Scribble Head (2018)
Scribble Head is the final film I made while studying animation at CSSSA (California State Summer School of the Arts). I wanted to make something about my time there, but it quickly turned into an expression of the insecurity I felt while surrounded by artists my age who, in my head, were light years ahead of where I was. The whole film plays on the concept of not feeling at home in a place that should feel like home, but ultimately accepting that my own fate is what I make of it.
The music is Eric Van Thyne's "Side A" which is a piece that I listened to extensively during the summer after freshman year, which was the hardest summer for me emotionally. I didn't feel at home anywhere that felt familiar: with my friends, my family, my body, or in the art that I was making. I'd like to think that making this was my beginning of getting out of that.
Behind the Scenes
During the summer of 2017 I had a dream with this character in it, which later grew into a visual representation of the fear of feeling not at home in a place that should feel like home. I returned to this idea when working on the film, and felt it appropriate to have him as the puppet design for this piece.
Armature
Costuming
Final
They are both mostly clay, felt, and scrap fabric, while his face is covered in thread to get that scribbly feeling.
The set is a recreation of my dorm that I made out of paper.
The messaging scene is a recreation of a conversation between Erin and myself when she first told me about CSSSA. While making the film I remembered when she had first told me about the program and how nervous I felt about the whole thing.
This was done with paper that I drew on to look like the google messaging interface and paper cutouts for the chat bubbles. For the screen I used an animation cel that I wrote on with dry erase marker.
