Credits

Directors: Eddie White and James Calvert
Writer: Eddie White
Producer: Huy Nguyen and Sam White
Art Director: Ari Gibson
Lead Animator: Brodie McCrossin
Composer: Benjamin Speed
Editor: David Ngo
Narrator: John Waters

Film Notes

Based on a nightmare about excessive over-eating, and subsequently a nonsensical poem penned by Eddie White, Carnivore Reflux was directed by White and James Calvert. The film was created as an entry into Sony Tropfest, Australia’s largest short film festival. It was selected as one of the festival’s sixteen finalists. The filmmakers credit their graphic inspiration from an obvious source (the lumbering cut-out animation work of Terry Gilliam) and an unlikelier source (the savage collage art of German artists like George Grosz and John Heartfield).

To create the short, the filmmakers used a complete digital toolbox from Flash and Maya to Photoshop and After Effects, but they did so with a specific intent. “The animation was all done in Flash and Maya,” explains Eddie White. “It didn’t really matter what program the animators wanted to use because we had set out a very clear set of rules for animating. The animators were only allowed to do what could have been achieved under a camera using ‘old school’ techniques. It had to look clunky.”

Both of the directors insist that they are not vegetarians and harbor no herbivorous thoughts. In fact, the only vegetarian on their crew was Benjamin Speed who created the musical score. White, who had the original gastronomical nightmare, says, “I think everyone has certain neuroses that come out in their films in some way…in this case in a darkly comical way. Maybe I am the food equivalent of Woody Allen or something.” —Amid Amidi

Selected Festivals and Awards

Holland Animation Festival 2006 (NED) - Winner, Golden Shield Movie Squad Award

Istanbul Animation Festival 2006 (TUR) - Winner, Special Jury Prize

IF (Inside Film) Awards 2006 - Winner, Best Animated Film

St. Kilda Film Festival 2006 - Winner, Best Original Score

Stuttgart Animation Festival (GER)

Zagreb 2006 (CROATIA)

Imago International Film Festival 2006 (POR) - Special Mention, under 25 category

Zebra poetry film festival 2006 (GER) - 2 Honorable Mentions

Shorts Film Festival - Winner, Best 25 years and under awards

SA Short Screen Awards 2006 - Winner, Best Film and Best Animation

AFI (Australian Film Institute) Awards - Nominated, Best Animated Short

Sydney Film Festival 2006 Dendy Awards – Nominated, Best Animated Short

Sony Tropfest 2006 - Finalist (Final 16)

About the Directors: Eddie White and Jame Calvert

As 14-year-olds growing up in Adelaide, Australia, People’s Republic of Animation founders Eddie White, James Calvert and Hugh Nguyen began experimenting with a Super 8 camera under the name of ‘Dabble Animation.’ Their first short, Natural Born Animators (1998), an experimental film shot on 16mm involving clay and hand-drawn animation, was made two years later while they were still in high school.

Animator/sculptor Brodie McCrossin joined in 2000, after his mother noticed an advertisement at the local art school calling for a sculptor. The People’s Republic of Animation name originated in 2000, when, as university students Eddie, James, Hugh and Brodie moved into their first studio. To make the rent, the boys sublet one of the rooms to Eddie’s older brother, Sam to use as a rehearsal room for his band. Shortly after, Sam White joined as the studio’s producer and The People’s Republic of Animation was officially formed in 2003. In the same year, PRA received its first paid job producing visual fx work for a locally-produced music video, and a government grant to make a stop-motion production.

Learn more about the filmmakers at the People’s Republic of Animation.