About this project
We are seeking funding to cover the costs of producing an animated short film (running time 2 minutes) as part of our tribute to the work of artist Bruce McCall.'The Ascent of Man' animated short we have produced based on Bruce McCall’s work can be seen at http://www.MyDamnChannel.com/BruceMcCall
A longtime contributor to the New Yorker, Bruce McCall is a renowned humorist and illustrator whose best-known work draws on the big-shouldered hubris of the middle 1920s and the early 1950s to create a future paradise where the skies are filled with zeppelins and every car has wings. He's a wry observer of contemporary life and a witty writer. http://brucemccall.com/
Our animated film, LOVE IN THE TIME OF DENDUR is based on McCall’s New Yorker cover that depicts two mummies (the Egyptian, wrapped-in-cloth kind) having their photo taken by another mummy at the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
From the writer, Jeremy Diamond: "This illustration got me thinking about the story behind these “tourist” mummies and the events leading up to this photo being taken. I came up with a love story that has the couple awakening from their ever-lasting slumber and hitting the town as classic New York tourists / love-birds - taking in a ballgame (and catching a fly ball!), enjoying the ambience of Central Park (on roller blades!), shopping on Fifth Avenue (and buying lots of stuff they really don’t need!), hitting Times Square (and not looking any weirder than any of the other weirdos there) and taking in a romantic view from the top of the Empire State building before returning to their eternal rest (with souvenirs!). This short film takes place over the course of one day, and by the end we come to realize that a] these mummies love each other, b] they are treated like any other New York tourists insofar as no one pays any attention to them, and c] unfortunately, they are not next to each other in the display cases where they reside at the Met, so this was indeed an extra special day for them.
At first reluctant to alter Bruce's illustrations, which are so amusing, well-executed, and complete in and of themselves, we realized that we could contribute to his vision and become after-the-fact collaborators / co-conspirators without requiring us to dismantle or change the drawing, the tone, or the "message". His memorable style and figures lend themselves to becoming animated characters without losing any of their distinct McCall-icity, and there is a kineticism inherent in his art that begs for actual movement. Every one of his illustrations contains a unique and intriguing story that is open to further elaboration beyond the borders of the work itself. Our goal is to explore their narrative possibilities while still remaining firmly rooted in The World of Bruce McCall."
Taking a 2-dimensional image – already rich with meaning and humor – and bringing it to life while creating a narrative behind it is the challenge and fun of this project. We were thrilled that Bruce showed our first piece based on his fold-out New Yorker Cover ‘The Ascent of Man’ at the TED conference (http://www.ted.com/speakers/bruce_mccall.html).
To produce an animated short on Bruce’s vision requires a team of animators to create the many background images and new artwork that clearly aren’t in the original illustration. We must also set the animation to music as these mummies don’t speak!
LOVE IN THE TIME OF DENDUR is the 5th in this series and, while these shorts have won accolades, this is not a commercial enterprise. So we need your help to finance them!
'Clear Conscience'
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on July 27, 2011.
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DVD of LOVE IN THE TIME OF DENDUR + All of the above
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DVD of all 5 McCall shorts + a McCall postcard + All of the above
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
Signed Print of Image from the Short Film + All of the above
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Your name in the ‘Thank you tail credits of the film + All of the above
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Signed Bruce McCall book (ALL MEAT LOOKS LIKE SOUTH AMERICA), Very Special Thank you credit + All of the above
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Illustration in the ‘style’ of Bruce McCall of your likeness (with your favorite outfit on) with the LOVE IN THE TIME OF DENDUR background + All of the above
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Associate Producers credit, 30 minute SKYPE video conversation with someone from the creative team, the opportunity to give notes during the creative process + All of the above
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Supreme Executive Associate Producer credit, your likeness as an animated character in the short film (with your favorite outfit on) + All of the above
Project By
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iThentic is an online video content production and distribution company founded in 2006 by indie film veterans Al Cattabiani, Liz Manne and Catherine Tait. The company is operated by Smiley Guy Studios (www.smileyguy.com) and iThentic’s shareholders include its founders, Smiley Guy Studios and eOne Entertainment (www.entertainmentonegroup.com).
Another animated original series from Smiley Guy Studios is the award-winning ODD JOB JACK which can be seen at www.hulu.com/odd-job-jack.
