Short Summary
Hi! My name is Josh. I am the director, producer, and lead animator for 'Elephant Tracks'. This project started as a simple idea late in my senior year of high school. I have been working on it for roughly 2 1/2 years at this point and it has since then turned into my senior capstone project, and it's been such a huge learning experience for me in every aspect. I am currently a Senior in college studying Illustration hoping to go into the animation industry as a storyboard artist or character designer. This has been such a huge part of my college journey, and a lot of my peers have worked on or are currently working on the project in some aspect or another.
However, we are only college students. We have limited experience, limited time, and limited money. I, along with my incredible crew, have put so much effort into this project to ensure it can be the best it can be. I really believe in the story and how ambitious the project is and I have learned so much as an artist and a person from this experience as a whole. I hope you will consider contributing even a little bit to this project so this project can become a reality.
What We Need & What You Get in Return!
We are looking to raise $2,500 for our project.
Animation is not an easy task, and it requires collaboration. By contributing to our project we are giving you a part in the storytelling process. Because of this, we want you to know where donations will be going, so here is where we plan on putting our funds:
- $450 - Hiring additional In-between animators
- $450 - Festival runs/Distribution (submission fees, etc.)
- $1,100 - Compensation for the artists on the team.
- $500 - Other expenses, software, pins, stickers, etc.
BUT it doesn't stop there! We have some ways of thanking you for your contributions, so here is what you can get in return for helping fund our project*:
- If you donate $15 - Elephant Tracks stickers/pins (you can choose)
- If you donate $25 - Director signed Illustrated print of the Elephant Tracks Poster
- If you donate $50 - A cameo as a background character
- If you donate $150 - Executive producer credit
*If you buy a tier higher than copper ($15) you can get a sticker/pin for only $5 more. If you buy the platinum tier you can add on a sticker or pin and a cameo as background character for $5 each.
The Impact
We deeply believe in the story we are trying to tell. It tells the story of how we as humans naturally experience guilt and grief. But our story explores both the danger of what happens when you ignore and become engulfed by these feelings, but also how to fight against them and the beauty and peace that comes from that when you win that battle. It not only discusses these feelings and their incredibly strong effect, but it relates them to family and how these situations and feelings of guilt and grief can affect our relationships and cause a disconnect. While our film deals with these real subjects of human life, it does so in a colorful and fun adventure led by a stuffed elephant come to life through 2D animation.
Risks & Challenges
This is a very ambitious project. I knew that from the moment I decided I wanted to make an animated film, but that is what made me want to do it. The best things in life are often difficult. This project has been a lot of work and it is only going to become harder as we approach the completion of the film, but the reward will be 100x greater than what I can even think to imagine. I see glimpses of the final film when I finish animating a shot, or when I see the work of my background artists. We as artists are our own worst critic and I often ask myself "What if it turns out horrible and no one likes it", but I still push on because I believe in it and my crew believes in it. And we hope you believe in it too.
Other Ways You Can Help
Money can be hard to come by, which is understandable. If you can't contribute any money at the moment for the project no worries, there are so many other ways for you to help support this project! Such as:
- Spreading the word! Share @elephant.tracks on Instagram, share our IndieGoGo page, tell your friends, and make some noise about the project!
- Keep up to date with updates and the progress of the film on our Instagram @elephant.tracks!
- and most importantly... Watch the film when it releases!!
