th when Gary and I went to see a 25th Anniversary Screening of CLASH OF THE TITANS at Graumann's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. Anyone even remotely aware of the name Ray Harryhausen is probably familiar with this, his last and greatest film.

The epic story of Perseus's rescue of his lover Andromeda from all sorts of mythological monsters is the kind of film any self-respecting 12-yr-old kid growing up in the early '80s drooled over. On the day I went to see it I made my mom drop me off at the 10 AM screening and sat thru it four--yes, four--times. Each time it ended I slunk down into my seat and avoiding the cleaning crews, so that I could watch Perseus, played by Harry Hamlin, do battle with Harryhausen's animated goddess of reptilian cool, Medusa the Gorgon, just one more time.

In addition to the thrill of seeing the film on the big screen again, we were visited by the man behind the monsters himself, RAY HARRYHAUSEN. Mr. H has always struck me as the most gracious of gentlemen, which is so charming in light of the fact that most of his work is the depiction of gigantic beasts wreaking havoc on civilization in one time period or another. It was his 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD that first infused me with a love for stop-mo, so he's really the guy responsible for everything that followed.

There was a controlled Q & A after the screening, and though the entire audience was asked to fill out cards with questions for Mr. H, they only selected four, giving out free DVDs of COTT to the lucky writers of the chosen queries. Mine was the last of the four selected questions, so I walked home with one of the coveted prizes! I just love it when things go my way...

ROBOT CHICKEN Rules!!

2006-04-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple hectic days since my tour of the ROBOT CHICKEN Studios courtesy of animator-extraordinnaire, Tennessee Reid Norton, and since then I must have watched my copies of the RC Season 1 DVDs about fifty times. I am constantly finding new bits that I missed, and learning great techniques that I want to attempt in my own work. I just can't get enough of this show! It's like an animator's own "tips 'n' tricks" series, and more helpful than most of my animation-related books combined.

The tour itself was everything I'd hoped for and a whole lot more. My own workspace is little more than my kitchen table, a jerry-rigged animation "stage" and an assortment of storage compartments for art supplies, props, and puppets strewn around my tiny apartment. Now imagine that scenario times about A HUNDRED...props, puppets and sets crammed into every corner of a ginormous warehouse/studio. "T" Reid was really patient with me as I stood there, mouth agape and clearly wishing to be adopted. To say it was overwhelming is a gross understatement. After the tour I got to join the crew as they watched the weeklys and one almost-finished episode...I can't believe how much the show has grown in one season. The visuals have expanded so much, and the animation is just so kinetic and joyful. This family of artists is receiving a lot of attention these days for their work, and let me tell you they deserve every ounce of it. I left elated and inspired, but not before giving T. copies of all my films to review for feedback, and also as a huge THANK YOU for letting me take a peek inside the Magic Kingdom :) ...

Michael meets THE LIZARD WHOMPER!

2006-04-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Today is a red-letter day for me, because in about an hour and a half I'm going to get to meet one of my stop-motion inspirations, the talented and utterly SICK genius, Tennessee Reid Norton! Tennessee has been involved with some really high-profile projects over the years, from THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS to television's THE PJs and now the show that has captured the hearts of anyone who ever possessed an action figure, ROBOT CHICKEN! There is one film of his, however, that has had a more profound effect on me than any other: 1996's stop-motion splatter masterpiece, THE LIZARD WHOMPER! TLW was one of the inspirations behind my first stop-mo effort, VALLEY OF GWOMBI, and if you check out TLW here at Atom Films I'm sure you'll see why! I almost lost my lunch when I first saw it, which is about the highest compliment you can pay to another artist, IMHO...

In addition to being super-cool about some random Hollywoodite contacting him thru his website, Tennessee has invited me over to visit the ROBOT CHICKEN studios for a tour AND to watch the weeklys with the crew! I've been practicing my shallow-breathing technique all morning, so I don't hyperventilate. On some level, tho, I'm sure Tennessee and the rest of the RC crew are used to this reaction from their fans :) . Be sure to visit his website here and prepare to be amazed by this guy's talent...

Red Hatchet website gets a new 'do

2006-04-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

Check out the awesome new design of the Red Hatchet Films website! Webmaster extraordinnaire Gary Green hasn't let the conclusion of his recent producing gig on "I've Got a Secret" for Gameshow Network curtail his productivity. Ever the perfectionist, I'm sure he's got a mental checklist of tweaks a mile long, so it may change several times in the days to come!

In other news, FROM BEYOND is officially in the can. I am really happy with the way the editing process worked for this film, and have to give much credit to my inner circle of critics who gave me invaluable feedback in tightening up the story: Gary Green, Behn Fannin, Anthony Caruso and Brad Carter. Your input was so essential to the creation of this piece which I am very proud of...a million thanks. I plan to enter it in a number of festivals in the coming months.

VALLEY OF GWOMBI DRAWS INTEREST!

2006-04-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought getting to see a live performance of "It's Raining Men" by the legendary Martha Wash HERSELF this morning was going to be the highlight of my day, I received an email from a producer requesting a copy of VALLEY OF GWOMBI to review...and that's all I can say at the moment. Of course, I'm not celebrating anything yet, but I'm unapologetically THRILLED that somehow word of my little films is filtering out into the universe. It makes all the long, obsessive hours worth it. Not to mention that it counteracts the official "THANKS BUT NO THANKS" letter I received from Sci-Fi London--confirming my status as one of this year's rejects--very, very nicely indeed.

City of Los Angeles gets long overdue bath

2006-04-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

I love the rain. Not only because it's such a rare occurrence here, but because it's all the justification I need to stay inside and work on animation. Driving in the rain here is suicidal. A light shower can turn a trip to Trader Joe's into a scene from DEATHRACE 2000. It's just not worth risking it, especially when a hot pizza is just a phone call away.

My friend Anthony dug FROM BEYOND, which makes me happy. He had very specific notes about what wasn't working, mostly sound-related issues. Sound is always the last element I add, so I have to be especially vigilant about it. I love sound design...I used to design the soundtracks for all my stage productions in my former life, but the actual engineering is something I'm learning by doing. Hopefully I'll join forces with an amazing sound designer someday who will take all these woes out of my hands and I'll never have to deal with it again.

So a few more tweaks to sound and FROM BEYOND will be ready to be released to the world. I'm planning to submit it to a few select festivals and see what kind of response it gets. The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, OR, definitely, since they were the inspiration to tackle a Lovecraft story. Then Screamfest here in L.A., which looks like a LOT of fun.

I'm thinking about doing a much smaller, shorter film for my next project...something fun that won't keep me up nights the way FROM BEYOND did. I'm leaning towards another horror topic, which I'll divulge more of soon as it takes shape.

Sci-Fi London Proves Lack of Taste

2006-04-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Looks like I'm not going to London.

The Sci-Fi London Film Festival posted their program today and it looks REALLY impressive...except for the fact that neither of my two submitted films are on it. I'm ok with this, as my finances are gonna be a little tight for the next few weeks. Besides, I've already got three trips lined up in the next few months--Athens, GA, Disneyland, and a Carribean cruise(!)--what you might call an embarrassment of riches, at least for me. To add the United Kingdom onto the heap would be just plain piggy, not to mention fiscally irresponsible. So, well done to the selected short-film makers who were accepted (all 15 of you). Your work looks amazing, especially the animated entries...

Been doing some animation tests today and drinking way too much coffee, the animator's best and worst friend. Best, because it keeps you awake and focused as the click-click-click of the shutter becomes like Chinese water torture, and worst because after the fourth cup your hands start to shake and you have to go to the bathroom every five minutes, which can make you forget what you were doing.

Going over to my friend Anthony's place this evening to show him the rough cut of FROM BEYOND. Afterwards, a few more tweaks, and maybe it will be ready to launch...

Finishing touches

2006-04-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've never understood why it takes so much energy to finish things. Probably because after so much time and energy spent getting 99.99% of a job done, you're just sick of it, or bored with it and ready to move on. My most recent project, FROM BEYOND, is at that 99.99% stage, and I'm so tired of looking at it that I'd rather make a movie about my cats sleeping on the couch. It's looking good though, and I'm really happy with it. I screened the rough cut for my boyfriend, Gary (check out his site at www.garygreenlives.com) and my friend Behn (www.the-television.com), both of whom gave me some invaluable critiques. Thanks guys!

Still no word from London, so I can only assume that my films weren't selected. This is probably a good thing, because if I was picked I'd HAVE to go, and right now I can't even afford nosebleed-section tickets for the upcoming Madonna concert that Gary's given me until 2PM to decide upon purchasing.

London is NOT calling...

2006-04-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I entered two of my films, VALLEY OF GWOMBI and A WINTER'S TALE, in the Sci-Fi London International Festival of Fantastic Film (I think that's the whole name). You see, I decided earlier this year that I really want to go to London in 2006. Going to Ireland last year to run in the Dublin Marathon to raise money for AIDS gave me an acute case of itchy feet, I guess. I figured getting into this fest would be a breeze, since I had TWO films that I thought would just blow their socks off. Well, they were supposed to announce their selections yesterday and so far not a peep. It's really no big deal since it has been pointed out to me that I can travel to London WITHOUT being an internationally recognized filmmaker, but what's the point?

Anyways, I'm really proud of my two little films. GWOMBI was the first, and I worked my tail off on it, learning by doing from the ground up. A WINTER'S TALE was an experiment--I wanted to learn more about digital compositing before I leapt into a larger project that would use it more extensively. I was able to adapt several of the puppets I'd built for SHORT ENDS so it came together pretty quickly, and turned out better than I expected.

There's a link on my website if you want to watch GWOMBI online: www.redhatchetfilms.com . It's being hosted on my friend Behn Fannin's site, along with his devilishly funny repertoire of shorts. Check out his work--the guy's got the goods!

Later...

Welcome to the Red Hatchet Films blog!

2006-04-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is, that blog I've been meaning to start to keep all my friends and loved ones abreast of what I've been up to. As a stop-motion animator, I tend to go AWOL from time to time, locking myself in my tiny apartment/studio, rarely venturing out except for food, barely seeing or speaking to anyone, even my nearest and dearest. It's difficult to explain the kind of focus and concentration this work requires, but most people find it pretty fascinating.

Red Hatchet Films is my film company, created just over a year ago. I'm proud to say that since then RHF has produced five films: VALLEY OF GWOMBI episodes 1 & 2, SHORT ENDS, A WINTER'S TALE, and most recently, an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's FROM BEYOND. Having been a fan of stop-mo all my life it's such an incredible feeling to finally be creating these films using this method. It pulls on all your skills as an artist: designing, sculpting, painting, puppetry, composition...especially when your workspace is limited.

In the days to come I plan to post pics and talk about the films in general. If anyone has any specific questions about my work, feel free to ask...I love talking about this stuff. And check out the official Red Hatchet Films site for more pics, slideshows, synopses of the film, etc...

www.redhatchetfilms.com

More to come!

Red Hatchet Films

Behind the scenes: WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK"

Behind the scenes: WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK"

Puppets of "NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY"

Catching up: THE CHRISTMAS FLIP-FLOP

Now in the studio: WON TON BABY IN "MIDNIGHT SNACK"

NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY

THE NAUGHTY LIST!

"BOKRUG"--first looks...

THE SNOW PRINCESS is going to Cannes!

Catching up...PULP CHRISTMAS

AMBERSONS...Behind the Scenes

AMBERSONS 5 assaults the airwaves...

MYTHIC JOURNEYS...that's a WRAP!

New AMBERSONS Premiere!

Catching up...HOUSE OF BLACK WINGS

SICK! (and brilliant...)

SAN ANDREAS SNOWMAN, now online...

"Comfort Drag" Video unleashed...

Catching up..."SAN ANDREAS SNOWMAN"

Going out of my gourd for a GREAT cause...

FROM BEYOND to be released by Lurker Films!

Notes from the trenches...

Mythic Journeys Update: The Cast

AMBERSONS 3!!

The passing of a friend...

MYTHIC JOURNEYS: The Tree Girl

Project C: Snow Princess

Got Myth?

"AMBERSONS" Picked Up for Further Online Nuttiness!

The Flies have it...

I'm NOT Gay!!

COMING SOON

"Adventures with the Ambersons," Episode 2!

New friends!

Why I love L.A...

FROM BEYOND goes over Down Under

Treats from Not Behn Fannin!

Georgie goes South...by Southwest

My Reel

ADVENTURES WITH THE AMBERSONS, EPISODE 1

FROM BEYOND goes DOWN UNDER!

COMING SOON!!!!

Guess who's back?

boxViolet's "PUNDING" video is UP!

"Georgie's Wish" Part Final

"Brown Jenkin" and the Artistry of Arkham Studios

Fun times at the H.P.Lovecraft Film Festival!!

Georgie & Company, Part 4

Georgie & Company, Part 3

Georgie & Company, Part 2...

Georgie & Company...

"Georgie's Wish" makes The Daily Reel's Top Ten!

"GEORGIE'S WISH!"

Portland gets the Hatchet

"Punding" pending...

FROM BEYOND makes daddy proud!

Festival acceptance letters worth framing

"A WINTER'S TALE" featured on THE DAILY REEL!

Dragon*Con schedule update

Dragon*Con Film Fest announces schedule...

"FROM BEYOND" accepted to the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival!

Sights you don't want to wake up to...

"FROM BEYOND" Teaser Trailer is online!

To HD or not HD...

More video work!

DREDD MANOR, ep.2, sidelined...

OBJECTS AT REST creates visual wonderment

CIRCLE OF FREAKS

SPACE INVADERS re-enacted by HUMANS!!

TONS of new clips on the RHF Movie Page

FROM BEYOND selected for Dragon*Con Film Festival

DREDD MANOR, Episode 1 is ONLINE!

Episode 1 of DREDD MANOR inches toward completion

"Shrimp & Cookies," anyone?

Onward towards the dark

The Gwombi Clan re-invade Red Hatchet

I've totally given up on Dario Argento

DREDD MANOR takes shape...

THE VINES "Anysound" video