All of your submission to DOTMOV festival is outstanding with its unique style. One of the most impressive work is “Self Portrait”. Is the woman in the film actually yourself?

Yes, thats me in “Self Portrait”. I wanted to make something that would show who I am, but not fully disclose exactly what I look like. I meant it to make fun of myself and how show how I don’t take myself so seriously. Alot of times people assume I’m a very serious from the work I do. I wanted it to be more lighthearted and real – but I’ve gotten alot of mixed reactions from people with it. Some think its scary, some think its sad, and those who know me personally think its funny.

Self Portrait

Please introduce your favourite works other than which you submitted for DOTMOV.

I like how my “Shack Tests” have come out. I like how a sense of space is created by going in and out transiently through different flat levels. I saw a film by Stuart Hilton called “6 Weeks in June” which impressed me and made me wanna test out some of my stuff different. I really also like how the animation for pumps with water came out – they are perfect to me, and its impressive they came out of 12 drawings. I also like how is so monochromatic/simple but still rich to the eye. I wanna work on more stuff like this.

Shack Tests

Where do you get inspiration for your works?

I usually pick up inspiration from stuff I end up encountering that sort of stands out to me. Listening to music, getting mental pictures, daydreaming. Bumping into quotes or lines of text in the news or books or things people say that grab my attention. Thinking about personal situations and placing them in different contexts. Alot of times I find myself fascinated with certain historical events, or objects, or concepts and I’ll research the hell out of them. I also read alot of comic books and watch alot of animation at school which seems to be influencing me alot lately.

Tell me the concept of the cover design this month of Shift?

Its based on ideas and visuals I’ve been working out lately. I’ve very interested in woman spider imagery. the black widow. kinda like a femme fetale. I’ve run into this metaphor alot in paintings, books, movies, and tattoos lately. So, I drew up this double jointed female figure doing a spidery spin on her head outside a desert house. There’s a sense of spectacle and display to it with the small crowd in the background watching from a distance, the lights being on in the house, and the sign that announces Shift.

Is there any project your are planning to from now on or something work in progress?

I’m working on 2 main things right now – both are animated shorts. One will be shorter, looser, and more traditional in narrative – it should be done in late January. The other is a larger movie which should be done in a year or so. I’m trying to find a way to take off a few solid months off of my studies and work so i can just bulldoze through that project and spend some good quality time with it.

Please pass a message to Shift readers.

Please produce work (even the smallest stupidest thing), finish it, and find ways to show it to people. Someone told me that years ago and it stuck. Its okay also to hate your voice mail messages.