Put a Stick in It (2020)
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STORYBOARDED, ANIMATED & DIRECTED BY:
Austin Kimmell
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WRITTEN BY:
Todd Kimmell & Austin Kimmell
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PRODUCED BY:
Natalie Metzger, Benjamin Wiessner
& Matt Miller
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PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Todd Kimmell
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NARRATION:
James Kimmell
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THESIS SUPERVISOR:
Jake Fried
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DISTRIBUTED BY:
Vanishing Angle
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PRODUCED AT:
Massachusetts College of Art & Design
My thesis film from the MassArt animation department, my first true-blue independent film and my ode to the stories and attitudes of two important men: my father, Todd Kimmell, and my grandfather, James Kimmell.
My dad has always told me bizarre stories from his childhood - they were freakish, violent, insane even, and yet, they were so dryly hilarious and entertaining. I love his stories to death, and even though the experience wasn't his, I feel this film is a love letter to how wonderful those stories are.
I knew that I wanted the film to be mixed-media, and some of MassArt's equipment helped cement that decision. I shot all the sets with the Dragonframe VOLO Motion Control camera - one of only about 25 or so on Earth. Combining live-action with animation was achieved through tracking the motion of the camera in After Effects. I'd apply the green-screen, some color correction, play with filters and lighting effects, and we were able to achieve the look we wanted for the movie.
Once it was all in the can, I hoped that it’d play some festivals and do well on Vimeo. Never did I think it’d garner the support of Vanishing Angle. Natalie Metzger, Ben Wiessner and Matt Miller have really help shepherd the film to being the best it can be, and have always been helpful and welcoming when it came to any concerns and thoughts I had.
I'm truly happy I can call the film a family affair. My dad co-wrote this with me and designed the incredible set, and my grandfather, provided the narration based on his own experience. To use the actual man involved I hope lends a level of naturalism to the story. Combining something that feels real with cartoony visuals was what I needed in order to make the tone shifts believable, especially in a four-minute runtime.
Put a Stick in It is, among other things, my feelings on the power of story and my tribute to two men who helped make me. If you watch this film, and think nothing more than, "Wow, what a cool dude," then I've done my duty as a narrative filmmaker.