SPARROW DUET
Director: Steve Socki
Crew:Producers: Steve Socki - Music: Gary Chang
Email:ssocki@cdm.depaul.edu
Synopsis
Animated abstract shapes and gestures dance together playfully with bird-like motion. The original music score was composed and performed by Gary Chang
About the director
Steve Socki is currently an Assistant Professor at DePaul University in Chicago, teaching animation. Formerly: Assistant Professor at Cal Arts. Worked for over 25 years in Hollywood as an animation director & producer on animated TV series such as Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Curious George, The Simpsons, & Futurama. Worked at various studios including Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney TV, Universal Animation, Warner Bros, Bento Box, and Klasky Csupo. Nominated for 5 Emmy Awards, won 1. Received MFA in animation from Cal Arts; studied under mentor Jules Engel.
Filmmaker's note
My animated film developed from hand-drawn pastel art, based on motion studies of birds, and the moving patterns they suggested. The film is a non-narrative story, focusing on the timing and the motion, not the artwork. I t's a kind of short dance piece that's choreographed with abstract shapes and textures - interacting playfully with each other and woven together with the music, creating a short visual etude. The original music was composed and performed by Gary Chang. The melody establishes a repeating theme that unites the visual shapes. This creates an impressionistic tone, adding a layer of texture to the moving lines and shapes. The musical variations develop and form a more complex relation with the visual dance.