This is a scene that we did for the Lars Von Trier film “The House That Jack Built”.  This is Jack’s (Matt Dillon) explanation of the rising passion he holds for his art.  

Animation Hotline #208 - Fengshui

oh hi Mark.  This one is pretty funny.  We were trying out some new materials, and really like how it turned out.  Jen did the absolutely amazing water-painting.  She is so talented.  Right now we are super busy working on the animated segments for an upcoming documentary about Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit priest, that should (hopefully) be going to film festivals later this fall. But in the down time we are also working on new Animation Hotline videos.  I talked with Annabelle the other day and she had a great story about her name, so hopefully she is going to be calling in and telling that story, but for right now we are depending on you to call and tell your story!

Call us at (212)-683-2490!

Animation Hotline #207 - Mask

Ah, yes, it’s Tuesday again! We’ve animated another anonymous monologue: one about moving into the city and the struggle to find first full-time employment fresh out of college. Changes and transitions mark growth but bring new doubts. Stay tuned for next week, more chalk dust (and possibly feng shui) coming your way! Have a story to tell/know someone who does? Call us at (212)-683-2490!

Animation Hotline: Organs (#206)

A late night/early morning caller explains their floral-gory dream, helping us to create the B-Rated horror film we always wanted to. We’re busy keeping our earlier promise to crank these puppies out, which means you should be calling! Call now, call here, call there, call everywhere, call blue fish, red fish, one fish, two fish. You get the point. (212) 683-2490

Whoa!  Haven’t made one of these in a really long time.  Maybe since last summer?!  But here it is.  There are three new interns this summer (see credits!) and we will be cranking these things out for the next month or so (maybe longer if we get a bunch of really great calls- hint-hint).   So, what we are trying to say is call, call and then call again so that we can choose from a whole bunch of stories, summer stories, poems, nightmares, reality checks, drunkalogues, breakups, engagements, childs new to the world, all that stuff.  All that good life stuff.  Call!   Call 212-683-2490.  This particular animation is about a phonebooth, sort of, not really.  We also made a life sized phonebooth that people can go inside and leave messages, so if you want to host the phonebooth at your location contact us.  It’s pretty heavy.  Maybe 500 pounds.  But one of the interns is really strong so it shouldn’t be a problem.  Have a great summer!  Enjoy!

Animation Hotline is screening at MoMA on February 17th and 18th.  Tickets go on sale February 3rd.

200th Animation Hotline! NYC Problems

It’s true!  Back in February 2011, I called up two of my favorite English professors, Bob Pope and Jerry Martien, and asked them to leave messages on my answering machine so that I could animate them.  Then I posted those animations and the phone number for people to call and leave their own message.  Now five years and thousands of voice-mails later, not to mention thousands of hours of animating, we’ve (and I say we’ve because it isn’t just me working on theses anymore, it’s the whole Dusty Studio team) created our 200th animation.  

I wanted to take a minute to say thanks to all the people who have helped make a project like this happen and for the opportunity that it’s allowed for me to communicate to the world in some strange way (I’ll admit I’m a bit of an introvert).  There are honestly too many people to thank here, they would start playing the talking-too-long music from the Oscars.

Animation Hotline: Serena (#199)

This one is really strange because I know a Serena and she is from Vancouver, BC but I also know Serena and this isn’t her or her voice at all.  She’s married to my close friend Gary, who is a native New Yorker (born on the island native New Yorker) and they are both moving out to Los Angeles in a few days.  I’m going to miss them but I’m also excited about them have a new adventure.  Life is so strange like this, we meet people, sometimes we get close and become friends, and then those friends move somewhere else and we find new friends.  Gary and I hung out as little street rats when we were younger.  Gary and I were sharing a studio when I was trying to come up with the Animation Hotline.  He left a few messages and I know that I’ve animated at least two of them (“Eat at Joe’s” vimeo.com/134885103 and “To Do” vimeo.com/50584578).  He also did the music for Glimpse and all of my earliest animations.   Plus we went to Sundance made live animations.  Oh my goodness gracious Gary, we’ve done a lot.  You and your family will be missed.  

If anyone else is reading this, you too should call and leave a message so that I can animate your life and you will be missed when you move away.  In the US or Canada call toll free +1 212-683-2490.  In Germany it is also free to call +49 40-7976-9147!  Oh yeah, the next animation is NUMBER 200!

Animation Hotline: Lonely Birthday (#198)

“I feel like the more and more I participate in social media the less social my real world life actually gets,” he said writing his blog post.  I live in New York City with about twenty million other people, but somehow there are entire days that go by without me have a real interaction with another human.  I mean, I’ll talk to the guy at the deli or I’ll hold the door for someone leaving the building but sitting down for a cup of coffee or a face to face conversation simply don’t happen.  I had a conversation with my friend Tony last night driving home from a going away party in a park.  We are both in our forties, unmarried, no kids and he said that he pretty happy and comfortable with being alone for most of the day, but the times that it gets uncomfortable is when he is going to sleep, waking up or eating a meal.

We have made 198 Animation Hotline videos so we are closing in on 200.  If you haven’t called yet, please give us a call.  If you’ve called a thousand times, please give us a call.  We want to animate your story.  

+1 212-683-2490

Director: Dustin Grella
Illustrator: Seamoon Kim

Animation Hotline: Glasses (#197)

My dad had glasses and whenever you bumped them he would get really upset because they were those really heavy glasses and they made his nose really sensitive.  So I related glasses with discomfort.  When I was in high school my friend got glasses with just glass in them, no corrective lenses.  I couldn’t understand it.  I’m still not certain I do even now.  

We’ve been making Animation Hotline videos now for over five years and we are almost at #200!  When I say we, I mean me and my team, but I also mean you, the people who have been leaving the messages.  The project is only as good as the messages you leave.  That being said, I’m looking for new messages, so if you have a story please call, +1 212-683-2490 or if you are in Germany +49 40-7976-9147.

Hey!  Ho!  New Animation Hotline today, and what could be more transcendent than Andy Warhol eating a hamburger on a Monday morning?!  The second part was this hand game that my Grandma used to play with me, but when I tried to explain it nobody in the studio had heard of it before.  "This is the church, this is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people.“  

I spent the weekend organizing files and found out that we have created 196 Animation Hotline stories.  I knew it was a bunch, but I didn’t know that it was that many.  We are currently in production mode, so if you have a story, please call.  Maybe we will use your story for the big #200!  Call!  212-683-2490 or if you are calling from Germany, +49 40 7976 9147!