‘Quicksand’ explores visual storytelling with illustrations by a SCAD alumna
A animated short that is sure to tug at your resolve between good and evil. Since the release of “Quicksand,” it’s received Vimeo Staff Pick, and is a part of the official selection for the International Short Film Festival in Manchester, United Kingdom and the International Film Festival in St. Louis.
Jennifer Bianchi: Storytelling that resonates with me the most really falls into two categories. One, I appreciate shows that present an intriguing antihero. I love it when a creator, writer, actor or director can get me to really understand that all of us are capable of anything. When I watch a show and I’m rooting for/justifying the antihero’s baser impulses, that’s the best. Almost everything I create analyzes darkness vs. light. That’s why I love shows like “Breaking Bad” and “House of Cards.”
The second type of show that gets my attention is anything that can delight me and make me laugh. There’s plenty of great comedy out there that makes me laugh, but it doesn’t delight me — so if a show does both, I’m in. In my opinion, “Bob’s Burgers” and “Home Movies” win in this category. They are both in my top five favorite comedy shows of all time. “Quicksand” is really about combining all of those ideas — a strong antihero that also delights and makes me laugh.
Quicksand is a two minute and 30-second animated short about a creepy little seven year old named Troy. Like many of us, this kid feels a little out of place in his own town, in his own church and in his own family. His feeling of isolation leads his imagination to run wild. It gets real weird.
For a long time, I’ve wanted to create something that was built on some insane childhood misconception. So, I started asking friends about things they believed as children. I got some amazing stories. My favorite anecdote came from our friend, Troy.
Here’s the process of how the film was made; I asked Troy if he wanted to help me write the short, and he was down. It took us about a month to get a solid script. Then, I gave the script to our friend, Sam. He came up with the storyboards. Then, I gave Alex my creative brief that included, among other things, the script and Sam’s storyboards. She took all that, created style frames and production art, and kicked it over to Dodge to animate. Sam also helped a bit with animation. After that, our friend Casey did sound design and music selection. I directed along the way. It was a blast. Every single person who worked on this short lives full time in Atlanta. I’m so thankful for the creative community we have here.
“Quicksand” was created, directed and produced by Jennifer Bianchi. It was also written by Bianchi and Troy Sanders, who did the voice-over acting. Audio directing was provided by Casey Giessen. The lead animation was done by David Dodge, and the storyboards and animation by Sam Bass. Lastly, art direction and illustration was completed by SCAD alumna Alexandra Badiu.
To see more of the production’s behind-the-scenes, check out their Instagram here.
