Hi there, Josh E here again. I wasn't sure whether to post this or not, seeing as the Director is my Dad. But after being advised that I should post it simply as a professional admiration, I've decided to share this animation with the group.
The Entomologist is an exploration into my own Father's insomnia as he worked hard countless nights driving a Taxi, only to come home and be haunted by his own brain refusing to let him sleep. It was shortlisted for a Bafta, but went no further. I think my Dad stopped pursuing it as he had a family to take care of. I watched this film being made from the ages of 6-9; this makes the film all the more special to me... But Phil doesn't like baggage, so I'll leave it at that, just in case.
Friends and Family helped make this animation over the course of three years, where they were lucky if they could spend more than 2-3 hours at a time on the project a day. I hope you enjoy the Film.
This...is...Amazing! Your Dad is a remarkably talented man. Wow, what an inspiration.
ReplyDelete"But Phil doesn't like baggage, so I'll leave it at that, just in case."
This is a different thing entirely to what Phil was talking about. Having an inspiring figure in your life can hardly be called baggage.
It's also clearly a case of where it has inspired and driven the creation of this film. It's an incredible piece of work.
Thanks, man. :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy watching it myself, because both me and my Dad both suffer from insomnia dependent on stress etc.
Throughout the course, I'll hopefully learn what baggage is. I'm guessing it has something to do with moaning about problems from the past?
Lol I think I did this by accident, accidentally moaned that is. I meant to say when comparing Uni to College that it was awesome to see people with such determination and skills, rather than being around people happy with the bare minimum.
Sometimes I forget myself and go on and on, like with this comment. I'll try and condense what I have to say in the essays.
Hey Joshua,
ReplyDeleteI can only echo Tom's sentiment - and underline his clarification re. my 'dislike' of 'baggage'. Baggage means those coral reefs of insecurity and personal folklore that grow up around us, hemming us in, and making us less able to experience change enjoyably. 'I can't draw'. 'I can't write.' 'I don't do 'environments', 'I only do character' 'Computers hate me', 'I'm stupid' ,'I'm lazy' - and so it goes on. Baggage - often invisible to us - makes us approach things in particular, habitual ways, and sometimes, indeed often, knowledge of what we carry around can help us tackle situations more innovatively - and with reduced anxiety.
The fact that your dad and his brother laboured over a period of years to create a stop-motion animation as striking and evocative as The Entomologist is not 'baggage' - it is a gift - a rare jewel, seriously! What an extraordinary childhood you must have had - your dad and uncle making expressionistic movies, rooted in the desire to 'say something' meaningful about personal experience - and having the stamina to keep on going with it - even as the demands of 'real life' had to be met. No, this isn't baggage - this is rocket fuel, and you should make no apology!
Also - worry less about 'going on' - look at the length of my comment, for example! :D
In regard to the film itself - stop-motion has this especial restlessness - an agitation that particularly suits the subject of this film - that awful inability to be still or calm or at peace that describes proper insomnia (I also experience it, you see). The opening sequence - with the lights of the train and whirl of newspapers was particularly striking.
Thanks for posting - and maybe drop me an email - pgomm@ucreative,ac.uk - as I'd now like to sound you out about an idea I'm having.
And finally - just a note about posting on the group blog; be sure to add labels to your posts, so that your content can be archived and added to the existing content; I'm going to edit this post, adding in the labels 'one-a-day', 'stop-motion', 'animation', 'Darren Etienne' 'Jason Etienne' etc - it's important to leave a trail of breadcrumbs so others can find their way to your content when browsing. Lots of the labels pre-exist in the list, so you should just be able to select the appropriate ones easily.
In conclusion, inspiration isn't baggage :D
Haha, thanks for the clarification :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know what you mean now. I'll hit you up about that e-mail idea. I'll make sure to put tags and everything on my posts in the future as well.
Sketchbook time :D
Hi Josh, good to hear about the film from another perspective, and that the film is generating so much interest!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to imagine that you were so young when you used to come down to the studio! Hope it's all going well for you and hope to see you before long. Take care, Uncle Jason