Cinema of Stuff Presents ....The Curse of Dracular / Butterflies !

 I thought today I'd show a double bill of a couple of animated shorts that popped up on my Youtube! 

First up is The Curse of Dracular....

From Director, Jack Paterson....

"Director Statement

The Curse of Dracular is a claymation film I produced for my final year of University, based on a story my Dad wrote when he was a child (around nine years old). He discovered it a few years ago after finding that his mum had kept a collection of his old schoolwork. Upon reading it, it becomes clear that the story was heavily inspired by the classic Hammer Horror films he would catch late at night as a child. We both found his story hilarious, and I thought it would be the perfect basis for a short film.

I should note that one detail I found particularly funny was the fact he had misspelled the name Dracula as "Dracular", hence the title.

Although the film is comical, it comes from a very personal place as my Dad has been a continuous inspiration to me for as long as I can remember, and I credit a lot of my love of film and animation to him. Thus, this film is in large part a tribute to him. Claymation is also our favourite form of animation, and some of my oldest memories were us sculpting various characters and creatures out of Play-Doh and Plasticine.

This claymation film is the culmination of months of work, and was filmed primarily in my dining room. Being a one-man crew, the production of this film has been quite the journey, so I'm very excited to finally share it with the world.

So sit back, and enter the deadly domain of the dastardly Count Dracular!"

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Next up, we have Butterflies..

From Youtube....

"The short stop-motion animation Butterflies, directed by Isabel Peppard, weaves a haunting tale of a young artist named Claire (voiced by Rachel Griffiths), who struggles to sustain herself by selling her art on the street. Her fortunes seem to change when a businessman, Dalton Hearst (voiced by Nicholas Hope), recognizes her talent and offers her a paid position. However, what initially appears to be a golden opportunity soon threatens to suffocate her creativity.

Peppard masterfully blends Claire’s vivid childhood memories with her present-day struggles, crafting a gothic fairytale within a world that is both dark and intricately detailed. 

Butterflies stands out with its distinctive, tactile aesthetic, achieved through highly sculptural sets constructed from a variety of materials such as wood, latex, fiberglass, resin, and plaster. 

The film’s puppets, made from hyper-realistic silicone, feature meticulously airbrushed skin tones, lifelike eyeballs, and individually implanted hairs, creating an unsettlingly real yet surreal experience. The visual style draws inspiration from visceral horror, Victorian industrial architecture, and oriental art and design, resulting in a richly atmospheric and immersive world.

The film's core team included Isabel Peppard, Warwick Burton, and Beau White. Isabel and Warwick co-wrote the story, with Warwick producing the film. Isabel, in addition to her directorial and cinematographic roles, oversaw set construction, puppet creation, and animation. Beau White collaborated closely with Isabel during pre-production, focusing on the intricate building of sets and characters. Jon Billington, the director of photography, played a crucial role in shaping the lighting to reflect the film's different worlds, while Nick Hilligoss, the key animator, made significant contributions during post-production, helping to bring the film's chilling narrative to life. Music was composed by Elliott Wheeler, the multi award winning Australian film composer. The sound designer was Michael McMenomy."

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Hope you enjoyed those....I needed a nice easy post today after two days of writing! 

Be sure to go check out what everyone else is doing over at the Countdown Hub!