We talk with Liverpool based animator and author Laura Von Talbot about her fully self-funded debut short animation film WEIRD WILLOW that is currently crowdfunding.

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Hi Laura, thank you for taking the time to talk with us about your Weird Willow. 

 

No problem at all, thanks for interviewing me!

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How’s your crowdfunding campaign going so far?

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I’m getting some donations via my ‘go fund me’ page in dribs and drabs, but not a huge amount. At this stage, ‘Weird Willow’ is mostly self and family funded. The important part of funding is building an audience early, and letting people feel involved in the process. 

 

What made you want to utilise crowdfunding to help bring Weird Willow to the big screen?

 

I saw a lot of independent filmmakers do similar things, so thought I’d give it a go. 

‘Hazbin Hotel’ by Vivienne Medrano began as a kick starter project. It's possible to have a successful project with the help of crowdfunding.

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Hazbin Hotel recently won an award with the Guinness world records for the Most in-demand animated TV show this year - very inspiring. Especially as it came from very humble beginnings. 

 

You originally wrote Weird Willow in 2014, can you tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind your poem?

 

Of course - The story is about accepting yourself for who you are, embracing your ‘weird’ and not changing for anyone. The inspiration is pretty much from personal experience, living my life as someone that was often perceived as ‘weird’, especially as a child. I have friends who are also perceived as ‘weird’ but the reality is, we’re normal in our group. All of these labels and phrases are meaningless in the grander scheme of things. 

Normal is a setting on a washing machine!

 

Robin Williams' death in 2014 also strangely inspired Weird Willow, I always found his energy and personality so unique, I looked up to him as a kid and found his manic-ness empowering and inspiring. He didn’t fit in anywhere, and yet everyone respected and appreciated him. 

 

What did this poem say about you and the way you see yourself in the world?

 

The poem says a lot about me I suppose. It’s inspired by my own personal experiences and journey of realising it's okay to be perceived as ‘weird’. I often feel I don’t fit in, or feel awkward in certain social gatherings. I don’t like mundane conversation or following the crowd. I know a lot of other people out there feel just like this too, so Weird Willow is for them. 

 

I love the line ‘because normal doesn’t exist’, how liberating was it for you to get to this realisation?

 

I suppose this was something I realised in my early 20’s. The more people you meet in life and as you observe other people's differences, you find that we are all unique and different in our own ways. Even if someone is quiet and doesn't have many interests, that can be their uniqueness and their strength. Once you stop measuring yourself against an imaginary standard, you’re free to focus on what you actually value and care about.

 

Because of how personal nature of poetry and the intimacy of time that goes into stop-motion have you had any apprehensions about creating something that is so personal?

 

Stop motion gives you a lot of time to think. I have considered making something less personal as my first film, but I think animation and poetry are both deeply personal anyway. I don’t know what else I would make, so I may as well make a story that means something important to me.

 

Where did the inspiration come from to turn your poem into an animated short?

 

I want to work in the animation industry, or at the very least make a full time living from my art. This has always been my main aspiration in life. I work a 9-5 non-art job to pay the bills and create my art around this. 

There aren’t many animation opportunities in Liverpool, so you have to pave your own path. You have to work for the job you want, not the job you have, so here I am. 

 

Has your pre-production on your short helped you connect with your poem in different ways?

 

Absolutely - I’ve changed my storyboard several times which has taken months of my time, but I just really want the visuals to reflect the story in a way that speaks to me, but may also speak to others too. 

It wont really reflect the original book much, this is like a whole new project.
Simplicity is key, but Willow has magical vibes which are going to be fun visually.

 

Has the poem changed or evolved now that you’re turning Weird Willow into a film?

 

The core message hasn’t changed, but elements of the story have had to change for the sake of the film. I asked for feedback from a lovely man I met at Annecy festival earlier this year, he worked in children’s TV and animation so thought he would be a good person to show my storyboard to, and ask for advice. He very constructively and kindly brought a flaw in the story to my attention, so I had to rewrite the middle section to help Willow become a stronger character.