The Prodigal and 37Stories.

Concept art from "The Prodigal."

For the last year we have been developing a short film inspired by the biblical story of the Prodigal Son.

As we enter production, we are trying to raise finishing funds.

The Prodigal is what we hope will be the first of 37 short films based on biblical parables.
If you are interested in learning more about the project or contributing to the film... please visit

https://37stories.com/give/

NobleTales Shorts

Looking back at a few of my personal short film projects.
Each short film I make really reflects a certain period in my life. "Al Tudi Tuhak" was made when I was a lonely 20 something trying to find my way in the world. "The Pumpkin of Nyefar" was made after the death of  my mentor Maurice Noble. Created both as a tribute to the man, and a way for me to deal with loss. The same is true of "The Escape of the Gingerbread Man!!!" after the death of my father. It was my "angry" film, that helped me through the mourning process. Since the birth of my son a few years ago, I'm at a much happier place. The new films that I'm working on now are really for him. Seeing the world again anew, but through his eyes.

Jail Break

Jailbreak from HouseSpecial on Vimeo.

A few years ago I was asked to create some concept sketches for House Special director Aaron Sorensen's short film "Jail Break."

Above: A few of my concepts for the film.

The style and feel was heavily inspired by early German Expressionist films such as The Golem, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari... among others.

Above: The final set!
For more behind the scenes click HERE.

Tong Daeng color

A while back a friend asked me to help out with some color sketches on a short film he was putting together about the King of Thailand's beloved dog, "Tong Daeng."

A progression of color for the fire sequence.

The overgrown temple, badly in need of repair.

Fire destroys the building.

Above: A small selection of sketches from Tong Daeng.

The main goal with these sketches was to provide a strong atmosphere for each of the environments. These were imagined in an almost impressionistic way to fit each of the story moments. The sketches would then be used as a guide and inspiration for the Imagimax artists.

Thailand has been such a great inspiration for me over the years, and it's always a pleasure to explore beautiful Thai landscapes and architecture.

All images (c) 2015 Imagimax

Animation Workshop Films 2014

It's that time of year for a new crop of short films from the amazing students of The Animation Workshop of Denmark! This last year I served as a story/design supervisor... and along with a group of very talented professionals helped guide the different student teams through the rigors of short film making.  The films speak for themselves! Enjoy!

 







Look for these and other TAW student projects on the official videosite HERE. 

A Little Lindy

 As a youth the story of Charles A. Lindburgh inspired and captivated me. Through the years I have played around with the idea of making a short based on his first trans-Atlantic flight. A friend of mine even built a 3D model for me as reference. Recently I bought a balsa model of the "Spirit of St. Louis" with a 34 1/2 inch wing span!

In honor of "Ink-tober" I decided to post a few of many quick inspirational ink sketches I did for the project. In these sketches I tried to explore Lindy's inner thoughts and feelings rather than simply re-telling his story.

All images copyright tod polson