Commonwealth Times

[Click to enlarge]

Magisterial independent animator Bill Plympton will grace Richmond with his talents on Nov. 9 at the Canal Club for an evening of screenings, humor and free drawings.

You might not have heard of him, but among his peers, he is well known and incredibly respected as an animator. Nominated for two Academy Awards for his works, "Guide Dog" and "Your Face," Plympton is the archetype of the independent artist trying to make a living off his talent.

"I don't work for Disney or Dreamworks, and a lot of people think that's pretty special," Plympton said.

Mild-mannered Plympton is looking forward to his stop in Richmond. In addition to emphasizing his simplistic style, he'll be speaking to the young art community about the importance of remaining true to one's self in one's works.

"The great thing about independent work is I'm my own boss … I can come up with any crazy idea I want, and no one's going to say 'No.' I can also finish it when I want … change it when I want, and even though I don't make as much money as the commercials, the freedom is what it's all about," Plympton said. "That's the joy of making animation."

Although computers have revolutionized the animation industry, Pympton's unique style results in his shunning of computers. Every frame is drawn by hand. Literally thousands of frames go into each of his works.

"I don't use computers. It's all handmade. I think a lot of people are either afraid of computers or just don't like the look of computers. That's what I'm going to bring to Richmond - the oldschool, independent artist philosophy," Plympton said.

Regardless of whether his techniques are dated or efficient, nobody can argue with his time-tested formula. Plympton's "dogma," as he calls it, involves three simple rules: "Make your films short - five minutes or less - make your films cheap - $1,000 a minute or less - and rule No. 3 - make your film funny. If you can do all that, you will be a success," Plympton said.

Plympton will be showcasing clips from earlier works, as well as his unreleased film, "Idiots and Angels," at 8 p.m. at the Canal Club at 1545 E. Cary St. After the show, Plympton will draw a free picture for any ticket holder at the event. Also performing will be the Richmond Afrobeat Movement and the Art Cheerleaders.

The event is co-sponsored by the VCU kinetic imaging department, the Art Cheerleaders and the Richmond Moving Image Co-op. Tickets are $10 for students with ID and $15 for everyone else and may be purchased in advance at Chop Suey Books and Video Fan. For more information, call Mike Jones at 355-6537. For more information on Plympton, including his clips, visit his Web site at plymptoons.com.

Article Tools

[Click to enlarge]

Magisterial independent animator Bill Plympton will grace Richmond with his talents on Nov. 9 at the Canal Club for an evening of screenings, humor and free drawings.

You might not have heard of him, but among his peers, he is well known and incredibly respected as an animator. Nominated for two Academy Awards for his works, "Guide Dog" and "Your Face," Plympton is the archetype of the independent artist trying to make a living off his talent.

"I don't work for Disney or Dreamworks, and a lot of people think that's pretty special," Plympton said.

Mild-mannered Plympton is looking forward to his stop in Richmond. In addition to emphasizing his simplistic style, he'll be speaking to the young art community about the importance of remaining true to one's self in one's works.

"The great thing about independent work is I'm my own boss … I can come up with any crazy idea I want, and no one's going to say 'No.' I can also finish it when I want … change it when I want, and even though I don't make as much money as the commercials, the freedom is what it's all about," Plympton said. "That's the joy of making animation."

Although computers have revolutionized the animation industry, Pympton's unique style results in his shunning of computers. Every frame is drawn by hand. Literally thousands of frames go into each of his works.

"I don't use computers. It's all handmade. I think a lot of people are either afraid of computers or just don't like the look of computers. That's what I'm going to bring to Richmond - the oldschool, independent artist philosophy," Plympton said.

Regardless of whether his techniques are dated or efficient, nobody can argue with his time-tested formula. Plympton's "dogma," as he calls it, involves three simple rules: "Make your films short - five minutes or less - make your films cheap - $1,000 a minute or less - and rule No. 3 - make your film funny. If you can do all that, you will be a success," Plympton said.

Plympton will be showcasing clips from earlier works, as well as his unreleased film, "Idiots and Angels," at 8 p.m. at the Canal Club at 1545 E. Cary St. After the show, Plympton will draw a free picture for any ticket holder at the event. Also performing will be the Richmond Afrobeat Movement and the Art Cheerleaders.

The event is co-sponsored by the VCU kinetic imaging department, the Art Cheerleaders and the Richmond Moving Image Co-op. Tickets are $10 for students with ID and $15 for everyone else and may be purchased in advance at Chop Suey Books and Video Fan. For more information, call Mike Jones at 355-6537. For more information on Plympton, including his clips, visit his Web site at plymptoons.com.

Article Tools