Most of my dreams center around death and loose teeth. They’re reoccurring themes no matter what crazy story my brain fabricates while I sleep. This animation was my contribution to Frame Society’s “Weirdest Dream” assignment. See some making-of stuff at ggunn.com/Death-Tooth

twitter.com/grgnn

My graduation film at Bezalel Academy of Art & Design.
And this year (2013) it is displayed at the Annecy Festival and the Cannes short Film corner Festival.
You are welcome to watch.

The film is a subjective interpretation of the utopian novel, "Altneuland" writen by theodor herzl. By using a surrealist allegory, the film tries to deal with the collapse of Herzl's dream and seeks to emphasize the sense of absurdity and instability of my personal experience as an individual in the israeli society.

Perihelion is a sort of animated tone poem. It is a short film that toes the line between narrative and non-narrative, essentially having no real beginning, middle or end.
The idea being that you could start watching it at any point and it would (hopefully) have the same impact.

Visually, I was heavily inspired by the work of a number of German painters from the early 20th century. Notably: Otto Dix, Richard Oelze, Ingrid Griebel-Zietlow, Rudolf Schlichter and Max Ernst, as well as Francisco Goya. This is sort of a tribute to the work of these artists living in a time of Fascism and impending war, which really informed their work in a distinct way.

Story, art and animation by Nick Cross (nickcrossanimation.com)
Audio samples courtesy of Freesound.org
Special thanks to alphadog, szuhogyisziszi, Sampleconstuct, Timbre, martian

Animated with a Cintiq 20 WSZ using Toonboom Animate
Backgrounds painted in Adobe Photoshop
Compositing and effects were done in Adobe After Effects
Editing was done in Final Cut Pro

Completed March 23, 2012

Directed and designed by HEADLESS
3D supervisor: Javier Verdugo
Modeling&Lighting: Javier Verdugo
Rigging: Miquel Campos
Animation: PH Dallaire, David St-Amant, Guillaume Pelletier, Christine Houle.

Special thanks to SHED and GLASSWORKS Barcelona

∆ ∆ ∆ DOWNLOAD THE SOUNDTRACK - music.orchidanimation.com
orchidanimation.com - - facebook.com/evanvieraanimation

AWARDS
Prix Ars Electronica Award of Distinction
Award of Innovation - Seattle International Film Festival
Best Animated Film - Rome Independent Film Festival
Best Animated Film - Rockport Film Festival
Best Short - View Social Awards
Nominated for “Best Picture” - Maverick Movie Awards
Nominated for “Best Director” - Maverick Movie Awards

SYNOPSIS
Through the eyes of a young girl suffering from mental illness, CALDERA glimpses into a world of psychosis and explores a world of ambiguous reality and the nature of life and death.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
CALDERA is inspired by my father's struggle with schizoaffective disorder. In states of delusion, my father has danced on the rings of Saturn, spoken with angels, and fled from his demons. He has lived both a fantastical and haunting life, but one that's invisible to the most of us. In our differing understanding of reality, we blindly mandate his medication, assimilate him to our marginalizing culture, and entirely misinterpret him for all he is worth. CALDERA aims to not only venerate my father, but all brilliant minds forged in the haunted depths of psychosis.

HISTORY
CALDERA was helmed by Evan Viera (Director/Composer/Co-Writer) and Chris Bishop (Co-writer/Animation Supervisor/Story Artist) and was produced at Hampshire College. CALDERA was the first film to go through the Bit Films Incubator Program, where founder and professor Chris Perry (co-producer/editor) invites orphaned independent films to be made on campus with the College's students and resources. MANY students and industry professionals generously donated their time to the making of this film. See below for the full credits list.

In co-production with Bit Films and Flicker Dreams Productions

OFFICIAL SELECTION
2012 SXSW, USA (World Premiere)
2012 Rome Independent Film Festival, Italy
2012 Stuttgart International Animation, Germany
2012 Seattle International Film Festival, USA
2012 Palm Springs International ShortFest, USA
2012 Big Sur International Short Film, USA
2012 Indianapolis International Film Festival, USA
2012 Animation Block Party, USA
2012 Prix Ars Electronica, Austria
2012 Kratkofil Plus, Banja Luka
2012 Changzhou International Animation, China
2012 View Awards, Italy
2012 Linoleum Animation & Media-art Festival, Russia
2012 Shorts Attack Touring Festival, Germany
2012 Kunjani'mation, South Africa
2012 Bumbershoot 1 Reel Film Festival, USA
2012 Wiesbaden International Animation, Germany
2012 Maverick Movie Awards, USA
2012 World Festival of Animated Film Varna, Bulgaria
2012 Calgary International Film Festival, Canada
2012 Arizona Underground Film Festival, USA
2012 SIGGRAPH ASIA, Singapore
2012 GIRAF Animation Festival, Canada
2012 Animasyros International Animation, Greece
2012 Anibar International Animation Festival, Kosovo
2012 Lowcountry Indie Shorts Fest, USA
2012 Great Lakes International Film Festival, USA
2012 Mill Valley Film Festival, USA
2012 Rockport Film Festival, USA
2012 Kaohsiung Film Festival, Taiwan
2012 Festival Les Nuits Magiques, France
2012 interfilm International Short Film Festival, Germany
2012 Kinofest International Film Festival, Romania
2012 Leeds International Film Festival, UK
2012 Reciclamadrid Film Festival, Spain
2012 Cineastic Gondolas, Austria
2013 X-Games Espn Film Showcase, USA
2013 Dam Short Film Festival, USA
2013 OFF Cinema Film Festival, Italy
2013 Citrus Cel Animation Festival, USA
2013 Hill Country Film Festival, USA

FULL CREW
Amir Zarrin
Andrew Chan
Andrew Kantos
Andrew Nighswander
Ann Mullin
Ashley Souza
Audrey Condon
Barbara Bolles
Ben Fiske
Chris Bishop
Chris Perry
Christine Stuckart
Cristin McKee
Dan Finnegan
Dan Peck
Daniel Gilbert
Dave Boutillier
Ed Bishop
Edgardo Padilla
Evan Viera
Ian Krebs-Smith
Jake Blais
Jake Mazonson
Jarred de Beer
Jerry Chan
Jim Levasseur
Josh Marvel
Katie Taccone
Katie Wynkoop
Liz Ellis
Louai Abu-Osba
Marcus Wolf
Michael Flaherty
Nat Stein
Owen Granich-Young
Perry Chau
Raf Anzovin
Rhea Kewalramani
Rob Sandell
Ryan Moore
Sam Plattner
Samah Majadla
Shane Kirby
Stephen Sues
Taryn Johnson
Tati Soutar
William Young