DEADLINE: Where did the idea for your animated short come from?
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LACHLAN PENDRAGON: Its ridiculously meta and very self-referential.
It deconstructs the processes of stop-motion filmmaking.
An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe ItGriffith Film School/courtesy Everett Collection
So, that idea comes from a research perspective.
I made this as a doctorate of visual arts research project.
I hadnt really thought about that prior to this.
you’re free to 3D print whatever you want.
And so, you start asking yourself these questions like, How polished is too polished for stop-motion.
For me, stop-motion is all about those tactile qualities and imperfections.
So thats one part of it.
DEADLINE: Have you worked with stop-motion before this film?
I thought Id go to film school and do all that.
I had a backup, which was studying animation.
I think its because stop-motion is kind of this middle ground between live action and animation.
Youre still using cameras and lights and it has the same kind of problem solving to it.
Stop-motions not a very efficient or practical method of animation though.
Its a little bit antiquated.
And so that was a three-year process, and I guess the animating of it took about 10 months.
When youre doing stop-motion day to day, you dont feel like youre getting any better at it.
DEADLINE: Howd the character of Neil come about?
Did you always plan to voice the main character?
PENDRAGON: No, I didnt.
The easiest way was if I was the voice actor.
DEADLINE: Was the plan always to have the camera showing the monitor and the movement in the background?
The wonderful thing about research is that it doesnt have to be a successful film, because its research.
So that really takes the pressure off.
Youre trying stuff and youre trying to innovate.
If you werent an animator, is this interesting?
And it turns out people do find it interesting.
