About the Film Project
specs: digital-to-35mm, 10.5 min, B&W, sound (distributing by digital and film)“Happy & Gay” is a gay/lesbian revisionist history animation film that explicitly references the early 1930’s Hollywood animation studio cartoon film. Stylistically, it’s much like the early “Betty Boop” or “Flip the Frog” cartoons with the “rubber hose” arms and legs, dancing and musical numbers, and surrealistically transforming shapes and characters.
Conceptually, “revisionist history” relates to the project’s goal to (re)create a positive (while still entertaining) historical placement and recognition of gays and lesbians as characters within the form of the 1930’s animated Hollywood cartoon form, something that was far from possible at the time. “Happy & Gay” is being made as a “revisionist history” document that should have existed, but could not at the time it references.
The story follows two couples, one lesbian and one gay, who go out together for a night on the town. They find bigotry and violence, then relief and happiness in the secret nightclub, and joy and love through a musical number; there is then a police raid, an angry Church with a singing Jesus, a fey Satan down below, and a transvestite revenging God.
The film’s intent is to respond to how racism, bigotry and representation was an issue in rendering the “Other,” such as Gays, Jews, Blacks, and immigrants to the US. The film places symbolic representations of these kinds of characters, first to act as a foil for the commentary on the “pansy” representation of Gays, and secondly to place this film in a fully historical, authentic context. It is sad to say that even today, the re-issuance of previously censored racist animation has no affect at all on the fact that gays were rendered in a similar light but have not been considered as being in the same affected category.
The film’s inspiration is motivated by my own personal relationship to these topics, and has thus received “everything I have” in order to realize it. Once completed, the distribution and use of this film will be focused on international film festivals, special topic screenings and educational discussions, and later dvd distribution. I will also be working to have this film considered by critical theorists working in similar themes, as I hope that the historical content and relationship is worth critiquing and comparing.
I’ve attempted to develop this project for as wide an audience as possible, not just the LGBT audience, in order for it to make progress in circles that might usually shut this topic out of discussion. The motivating force is the political bent of this film, and my desire is to find a way in to the imagination and thought process of those unfamiliar with gay and lesbian historical issues. The genre of “cartoon musical” is easily accessible, and humor is invaluable as a method to address serious topics in a non-threatening way.
Production Notes
I am primarily a 1-person force in the production timeline, but I have many people along the way who are assisting me. Bill Robinson , a very talented animation artist, has benmy "background painter." He has been invaluable over the course of the YEARS involved.
This film is being done almost entirely through digital methods, even though it's imitating a very old style of traditional methods. The choice is for speed, cost and practicality. My tests have shown me that I can aproximate the original "look" very well using digital means. My tools involve a Wacom tablet, Flash, After Effects, Final Cut Pro and Photoshop.
Funding Support
Happy & Gay has been fortunate to receive financial funding and sponsorship along the way. This year, 2011, the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts (RISCA) awarded me a Fellowship to help support the production of this project. The LEF Foundation, through the Motion Arts Fund was a major supporter. Harvard Film Center provided a Fellowship for a year of production. The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation, a provider of rts grants specifically for gay/lesbian focused projects also provided meaningful support. The Rhode Island School of Design Faculty Development Grant was generous evern though I was only a part-time faculty member.The project also has received generous help from none other than my parents, whose support means most of all.
Happy & Gay: music & vocals
Music composition and scoring is being provided by the brilliant and very talented Brian Carpenter, band leader for Beat Circus and Brian Carpenter's Ghost Train Orchestra (MySpace link,), which is a fantastically talented group out of New York and Boston. Brian is creating the "authentic" 1930's cartoon jazz composition and performance. His personal interest in the early era of jazz brought a pre-established talent in this genre of composition. Brian's second band Beat Circus , has been very successful in making a presence in the music scene.
Brian Carpenter (Beat Circus) assembled the Ghost Train Orchestra in April 2005 to record a cartoon score commissioned by animator Lorelei Pepi. Since then the 10-piece band has performed twice at the historic vaudeville house The Regent Theater in Arlington, MA as part of their 90th anniversary event Voltaic Vaudeville. The Ghost Train Orchestra performs unearthed music mined from the dusty vaults of a basement record collection, new arrangements of "voodoo music" and spirited stomps from the most incredible of the late 1920s Chicago and Harlem jazz bands, plus original music commissioned for the afore-mentioned cartoon score and vaudeville shows.
Musicians involved in the score:
Brian Carpenter, trumpet, composer and arranger, band leader
Briggan Krauss, alto, baritone saxophones
Jim Hobbs, alto saxophone
Matt Darriau, Bb clarinet
Josh Roseman, trombone
Brandon Seabrook, banjo
Harumi Rhodes, violin
Katt Hernandez, violin
Erica Schattle, basson
Ron Caswell, tuba
Matt McLaren, drums
Karen Langlie, foley sounds
Vocal Talent
Brian Carpenter is evidently a man of many talents, including voice acting. He provides many voices, but the really special one is the nasty 'n evil Bishop.
Leah Callahan has the voice and theatrical presence that cries out to be noticed and adored. What one reviewer wrote about her recent CD release Even Sleepers....
Callahan's coy arrangements cajole, rather than insist, and the songs are underpinned not by gimmicks, but by sophisticated settings. Her melodies are compelling, her singing captivating.
Brian King is a monster-sized creative talent in the two-person band, What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? His voice? "haunting...chameleon-like voice." (METRONOME) They've released the CD Songs for the Tin Man, and are soon releasing their next.