Certainly not baffled by this recent awarding of the 2013 BAFTA for Best Short Animation, though we are mystified by the multiple technique-flexing film itself. Seems Jorge Luis Borgés and Woody Allen have both taken an interest in animation and Russian history, or maybe it is Director
Will Anderson, or wait…who is in charge here, anyway? What labyrinthine inner dialogues can ensue when the person behind the lens self-reflects? We may never get to the bottom of this gracefully crafted enigma, but we do enjoy the ride. Admittedly, Dragonframe was only used for a small portion of the film, but we just had to share. Anderson and his collaborator Ainslie Henderson are nearing completion of their next stop motion / live action mix, “
Monkey Love Experiments.” Read on to hear what arduous travesties the director had to endure in production and to watch the making of the Making of Longbird. Simple as that!
From Director Will Anderson:
Inspiration came from pioneering Director/animator Vladislav A. Feltov. His work was so mysterious and beautifully realised, I felt I wanted to achieve something poignant in reworking his wonderful character.
The production was particularly difficult, as Longbird is difficult, to say the least. His arrogance made simple actions in scenes take approximately 10 times longer to shoot than if he were to just take direction. Saying that, he did have an appreciation for new technologies, but I could tell he didn’t fully understand them.
Yes, must have been pretty hard to flip that bird. –Dragonframe
A great interview about Longbird by ShortoftheWeek.com
the making of the making of:
some early tests of the cutout:
