9

A mechanical beast attacks two rag doll creatures as they scavenge the ruins of their world. After witnessing the death of his mentor "5," the rag doll "9" must confront this vile creature. Only through cunning and the use of his primitive technology can 9 hope to destroy the monster and steal the talisman of the trapped souls it carries as a trophy.

9, 5, Mechanical Beast

Statement by director Shane Acker:

"Inspired by the work of stop motion animation masters Jan Svankmeyer, The Brothers Quay and the Lauenstein Brothers, I sought to immerse the audience in gritty textural world inhabited by creatures composed of fabric scraps and bits of broken machinery. The fantasy artwork of Zdzislaw Beksinski and photographs of European cities destroyed in World War II inspired the scenic design. The non-verbal narrative is loosely based on the old English Poem Beowulf, and relies heavily on pantomime, combined with strong composition and staging to tell the story.

"Staying on task for the 4 1/2 years of production was a constant challenge. I would take small production jobs off and on to pay for the cost of living. The time in between I spent working on 9 and managing my money to make it last as long as possible. I took 6 months off to go to New Zealand and work on The Return of the King at Weta Digital. That was an amazing learning experience. It was like animation boot camp, they worked us down to little nubs. When I got back I was so much more proficient and I could look at the work I had done with fresh eyes.

"Technically I think the biggest hurdle I encountered, as silly as it may sound, was trying to get 9's zipper teeth to behave! In the end I had to do a lot of hand animation tweaks to wrangle it back in order. Its funny how you can obsess over the smallest of details. That's why I think animators are all insane!

"The biggest elation I had during the production was probably hearing Dave Steinwedel's sound design for the first time. After 4 years of silence the characters and the world finally came to life. He really did an amazing job. He took it indirections I hadn't envisioned. That is the great thing about collaborating with other artists.

"I was very fortunate to have the help of so many talented people throughout the production. Earganic crafted a beautiful soundtrack for both the film and the trailer. My buddies Aitor Gaston, Rob Ley, Joe Liechty and Mark Nelson all threw hefty amounts time and talent into animation, modeling and lighting of the film. Without their help I'd still be slaving away.

"In conclusion I'd just like to give a little shout out to all those of you who are slaving away on your mini masterpieces as we speak. Don't give up! Things that are worth doing are often the hardest things to do!"

Academy Award Nominee, Best Animated Short, 2006.
C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures Award for Best Animated Short, Anthony Lucas, Worldwide Short Film Festival, Toronto, 2005.
Yoram Gross Award for Best Animation, Flickerfest, 2005.
Audioloc Sound Design Award for Best Achievement in Sound, Flickerfest, 2005.
Grand Prix, Best Short Film, Annecy International Animation Festival, 2005.
Nominee, BAFTA Film Award, Best Short Animation, Anthony Lucas, 2006