FanimeCon - Day Three - Aspiring Animators

All of these guys want to see their animated films shown at an anime convention one day - not just as a demonstration film, but as a major feature. Shawn the Touched of White Radish Productions (left) has been seen on these pages before, but Jerry Carraway (center) and Mark Koch (right) of Plastic Pixel are new faces to this site.

"I'm treating this as a hobby," said Koch. "If it's a complete failure, I can fade into the woodwork." Koch hopes to finish a film in the next year, then release it directly to fans on DVD's. Carraway has produced much of the art for the Plastic Pixel project, while other artists have been unpaid volunteers in putting things together for Koch. "I've been doing this for two years. Sometimes I get home and I ask `What's wrong with me?' I love doing animation, but it does have its burned out spots," said Koch.

An inspiration for Koch's animation dreams was Shawn, after whom Koch is patterning his project. Shawn also is helping Koch with his work. "A lot of these fan animators are trying to help each other. It makes sense to bind together," said Koch. (By the way, Shawn said he has a longer version of his Pink Lemonade animation ready and plans to show it at Anime Central in May.)

What will Plastic Pixel produce? It's a complicated story about interdimensional travel by mutated space aliens, some who traveled to earth and left offspring who are supposed to develop that traveling ability - but haven't yet. Part of the reason the earthbound offspring can't jump between dimensions is that caffeine blocks that ability, and one of them is addicted to coffee. Just by coincidence, Koch admits he is a heavy coffee drinker.

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four