Calling All Stop Motion Animators!

 Are you a stop motion animator or an animation student? Are you struggling to raise funds for your independent animated films or stuck bringing lattes to obnoxious studio executives? How many sleepless nights have you spent coming up with ways to counteract “mystery wind” or experimenting with ways to animate water? Do you spend your days pouring your twisted, misunderstood soul into 12” tall creatures with aluminum bones or obsessively memorizing every frame of Nightmare Before Christmas? Are you looking for film festivals to submit your latest short to, or still reliving the trauma of mainstream rejection? Are you looking for a haven to vent your frustration and share your vision and discoveries? There is a place for you out there!

My name is Katherine Blakeney. I am an independent stop motion animator and I feel your pain. I initially launched Thorvald to share the stresses and tribulations of making my own short film, but now, I am inviting you to join me. I want Thorvald to become a community of stop motion animators, coming together to share their experiences, knowledge, discoveries, dreams, and nightmares. Come over and tell everyone about your latest project, your job search horror stories, your favourite film festivals, your excuse for being insane enough to dedicate your life to the most time-consuming filmmaking technique on the planet, and your plan for conquering the universe with the sheer power of your animation brilliance.

Every regular contributor will have their own profile on the blog with a headshot (of you or your favorite animated character), a bio, and links to your work. You will also have the opportunity to share videos, photos, and bits of animation wisdom with a passionate community of like-minded people and benefit from their knowledge in return. 

Also, I am planning to start up a festival that will run in Edinburgh, Scotland as part of the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe, and will be dedicated entirely to edgy, underappreciated stop motion films, and as a contributor you will have a guaranteed place.

Thorvald's layout will of course be redesigned as soon as I get some new contributors on board!

If you want to join Thorvald, or have any questions, please feel free to contact me at thorvald_blog@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you!