Wrapped the second semester of the client animation project

My heart is full 😊

Last week Professor Joshua Muntain and I wrapped the spring semester with these talented students from Villa Maria College. While learning post production techniques, this “little studio” worked with me as I played the role of “the client”, to animate my newest audio drama, “The Hunting of Tulikettu”, which tells the story of the mythical Finnish fox that creates northern lights with its tail.

Throughout the semester we met and workshopped their animations with the intention of creating one, complete animation. Each student was responsible for roughly 40 seconds of screen time. As second year students, this was their first big project. Much was learned on both sides of the classroom.

Unfortunately due to Covid I couldn’t wrap the semester in person, but I am proud of the students and happy we got this screenshot!

I’ll release the audio drama and animation very soon – I’m eager to share both!

In the meantime, you can check out 2021’s animation and story, “The Specter of Ægir”.

“The Specter of Ægir” animation is released

I’m so happy to finally be able to present the animated adaptation of my short story and audio drama “The Specter of Ægir”!

WARNING: This video utilizes a strobe / flash effect that may potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.

Many of you know that I teamed up with Joshua Muntain last year to create a project for his “post production” class at Villa Maria college where his students animated moments from the audio drama. I was able to compile their animations into two large chunks – it’s honestly one of the coolest things I’ve seen happen with one of my stories.

To me, “Ægir” is a strong example of why it’s important to tell smaller stories while tackling larger, more ambitious projects. It helped me remember the power of having wins and what that feels like while working toward becoming an established writer. After being written, “Ægir” grew into a way to collaborate with creatives when I really couldn’t rally the troops and shoot films like I used to in the past. It allowed me to team up with my friends, my old boss, so many young animators, was published in an independent magazine, and it sparked the idea for a much larger project, a podcast that I haven’t shared anything about yet. All this from one little story!

It goes to show that the important thing here is that we need to find ways to create things that speak to us and then share them with the communities that are nearby, not communities that are far away that we may never reach. The more I do that, the more I remember how good it feels.

Enjoy this animation! Round two of this course begins in a few weeks, I’m looking forward to sharing the next story, audio drama and animations.

Learn more about the project, listen to the audio drama and read the story here.

First college teaching experience

“The Specter of Ægir” by Tim Clavier

During the Spring 2021 semester, I teamed up with Professor Joshua Muntain of Villa Maria College in Buffalo, NY to develop a semester long project for his “Post Production” class. Working with a dozen students, I took on the role of “the client”, where I asked them to develop animations adapted from my audio dramatization and short story “The Specter of Ægir”. By simulating a client-creative professional working relationship, the students gained experience pitching animation concepts, adapting source material and refining their post-production workflow, all while regularly participating in reviews and receiving critique.

During pitch presentations, the students articulated why two selections from the story spoke to them the most and how they would channel visuals and animations that they loved into their own productions. Throughout the semester Joshua and I met with them to workshop their ideas, rough visuals, animatics, character and background designs. The students came with a myriad of artistic styles, choices and ideas, which kept us on our toes! We helped guide the students to find ways to pull off their vision by furthering their understanding of storytelling and how to channel the projects they love while challenging them to clarify their ideas so they would land.

For their final assignment, they presented their two animated moments – which I’m happy to share stills of here. It was incredible to see the students pour their personalities and ideas from their own lives into their pieces, which transformed the story into reimaginings that radiated their own voices. Being on the other side of the classroom has been an eye opening experience in so many ways. I’m beyond fortunate to have had this experience and hope to be in front of a class again in the near future!

Jordan

Still from animations (below) created by Tim Clavier, Mika Ervin, Brianna Scutt, Aurora Mill, Shalayah Smith and Xzavyer Barker.

Listen to the audio dramatization and read the story: www.jordanbianchi.com/the-specter-of-aegir