Learn Self Defense is now available as part of the Shorts! Volume 4 DVD collection, which is published by the Colorado Film Foundation. It contains 3 hours of award winning independent shorts, both live-action and animation.

Each film is accompanied by 2 ridiculous, superfluous commentary tracks. Learn Self Defense has a story commentary about the ideas behind the film, and a technical commentary discussing how the film was physically made, removing all mystery and wonder from the process. Both also include introductions by Chris Harding’s mom, which are really the highlights of each track.

You can order the DVD straight from the Film Festival Collection website, or you can also order it at amazon.com.

Here’s a weird thing. At the South Axholme Community School in South Yorkshire, they have a project on Satire In Animation. Somehow, Make Mine Shoebox is one of the films being studied. (link to the project here)

Some of the questions in the exercise are probably impossible to answer, because they are inside jokes, intended for an audience of people who work at the company. Others are really good questions.

Here’s the best quote from the exercise:
“Why is it that a company would pay for this satirical animation– what is in it for them?” Indeed.

Anyway, it’s flattering to see it being studied. You kids keep up the good work!

It’s been a long time since anything has been updated here. But it’s been a busy few months working on the new, improved website and rebuilding the high-tech Animation Concern basement studio.

Soon we will launch the new website with lots of new features and things to see. Maybe there will even be pictures of the new studio set-up.

In the mean time, be sure to note that several really good festivals have been added to the Learn Self Defense tour this summer, inlcuding Animafest in Zagreb, Croatia, the Fantasia Film Festival in Montréal, and a special screening in the 2006 Annecy Animation Festival’s “Politically Incorrect” program, making it the second year in a row Learn Self Defense has been included in the Annecy line-up.

More soon!

Busustow Media Group is working on a documentary about the mid-century work of the influencial studio, UPA. 

They had a huge impact on many animators, whether they realize it it or not. Obviously, Make Mine Shoebox and Learn Self Defense owe a lot to them. Hopefully some old UPA gems will resurface and be made available to the public once again as a result of this project.

Chris Harding will be interviewed for the documentary, although who knows if that material will make the final cut? Check out their website for more information and updates on the progress of the film.

Over the Summer and Fall, Chris Harding had a chance to work– sort of in an art director capacity– with the very talented Bunko Studios in New York on a series of eight very short animations, comissioned by a very large greeting card corporation.

The animations have been completed, sound added, etc. They came out beautiful. Bunko is outstanding, and a pleasure to work with. Call them if you ever need animation. They will blow your ass away.

still from interstitial series, "Snowmen"
animated by Bunko Studios,
art directed by Chris Harding

"Learn Self Defense" is finally finished! Five lessons of self-defense for the citizen on the go… or nation-state on the rampage! 

Stay tuned to the news and animation sections for previews and information on screenings.

A brand new, surprise short, "Learn Self Defense" has been underway for the past several months, and is nearing completion. It should be finished in October and premiere sometime next year in film festivals.

A new page, including a sneak preview, has been posted in the Animation Section.

Aahh… it's all falling into place here at Chris Harding Animation Concern. After two months, both our shows have finally been officially rejected by Fox. They sent out some lovely form letters addressing us as "Pitch-O-Rama Participant." Oh well… At least we got to pay for our own airfare.

There's nothing much to say about it, really. What a terrifying experience. We went out to LA and did our best to pitch our shows to Fox. Our ideas were not what they call "high-concept" (a hollywood term meaning, "so simple, a studio executive can understand it") so it is hard to fit them into a five minute presentation. Who knows if they are even fit for television at all? Would we even want to have a show?

The executives were all very nice, and all under thirteen years old. We also met some very good people in the Fox waiting room, like Nate from Oregon. During the stressful and frantic days leading up to the pitch meeting, Chris Harding contracted a horrible viral rash that covered his entire torso. It should go away in a mere eight weeks, he is told.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

The night before the pitch, Chad and Jeff work on some storylines

Chris and Jeff practice pitching all night

Chad gives the presentation a little ZAZZ!

Besa takes one look at the script, and throws up on it

Jeff warms up for his song and dance

In the Fox waiting room, Adam is nervous.
"Captain Pee Pee" enjoys the snack table

Chris checks his hair one last time before the big moment

Jeff and Chad turn Hollywood

This security guard threw us off the Fox lot, but he told
us a few funny "showbiz" stories first.

Afterward, we all got drunk and took Jeff's sock monkey to the beach

A little while back, Fox put out a call for entries for animated series ideas. Everyone was skeptical of Fox's motives and intentions, but since Chris Harding Animation Concern and Goldhouse Creative both had ideas in the works, thought we 'd shine them up and send them in. The worst that could happen is we submit our ideas, get rejected, and then see almost identical ideas on Fox next season. That's a learning experience.

So now they've invited us (along with 60 other people) to come on out to LA and pitch our little shows. Now we gotta figure out how to explain these ideas to a room full of development executives in five minutes or less. All we have to do is gather the scattered pieces of paper we I've been scribbling on and forge them into a coherent presentation, which is easy isn't when know how to write you are bad at.