The Premise; The Project

For my project, I would like to create a stream of consciousness, experimental piece, which is a reflection upon some of my past experiences. The visual aspects of the film will be a mix of frame-by-frame animation, cut-outs, and illustrated pixelation. All dialogue will be voice-over narration, which reads as follows:

I used to think that new area codes equaled new existences, but everyone still has my contact information. There are no new highways when they all have rest stops; when everyone you know is just a thumbnail representation of every gesture you've ever made; every lie you've been told; every secret you've kept; every sad, lanky bartender who wanted to run away with you in an air-conditioned car. We'll admire the crackle of burning cigarettes in the dry Texas air. No one will notice; no one will care-except for the debt collectors. They always have a friend's phone number in case you conveniently disappear. He still lives in that city. I wonder if he's still sad. He'd probably be much less attractive if he isn't.


I have a full production blog for this potential piece, which can be viewed at:

www.base-communicate.blogspot.com


I will be augmenting the already existent pre-production materials, and will post them as soon as they are completed.

The Muse

Lately, I've been inspired by sketchy, almost stream of conscious drawings, which I feel explore the the in betweening (is that last one a word?) of animation. I doubt that John Lennon realized he was an animator. Maybe he did.

A few favorite animations...

I was recently exposed to a whole realm of animation that I had no idea existed. It makes me as excited as a 3-year-old. I am posting "The Man with Beautiful Eyes," by Jonathan Hodgson. Though his particular drawing style is not quite my personal preference, I appreciate the fluidity of his animated thought processes, as well as his use of intelligent literature.
Below that, you will find the 2009 demo reel for a Montreal based animation company called La Moustache. They're creative. I love it. In addition to that, I am also including a clip from Norman McLaren's 1952 film "Neighbours."

Getting to know you. Wait...getting to know me. I'm confused.

Hello there. As you can see from the title of this blog, my name is Stephanie Augello. I'm from New York. If you met me for more than 30 seconds, that would most likely be obvious, though I'm proud to say that my acting teachers eradicated my accent years ago. Yes, I am a reformed theater kid, and am also a recovering poet. When people who I have known for years ask me the question, "How did you decide to study animation?," I respond with the same explanation every time. I bet you want to know what that is. Okay, I'll tell you.
I have a prior degree in Fine Arts, and also a practical background in both film production and administration. I moved to Asheville, NC 3 years ago, worked in a bar, and also roamed the country in a variety of rental cars. After awhile, I realized that the job title of "transient" would one day look awful on a resume, so instead of choosing that career path, I decided to go back to school at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I thought about my previous background, and then realized that I also had no idea how to use a computer. I had avoided them for years because I'd thought that they were ruining society. I obviously got past that opinion. Anyway, 1+1+1= animation. So, here I am. It was an educated guess, really, and a serious pain in the beginning. You try learning something you're basically clueless about at the jaded age of 25. I dare you.
I have cats (Only 2. I'm not a cat lady.), a Volkswagen with a lot of bumper stickers and a busted window, and a rather large bookshelf. I still keep in touch with people I've known since birth. I have a list of things I want to do before my time is up on this earth, which includes climbing Machu Picchu, seeing Europe on a bicycle and living on a tropical island.