RABBITS
DESIGN GOLD AWARD
PROFESSIONAL
2010 – IMAGES 34
Steve May is an Animation Director and freelance Illustrator based in London. He was born in sunny Hastings & spent his childhood drawing lots of things and discovering interesting ways of injuring himself.
He has illustrated widely for children's books and editorial, directed animation for commercials and TV as well as his own animated films. He is represented by Arena Illustration & Picasso Pictures for animation.
He still draws lots but injures himself less regularly these days.
stevemay.biz
stevemaystuff.blogspot.co.uk
Rabbits is a personal project – an animated sepia tinted phantasmagorical creepfest featuring scary rabbits, ghouls, flying saucers on strings and a cheeky nod to Ed D Wood.
”Winning awards like these is always very flattering, especially to be recognised by your peers. It's also invaluable publicity & means more people get to see your work, which is always a good thing.”
BRIEF: None, I wanted to make a film with flying saucers, ghouls & giant rabbits as quickly as possible.
MATERIALS: Mainly Adobe Photoshop, After Effects & strong coffee.
RESEARCH: Staying up too late watching '50s B-movies as a teenager.
PROCESS: Very organic, there was very little script so was more an exercise in tone/visuals and atmosphere.
RESISTANCES: The temptation to overwork the concept. I'd just finished a film that had taken a year (and a lot of heartache) to finish – I wanted this to be a 'palate cleanser' so I made it very quickly and attempted not to over think anything to keep it fresh.
INSIGHT: 'Quick and dirty' is often good. It helped me re-engage with the idea that filmmaking could be fun and not arduous.
DISTRACTIONS: My own inner voice urging me to over complicate things.
NUMBERS: Plan 9 From Outer Space was a key influence (check the visible wires on the flying saucers).
FINAL THOUGHTS: It makes me laugh still. I know I had fun making it and that's always a good thing.