Animated short film The Sketchbook

In 1914, a father marches off to war. Two years later, his son goes looking for him.

Hey everybody. I'm Chris Williams and I've been working as a professional feature film animator for just about 20 years. I've been extremely fortunate to work on some big, exciting projects and I've met some exceptionally talented artists. My work, some of which you can view HERE  and HERE , has been very rewarding, but today I'm hoping to make something a little smaller, and a lot more personal.

After a year of storyboarding and edits, my animated short film "The Sketchbook", is finally ready to take the next step. I am proud to say we have an emotionally charged and visually compelling story reel, but in order to keep moving forward, I will really need your help.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

"The Sketchbook" is an animated short film based on the true story of a 16 year old boy who goes into WW1 to look for his father. This young man's story will be told through the pages of a sketchbook belonging to a soldier he meets on the front lines. It will definitely have a unique look, as we intend to blend the modern feel of 3D animation with the more traditional hand drawn animation. To get it right, we've done a lot of preparatory work, and you can get a sneak peak into our process below. Hopefully you will begin to appreciate not only that we are ready to go, but we are ready to produce something very special.

WHO ARE WE? Feature film artists and animators.

Sketchbook has been in development for a number of years, and I'm thrilled to have had the help of one of the great story artists in the animation industry, Bill Frake . You might not know Bill by name, but you certainly know his work. Bill has contributed to many of your favorite films (Iron Giant, Ice Age), and he's produced some stunning story boards for Sketchbook. He is passionate about the subject matter,  the story I am trying to tell, and I couldn't have asked for a better partner in this early but crucial developmental stage.

There are many who view "The Iron Giant" as one of the greatest animated films of all time. Bill was instrumental in its development and emotional storytelling. To have him lay the foundation for Sketchbook is not only an honor, but it speaks to the quality of our production.

All the way through the ranks of our team, you'll find feature animation artists ready to produce something gorgeous. Here are just a few of the films we've worked on. 

So the project is in great hands, but we have an enormous hurdle to climb, and that's the cost of animation. In order to keep the film moving ahead, I would require some kind of operating budget. Every nickle raised here will be going to artists that love their craft and believe in this project. If I can reach my goal, I'd be able to finalize the character designs, produce amazing backgrounds, and hire a top level voice over artist to tell this story. That kind of progress would be tremendous and would really send us on our way. 

WHY YOU SHOULD HELP

Being able to tell this story certainly means a lot to me, but it's more than just a short film. It's a veteran's story. A commemoration of WW1 as we celebrate its centennial. Above all though, it's the story of a son's love for his father. For all of these reasons, I hope you'll take this journey with me and our team. 

We are ready to produce something amazing. Help us share this incredible untold story from the First World War. All we need is a little push to get us over the top. 

Many thanks,

Chris Williams