Keep it short and keep it funny

I've uploaded a copy of my ChickenJam film to my YouTube account. For some reason, when TAIS uploaded all of our ChickenJam films to their YouTube account, the sound didn't come through on mine (no one else's, mind you, just mine... thus adding evidence to my SCAM theory*). Wouldn't be that big of an issue, but the dialog was what added the punchline. Given what little time I had to put this together, I decided to follow the best advice I ever received from Bill Plympton: "keep it short and keep it funny."

When producing this 10-second film, I was aiming for a Grickle or an animated Far Side comic. Not a lot of motion, but the humor would be carried out in the staging and the poses. And the tension would build from there as you waited for something to happen--then an 'out of left field' punchline like you would see in the old Coyote & Roadrunner cartoons. You can judge for yourself how funny it is. It got a big laugh from the audience at the TAIS summer screening, so something must have worked. Thanks again Mr. Plympton. :)



* Chuck's SCAM theory: all machines are part of SCAM: the Secret Conspiracy Against Me. Terminator, 9, WarGames, Tron, the Matrix...they're not movies, they're warnings sent to us from the future about 'the upcoming war between man and the brotherhood of machines!'