Rooms
Synopsis:
Our independent short film based on the poem Rooms by Billy Collins.
After reading the poem I was immediately captivated. Billy’s ability to blend humor with a thoughtful meditation on mortality resonated with me and my personal struggles with anxiety. His words brought back those moments when external circumstances left me ruminating my untimely and helpless demise to an almost comic degree. I quickly realized that a short animated film would be the perfect medium to explore the poem’s physical and psychological spaces. The project developed slowly over the following months until I had the privilege of meeting Billy Collins in a chance encounter at JFK Airport in New York City. We discussed my film concept while waiting for our departing flights and a few days later I emailed Billy to bring him into the creative process. After a couple big picture thoughts, Billy gave me his blessing to make the film. Since its completion he assured me of his satisfaction:
“.....I ADMIT I HAD MY DOUBTS, BUT YOU HAVE DONE IT, LAD. BRILLIANT!”
— Billy Collins, Poet Laureate of the U.S. from 2001 to 2003
Credits:
DIRECTION, DESIGN, ANIMATION:
Studio ADZ
POEM:
Billy Collins
PRODUCER:
Andrew D. Zimbelman, Nathan Jew
NARRATION:
Andrew D. Zimbelman
SOUND DESIGN & SCORE:
Matt Stanfield
ADDITIONAL ANIMATION:
Tom C J Brown
ADDITIONAL MODELING:
Elliot Blanchard
SPECIAL THANKS:
Lauren McArthur, Mabel Zimbelman, Nathan Jew,
Billy Collins, Andrea Jew, Nicole Salm Feddock
Process Art:
ANIMATION PROCESS:
Here is a breakdown of the animation process, from rough, to clean up, to final compositing. Not everything in the film is frame-by-frame animation. Only certain actions and shots required this process. I utilized 3D animation, frame-by-frame, and 2D digital rigging to build all of the characters and parts of the film.
SKETCHBOOK EXPLORATIONS:
Most of my films and projects start with me thinking things out in my sketchbook. The drawings are often rough and unresolved but important for my process.
STORYBOARD EXCERPTS:
Here are a few key images from my story boards. Once I started to lock down the stylistic approach I boarded out the whole film in sketch form to the VO.
