A young girl decides to get rid of her drum kit, but giving up her passion proves to be quite difficult in Rich Farris’s Annie-nominated short From the Top. Farris, who was the lead animator on the 2021 award-winning short Night of the Living Dread, recently answered a few of our questions about his highly creative stop-motion short, which was produced by Martina Buendia Silva.
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Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration for the short?
Rich Farris: Back in the early 2000s, I was a professional drummer for a few years [for English indie pop band Clocks]. When that brief career came to an end, I found it difficult to come to terms with. In making this film, I wanted to explore that time in my life, so working closely with writers Francesca Lin & Jack Maraghy we created this story of a character struggling with letting go of her passion.
How long ago did you start working on it and how long did it take to make?
We started development in November 2021, and finished in February 2023. Animation started in June and finished seven months later. It was an intense time, but an enjoyable one!
How did you decide on stop-motion animation as the right medium for the story?
It’s been my preferred technique since I first tried it back in 2015, after initially training as a CG animator. I love the extra layer of magic that comes from seeing physical objects come to life. With this film I think it also heightens the sense of struggle, knowing that those slopes and obstacles that the character is climbing are real.
What do you love about this short?
It’s impossible for me to watch the film and not think about all the hard work that went into it, from all the members of the team. And I love that. It was such a collaboration to make it, and everyone put their all into it. I’m so proud of everyone. At the start of the project, I mentioned to Jack McCartney, the composer of the film, that I was thinking of limiting the score to just drums. He really took up the challenge and delivered! Even the melodic notes, were created from processed cymbal hits — something that the viewer isn’t going to realize, but a fun fact that I love.
What were your biggest challenges?
The design and build of the sets was a big challenge. The whole drum world was split into six sections, to allow us to comfortably animate scenes on the relevant section. For the shots where the whole drum can be seen, those six sections were then put together to create a 12-foot-high circular set. Thankfully our production manager took in the challenge and used her architectural background to make it possible.
Who are your animation idols?
Idol is a strong word! Haha. But I’m a big fan of so many great animation directors. Ainslie Henderson is one who I’ve always been inspired by, and I was lucky enough to have him as a mentor during my last year as a student. Kirsten Lapore is another one who I’m always looking forward to seeing new work from. It’s great to have seen her rising up since seeing her student films. As someone who has recently graduated, it’s inspirational to see someone doing so well just a few years down the line.
What are you working on next?
The team is full of talented people, so it’s no surprise that everyone is finding work in their specialties. Personally, I’m developing a couple of new short films that I’m hoping to find funding for in the near future. I’ve also been doing some tutoring, passing on the stop motion knowledge that I’ve gained and trying to persuade more people to push puppets around!
Any advice for future animated short filmmakers?
Surround yourself with talented filmmakers! Animation can be a lonely process, so it’s really helpful to have people supporting you and helping to make the project better. I was fortunate to have a great producer, in Martina Buendia Silva. She was with me throughout the whole film, from development to delivery, and was great at making sure things kept ticking over. She also made a point of making sure I was looking after myself, which is definitely another thing I would advise! It can be easy to get caught up in the work and end up spending long hours working and putting the film above your own needs, but Martina would often remind me to not do that. To go home, eat well and get some rest! Working all hours just leads to burn out, which is ultimately going to cost the film more time than taking the evenings off.
Learn more at richfarris.com.
