Acclaimed animator and graphic artist Robert A. Cook, creator of the trailer for the proposed animated feature Folklore (see trailer below), was kind enough to take the time to discuss his work and business ideas with us.
Thanks to Robert A. Cook for his time, and for the use of the trailer in this interview.
What was the background to creating this animated concept of Folklore?
Robert A. Cook: I have long wanted to do a "funny animal" story, what some might call an "anthro" or "furry" story, but to ground it in as much gritty realism as the subject will bear. I didn't want my protagonist to be a joke; I wanted her to be a complex, adult character, a person-but-not-like-us. I started thinking seriously about this around 1997, but it didn't really come into focus for me until 2006. That's when the last few pieces fell into place.
Briefly, what is the story of Folklore about; (without spoilers, of course)?
Robert A. Cook: Experimental technology opens a door into an alternate universe — a version of Earth where vulpines beat hominids to the tool shed — and an innocent bystander from that world falls through it into ours.
You have created a trailer for e using Flash. Why did you choose that format?
Robert A. Cook: Why did I choose the SWF format? It was Hobson's choice. I have Flash. I have no other software for creating an audio-visual presentation at this time, so I used what I had.
Robert A. Cook (photo left)
What interested you in creating an animated feature rather than live action?
Robert A. Cook: My protagonist, Maia (shown in screen capture: top), has to be animated. There's no way of fitting an actress' head inside of hers, so makeup or animatronics won't cut it. Maia's facial structure sits out in front of her braincase; it doesn't hang below it like a human's, so her physiology demands CGI or classic cell.
I'm partial to the classical approach. I like the warmth of hand-drawn animation.
What animation technique did you use, and what is the frame per second count?
Robert A. Cook: I used a variety of techniques. The still images in the teaser and the backgrounds throughout the full presentation on my website are Photoshop composites. In the "studio segments," Maia and my own cartoon doppelgänger are old-fashioned hand-drawn limited animation. I used reference photographs for my face, so my expressions and mouth movements are more or less rotoscoped, but I just pulled Maia out of my head. It was animated at 12 frames per second.
Are there plans to create a full length animated feature of Folklore?
Robert A. Cook: Yes. That's really how I want to see it.
Any film is a complex, collaborative effort, and with the right group of people collaboration can produce magic: a whole greater than the sum of its parts. I've spent most of my adult life working on or managing such projects. When things go smoothly — and I've been fortunate in that regard — it's a feeling like no other. Everyone falls into sync and pulls off the impossible. It is magic!
It's fun to assemble a talented group of people and build a world.
Trailer for Folklore and Robert A. Cook (above)
Is the trailer also helpful to you in receiving animation and coding contracts or employment offers?
Robert A. Cook: I put up the Folklore teaser on the first of February, so it hasn't been public long enough to tell, but the animation on the home page of my site, "A Very Special Message/Pop Iconography," has already gotten me some work, yes.
Would you be open to venture capitalists, angel investors, or other individuals interested in investing money to create a full length animated feature?
Robert A. Cook: Absolutely.
Are there plans for a companion print novel or graphic novel to accompany the film and are you seeking publishers for that potential project
Robert A. Cook: I would still love to see it as a comics series. That was, after all, what I had in mind when I wrote the first treatment. But I'm not committed to the style I used in the teaser. Frankly it's too labor-intensive, and people don't realize they're looking at artwork; they think it's mostly straight photography. However, I'd love to get with an illustrator who's faster than I am and do it as a series of comic books.
I'm not opposed to going with my original style, but I'd want a commitment from a publisher first. I really can't imagine a U.S. publisher going for it though, although a European, Canadian or Asian one might. They're rather more accepting of unconventional approaches.
How can interested people, possible employers, and investors get into contact with you?
Robert A. Cook: They can email me at racookster@yahoo.com.
What is next for Robert A. Cook?
Robert A. Cook: If things go well, the steps of producing Folklore will constitute a whole series of "nexts." That's just how large projects are. But I have a lot of ideas for animated shorts jostling for first place in my head, and a few of those might pop out onto my monitor before that happens.
I don't know. Life is an adventure, isn't it?
