COVID Dystopia: Canada Truckers Protest

Posted on November 24, 2024November 16, 2024 by Thor

I am pleased with how the plumes of fiery smoke turned out in this shot. I combined key frame animation that warped the painting and also procedural movement in After Effects. I applied this effect throughout the film to give the rising heat shimmer. Most viewers probably do not know the effect is there but they feel it.

I decided the protestor could be perfectly still. If someone wanted to read the protest sign, I wouldn’t want to be waving it about.

I did the fire animation twice. I still think it could use improved. That is the problem with having so many shots and so many effects. I might learn something on another shot and want to apply it to other shots. At some point I just had to let go. No one is going to be as critical of the shape of a flame as I might be.

Since COVID Dystopia is now screening at the Pittsburgh Shorts and Script Competition. I want to be sure to keep posting these in progress shots in case festival goers look up AADW online. I am also thinking I should probably edit together a making of video which could be included along with the film the back or the COVID Dystopia book which is now being edited. That last sentence just created a whole lot of work.

COVID Dystopia is available to be seen at the Virtual Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival happening now through November 24, 2024. COVID Dystopia can be seen in the Eventive – Chiller Theater Block 2 – Shorts online. It can be seen anywhere in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. After you start watching the films, you have 48 hours to complete watching them. Tickets are $18.

COVID Dystopia: Racoon Dog Theory

Posted on November 22, 2024November 14, 2024 by Thor

Genetic material collected at the Wuhan Chinese Market where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified, show raccoon dog DNA commingled with COVID-19. Some scientists believe COVID most likely jumped from animals to people, others believe the virus could have been leaked from one of the several Wuhan coronavirus research facilities. The genetic material collected does not prove that a racoon dog stated the pandemic. Human DNA was also found in the sample. A human may have infected the animal, or the animal may have never harbored the virus. People search for blame. The final answer as to how the pandemic began has yet to be definitively proven.

COVID Dystopia is an Official Selection at the Pittsburgh Shorts and Script Competition

Posted on November 14, 2024November 14, 2024 by Thor

COVID Dystopia is an Official Selection at the Pittsburgh Shorts and Script Competition. The festival helps with travel expenses, so I decided to go for one day to attend the Awards Ceremony. This will the the Pennsylvania and West Virginia Premiere for the film.

My film is being screened online as part of the Chiller Theater 2 Virtual Block. I am actually pleased that COVID Dystopia will be screened virtual since it means the screening will not help spread the virus. I also suspect people could watch the film multiple times to catch all the detail. There are 8 films in the block and COVID Dystopia is the only animated film. Honestly the film works best when surrounded by edgy, hard hitting, live action films.

The Pittsburgh Shorts and Script Competition Closing Night Awards Program, is Sunday, November 24th from ⋅7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Harris Theater (809 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA). I have learned that it is worth going to the awards ceremonies, because miracles can happen, and some people are seeing truth in my warped world view.

My plan is to fly into Pittsburgh on the morning of the last day of the festival, Sunday November 24, 2024 to see a few films and attend the Awards Ceremony. I booked a room at the hotel that is hosting the filmmakers and then I fly out late the next day. That will give me a day to just hang out in downtown Pittsburgh and do a few sketches. I do hope it is not too cold. Otherwise I will have to figure out a few indoor venues to sketch.

After the festival, I get a rest since there are no other festivals set up yet. I have 6 festivals who are still judging the film. An I have to search for more festivals that seem like the right fit for COVID Dystopia. The film has an 87% rejection rate but when accepted it tends to garner awards. It is just a hard pill to swallow.