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In the eighth episode of 'Independent Animation', our companion podcast series to the Skwigly tie-in book 'Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films' (Taylor & Francis/CRC Press), Skwigly contributor Mel Cionco meets Tracy Butler and Fable Siegel, the creative duo behind the smash-hit indie animated short film 'Lackadaisy'.

Adapted from the Eisner-winning comic series of the same name, the highly anticipated, 27-minute film was released at the end of March to much excitement following a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign in 2020.

Upon its release, 'Lackadaisy' became an online phenomenon, with over 3.5 million views in its first week. Boasting an enormous roster of fantastic artistic talent, a solid cast and engaging music by Sepiatonic, the film has also caught the attention of prominent figures such as indie legend Ralph Bakshi, illustrator Tyson Hesse and director Lilly Wachowski.

Interview conducted by Mel Cionco
Presented and produced by Ben Mitchell
Music by Ben Mitchell
Lackadaisy official site: https://lackadaisy.com/

Independent Animation

Independent Animation 08 - Lackadaisy (Tracy Butler and Fable Siegel)

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Ben Mitchell in conversation with Janet Perlman.

With a solid filmography of funny, quirky animated films under her belt, including 'My Favourite Things That I Love', 'Penguins Behind Bars', 'Invasion of the Space Lobsters' and the Oscar nominated 'Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin', Janet’s work over the years has also included contributions to 'Sesame Street', the NFB’s 'ShowPeace' series and the collaborative project 'Pink Komkommer'.

This week her latest NFB film 'The Girl with the Red Beret' is playing at Animafest Zagreb as part of their Time For The Masters programme, which showcases recent work by some of the biggest stars of animation. The film is a love letter to Montreal in which a girl encounters an array of colourful, extravagant characters across the city’s metro stations, set to a re-orchested take on Kate and Anna McGarrigle’s 'Complainte pour Ste-Catherine'. 

Interview conducted by Ben Mitchell
Produced, edited and presented by Ben Mitchell

Animation One-To-Ones

Animation One-To-Ones 24 - Janet Perlman

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In the ninth episode of 'Independent Animation', our companion podcast series to the Skwigly tie-in book 'Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films' (Taylor & Francis/CRC Press), we welcome back Signe Baumane to discuss her latest indie animated feature film 'My Love Affair with Marriage', which is about to embark on its US theatrical run following a multi-award-winning festival journey.

My Love Affair With Marriage is an independent animated feature film by Signe Baumane created for an adult audience. The film, a Latvian - USA - Luxembourg co-production, took seven years to make and was financed with the help of 1,685 individual donors along with grants from many arts and cultural institutions.

This fall, My Love Affair With Marriage will have its North American theatrical release opening at Quad Cinema in New York City October 6, 2023. The following week the film will open on the West Coast in Los Angeles October 13, 2023. From October through December - and beyond - the film will screen at cinemas, educational and community settings around the country. 

Written, presented and produced by Ben Mitchell
Music by Ben Mitchell
Learn more about the film at https://www.myloveaffairwithmarriagemovie.com/

Independent Animation 09 - Signe Baumane

Presenting episode 111 of the Skwigly Animation Podcast!

In this episode we welcome Charles Huettner, Sean Buckelew and Benjy Brooke of Green Street Pictures, whose new series 'Scavengers Reign' will kick off this month on Max. In 'Scavengers Reign', the brainchild of visionary creators Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner, the remaining crew of a damaged interstellar freighter ship find themselves stranded on a beautiful yet unforgiving alien planet – where they must survive long enough to escape or be rescued. But as the survivors struggle to locate their downed ship and missing crewmates, their new home reveals a hostile world allowed to thrive without human interference. Featuring lush, visually stunning animation, 'Scavengers Reign' presents a wholly unique view of the consequences of unchecked hubris and humanity’s eternal desire to conquer the unknown.

Cast includes Wunmi Mosaku (Azi), Bob Stephenson (Sam), Sunita Mani (Ursula), Ted Travelstead (Kamen) and Alia Shawkat (Levi). 

The show is executive produced by Chris Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, Shannon Prynoski, and Ben Kalina from Titmouse, Joe Bennett, Charles Huettner, as well as co-executive producers Sean Buckelew and James Merrill and Supervising Director Benjy Brooke from Green Street Pictures. 

Also discussed: Upcoming MAF highlights, 'Chicken Run' and 'Rick & Morty' recasts, mutual 'Mutant Mayhem' enthusiasm, the evolution of Bristol Animation Meetup and the worrying dearth of animation at this year's Encounters Film Festival

Presented by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson
Interview conducted by Ben Mitchell
Edited, produced and music by Ben Mitchell

Skwigly Podcasts

Skwigly Podcast 111 - Autumn 2023

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Martyn Warren in conversation with Walt Dohrn, discussing the latest chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise: 'Trolls Band Together'. 

The third film in the series continues the adventures of Poppy, played by Anna Kendrick, and Branch, played by Justin Timberlake, now a couple, and the emotional journey they embark upon to reunite Branch with his brothers, who once made up the boyband phenomenon BroZone.

Trolls Band Together is steered by returning director Walt Dohrn and producer Gina Shay, and is co-directed by Tim Heitz (head of story, 'Trolls World Tour'). Dohrn’s other credits include directing roles on the first two Trolls films as well as the Shrek short films 'Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular' and 'Shrek’s Yule Log', alongside work as a story artist, layout artist, character designer, writer and voice actor.

'Trolls Band Together' is out in UK cinemas now, with a US release to follow on November 17th.

Interview conducted by Martyn Warren
Produced, edited and presented by Ben Mitchell

Animation One-To-Ones 26 - Walt Dohrn

In the tenth episode of 'Independent Animation', our companion podcast series to the Skwigly tie-in book 'Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films' (Taylor & Francis/CRC Press), we catch up with Joseph Wallace whose independent stop-motion short film 'Salvation Has No Name' was released online earlier this year following a strong festival run. Having discussed the film's unique funding journey for the second edition of the book, Joseph joins the podcast to talk about some of the challenges that presented themselves during production, as well as his approaches to getting the film out there once it was done.

The 17 minute short’s official synopsis reads "A troupe of clowns gather to perform a story about a Priest and a refugee but as their misguided tale unfolds, the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to fray." - what plays out is a nuanced, emotionally charged and alarmingly evergreen condemnation of xenophobia, othering, refugee crises and discrimination. Produced by Loran Dunn for Delaval Film alongside RAPT, Animation People in the Czech Republic and France’s Autour de Minuit. With support from BFI Network, the film features an all-female cast headed up by Money Heist's Itziar Ituño and Quantico's Yasmine Al Massri, with music by Kit Wilson and sound by David Kamp, a veteran of indie film sound design who also features in the second edition of the book.

Written, presented and produced by Ben Mitchell
Music by Ben Mitchell
Learn more about Joseph Wallace's work at http://www.josephwallace.co.uk

Independent Animation 10 - Joseph Wallace

In the eleventh episode of 'Independent Animation', our companion podcast series to the Skwigly tie-in book 'Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films' (Taylor & Francis/CRC Press), Skwigly contributor Mel Cionco speaks with Jasmine Yang, General Manager and Development Producer at Glitch Productions.

One of Australia’s largest web animation studios, Glitch Productions grew from YouTube personalities Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul’s enthusiasm for creating comedic online content that would amass them a significant following. 

After shifting their attentions toward independent animation, as Glitch Productions they would go on to produce several fully-realised animated series outside of the established norms of the traditional studio system, including SMG4, Sunset Paradise, Meta Runner and Murder Drone. 

The studio’s recently-released CG pilot, ‘The Amazing Digital Circus’ created by indie artist and musician Gooseworx, has proved their most well-received endeavour to date, amassing a staggering 180 million+ views at the time of this podcast’s release. Described as ‘a psychological dark comedy about cute cartoon characters who hate their lives and want to leave’, the pilot has already built up an enormous and devoted fanbase and the studio have hopes for a full, eight-episode season to follow.

Presented by Ben Mitchell and Mel Cionco
Produced by Ben Mitchell
Interview conducted by Mel Cionco
Music by Ben Mitchell

Independent Animation 11 - Glitch Productions

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Mel Cionco in conversation with Bret Parker and Pete Barma, discussing their Oscar-shortlisted animated short film 'Pete'.

With over 25 years of experience at Pixar Animation Studios, Bret has animated on such animated feature film classics as 'Finding Nemo', 'The Incredibles' and 'Ratatouille', moving on to Animation Tools Lead on projects including 'Brave', 'Monsters University' and 'Inside Out'. Following her recent feature length documentary 'Through The Windows', Bret more recently directed the animated short Pete which has screened at such prestigious events as Tribeca and Annecy, and is based on the mid-70s gender identity journey - via Little League Baseball - of partner Pete Barma, co-writer and exec producer of the film. A simultaneously personal yet crucially relatable story of being true to oneself, and the tremendous value of familial and outside support, Pete was produced through the pair’s own Artfarm Productions, "an artist collaborative dedicated to bringing diverse stories from underepresented voices to light".

Interview conducted by Mel Cionco
Produced, edited and presented by Ben Mitchell

Animation One-To-Ones 28 - Bret Parker & Pete Barma

Music and Lyrics by the stone roses. cover by Ben Mitchell and James

Abbey Road

Skwigly are proud to present the first of a three-part series of exclusive podcast minisodes from the 2024 edition of the Cardiff Animation Festival.
In episode 1 we hear from attending filmmakers in conversation with Skwigly Editor in Chief Ben Mitchell and Features Writer Dr. Laura-Beth Cowley as part of the festival's Filmmaker Brunch sessions.

Featured in this episode:
Samantha Moore - 'Visible Mending'
Greg McLeod - 'Mee and Burd'
Robert Brown - 'Clowning Around'
Katie King - 'Made For Duties Overseas'
Faye Craig - 'Sour Days'

Presented by Ben Mitchell and Laura-Beth Cowley
Produced and edited by Ben Mitchell
Thanks to Ellys Donovan and the CAF team

Skwigly at CAF 2024 Podcast Minisode: Filmmaker's Brunch 1

Skwigly are proud to present the second of a three-part series of exclusive podcast minisodes from the 2024 edition of the Cardiff Animation Festival.

In episode 2 we hear from attending filmmakers in conversation with Skwigly Editor in Chief Ben Mitchell and Features Writer Dr. Laura-Beth Cowley as part of the festival's Filmmaker Brunch sessions.

Featured in this episode:
Tanya J Scott - 'The Wolf of Custer'
Gerald Conn - 'Inner Polar Bear'
Hannah Fisher - 'Disparate Threads'
Naomi Crame - 'Rainbow Junktion'
Lleucu Non - 'Painkiller'

Presented by Ben Mitchell and Laura-Beth Cowley
Produced and edited by Ben Mitchell
Thanks to Ellys Donovan and the CAF team

Skwigly at CAF 2024 Podcast Minisode: Filmmaker's Brunch 2

Skwigly are proud to present the third of a three-part series of exclusive podcast minisodes from the 2024 edition of the Cardiff Animation Festival.

In episode 2 we hear from attending filmmakers in conversation with Skwigly Editor in Chief Ben Mitchell and Features Writer Dr. Laura-Beth Cowley as part of the festival's Filmmaker Brunch sessions.

Featured in this episode:
Josh Hicks - 'Spectre of the Bear'
Tova Persson - 'Offerlamm'
Hoching Kwok - 'When Cicadas Sing'
Gus Andrews - 'Whale Fall'
Qianhui Yu - 'In My Garden'

Presented by Ben Mitchell and Laura-Beth Cowley
Produced and edited by Ben Mitchell
Thanks to Ellys Donovan and the CAF team

Skwigly at CAF 2024 Podcast Minisode: Filmmaker's Brunch 3

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Ben Mitchell in conversation with Torill Kove, director of the National Film Board of Canada/Mikrofilm short film 'Maybe Elephants'.

Hailing from Norway and presently based in Canada, Torill has created such films as the Oscar-winning 'The Danish Poet' and the Oscar nominated 'My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts' and 'Me and My Moulton'. Her latest film 'Maybe Elephants' is rooted in family, memory and the fallible nature of both, telling the story of three sisters whose lives are uprooted when their parents relocate them from Norway to Nairobi.

The film will screen at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the Short Films in Competition - Official 2 programme.

Interview conducted by Ben Mitchell
Produced, edited and presented by Ben Mitchell

Animation One-To-Ones 30 - Torill Kove

Join Ben Mitchell, Steve Henderson, Laura-Beth Cowley and guests for Skwigly's animation podcasts, where interviews with world famous industry legends and skilled craftspeople go alongside cheery conversations about the world of animation. You can select from our sub-categories: Skwigly Film Club, Intimate Animation, Independent Animation and the main Skwigly Animation Podcast.

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