New Upcoming Animated Short!
"Paint Rekindled" is about an artist drained by work, distracted by ADD & misguided by her excitement for new hobbies. While many attempts at finding her next hyper-fixation have left her feeling more lost, she's soon visited by a magical flame that reminds her of what it truly means to be inspired.
This is a passion project that is completely independent. All of Pre-Production was self funded, but I’ll need the help of generous donars looking to support original indie animation in order to finish funding the rest. If you’re able to share or donate, be sure to check out our crowdfunding page over on our project's Ko-Fi page!
Why this story matters:
All artists struggle with the familiarity of artist block and burnout. We're also all familiar with what it feels like to keep trying to dread the effort because of delayed gratification and or failure. I want to make a story to speaks to them in a way where we can remember how important it is to look back at appreciate.
Meet Our Characters
Bea is a quiet soul in her mid 20's. An artist of many mediums, but preferred painter.
She’s typically overzealous and is very quick to want to hop to a new hyper-fixation like
puzzles, knitting, sculpting, etc. She’s patient, but a heavy over-thinker and happy to help whenever needed. But this also is what drains her of creativity and leads to her burn out.
Zola is a female tabby who has been with Bea for 8 years and was adopted at the age of 9 months. The cat is spunky and absolutely obsessed with Bea. She follows her around in every room and enjoys watching her work. Named Zola, she represents the literal manifestation of peace and tranquility that never leaves Bea’s side.
This dancing paint creature spawns from the spark that jumps from a candle wick
lit by a beam of sunlight. It forms by merging a sparked flame with a glob of paint. And in changing colors leaves trails of gentle flames behind it. It has the appearance of a majestic ballerina with a feminine form. Its existence is birthed through frustration, heart ache, and determination.
Art Style (Film Look)
We're generally aiming for a 3D animation with a stylized 2D look. I've always been a huge fan of stylized animation and given the story is told through the eyes of a painter, it only seems logical to have it told with brush strokes. Similar to films like "Wednesday with Gramps" "Into the Spiderverse" & "Entergalactic". (Referenced left to right)
Mood (Film's Tone)
Tonally, we're looking to capture the hardships and beauty of a slice of life. Where we even told through a short moment in life, we can learn how real our fears may seem and how overcome them. Just like films like "Twenty Something", "Hair Love" & "Us Again". (Referenced left to right)
Interview with "Charmed Geek"
I was very honored to have a moment to sit down with Charmaine "Charmed Geek" and have a moment to speak about my film and how much it means to me. She also interviewed many other indie animated filmmakers on her youtube channel. Be sure to follow her to hear more!
Meet Our Team
About the Director: Krystal Holmes
My name is Krystal Holmes, and I'm the writer and director of "Paint Rekindled". I've been working professionally in film for over a decade, but my career has mostly been focused in post production as an editor and professional sound engineer. Post production has always been a love of mine, because I love the act of building a story and adding the polish to bring everything all together through a satisfying medium.
Aside from it being my literal dream to create works of art brought to life, this story will be told best through a bit of an unrealistic lens. To help capture a better visual representation of what it feels like to be an overwhelmed creative, who is also starved for something new and exciting. I wanted to capture the essence of the literal manifestation of passion.
Project Coordinator: Havanah Harrow
Composer: Danahyah Evans
Choreographer: Jaymee Krysta
Production Team:
Assistant Producers: Kalin Holmes & Edward Won
Concept Artists: Shamekia Mccloud & Irene Campos
3D Character Modeler: Emma Louise
Environment Modeler: Lauren Trombley
Animators: Arsene Mucyo & Agnes Axelsdottir
Compositing Artist: Tianna Smith
What to expect from this "Proof of Concept"?
We're going to show a full 1 minute sequence that takes place during the story it's self, and show exactly what leads up to the moment our dancer spawns. And through this one minute piece, we'll introduce all of our characters and be able to display a little moment for their personalities to shine through. But the dance sequence it's self will be reserved for the final film.
What is a "Proof of Concept"?
Right now we're in the testing phase of our project. Testing our team, testing our workflow and testing wether we can produce a small portion of the film, that'll hold up to the expectations for the rest of the entire short. So first we're working on only a single minute of the animated film to see what we're able to create with the team we've built so far. The dance sequence will not be included, but will be released upon the start of the main production to finish the rest of the short.
This "Proof of Concept" will also help us pitch the project to grants to help possibly cover the funding for the remainder of the work to be done. Having a tangible product to present helps a lot more than simply pitching a concept of an idea.
Why can't I recieve a Producers credit for pledging?
This is actually something the Producers Guild frowns upon and they've made a statement letting others know how they feel about it. That info can be found here. Essentially, I'd like for this project to be taken seriously by all guilds, knowing I've taken all their concerns into consideration.
Incentives for Donators:
If you or anyone you know might be feeling generous enough to help fund this project, we have a wide range of incentives ranging from on screen credits, posters, hand painted canvas & even limited cameo spots!
For those able to generously donate $500 or more, here's what to expect along with the listed items in the "incentives" tab. Each painting will be a different pose with our dancer of paint, that will be handed painted on a mini 4x4 canvas, with it's min easel. These gifts will be 1 of 1, meaning there won't be any others available.
You can learn more about these incentives by visiting our crowdfunding Ko-Fi page.
Follow to show your support!
Mission Statement
This is a story that's meant to reflect on the struggles of living in a world where we have so little control, all while trying to find our safe space and comfort through a passion project or hobby. And show the importance of shining a light on the steps taken to get us as far as we’ve come.