Hasani Walker is an independent animator and filmmaker working in Phoenix Arizona. Born in 1983 He has spent most of his life pursuing a creative career working with sculptures and illustrating. At the age of ten he began a twelve-year apprenticeship with airbrush artist Dave Lucero. In that time he grew his skills in painting, illustrating, sculpting and storytelling. With the help of Dave Lucero Hasani created his first comic book title “2050” at the age of thirteen. Later on with the encouragement of his mentor and the film work of Henry Selick, Hasani began storyboarding a stop-motion film project based on Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven”. Hasani created the storyboard at the age of fourteen; however he wouldn’t find the equipment to make his first film until two years later while attending Central High School. In his high school’s AV room he found a camera and editing programs to help film first project. In a years’ time Hasani worked alone on building puppets, sets, and animating a 13 minute film. He finished his film with enough time to premiere it to the school on October, Friday the 13th.
After creating his first film Hasani sketched plans for other films that proved to be too ambitious for what he had at the time. These projects include a feature based on Edgar Allen Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death”, a Christmas feature, and a series of original ideas. Hasani still keeps all of his planned films in folders and books until he can find funding for each of them.
Five years after completing “The Raven” Hasani returned to animation with a three-minute short about a girl putting on her face in the morning. The short was titled “Snip” and took six months to complete. This film would go on to play in film festivals such as the San Tan Film Festival in Arizona. After completing this film Hasani pursued his degree in animation at the Art Institute of Phoenix. Here he learned how to work in traditional animation and computer animation. While attending, he also completed three more short films including “Mirror” and “They Forgot”. His third film at the art institute was his first time directing a group of animators rather than working solo. This film was titled “Tailypo”, based on a folktale about a man who is stalked by a creature near his cabin. The film would take close to a year to complete. After completing “Tailypo” it screened to his school and later played at the “Stop motion magazine Film Festival”.
Hasani Graduated the Art Institute with the praise of his teachers and a group of animation connections. After graduating he picked one of the many projects he placed aside years ago. The project is called “The Grim”, a coming of age story based on Red Riding Hood after the wolf incident. With the help of his animation friends and Kickstarter he has found funding and a small crew to help begin on creation of this new venture. Currently Hasani is looking for employment in the creative industry as an animator, illustrator, or assistant while working Pre-Production on “The Grim”
What is the current project you are working on?
I’m working on “Hasani Walker’s the Grim”, a coming of age story based around Red Riding Hood. It’s an animated project that’s being written with the same sensibility of a live action drama. It’s a project I’ve wanted to do since around 2001 and I have many sketches of characters and other concepts from over the years. Not until recently did I find the funding and a small group to help me create it. We’re using a number of different techniques from computer animation to puppetry and miniatures to bring the story to life.
How do you measure success?
I measure it by how pleased I am by my work and what I produce.
How do you handle rejection?
After any rejection I typically try to move on as best I can with the idea. I have a number of films that I’ve placed on hold due to them being too ambitious or not being able to find funding. I try my best to never end hope for an idea completely. Just put it aside for another day.
Did you always want to be a filmmaker?
Not exactly a filmmaker but I always wanted to be involved in something concerning storytelling and creativity. As a kid I hoped to become an animator and I also wanted to make comics.
What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
It was the work of Henry Selick that started my interest in filmmaking. I had made figurines as a hobby for years; after seeing Selick’s work with stop-motion on MTV and his first directed feature “The Nightmare Before Christmas” I became interested in making films with my own figures. Along with this inspiration I had the motivating words of a mentor who taught me to work for what I wanted no matter how hard it seemed. Without his encouragement I probably wouldn’t have taken on the challenge of making a 13 minute stop motion film based on Edgar Allen Poe’s “the Raven” as my first film.
What is the best thing about being one?
Whenever I have an idea, or an interesting dream, I have the ability to bring it to life and share it with everyone. It’s a great feeling knowing that whatever I imagine can become my next film project.
What is the worst thing about being one?
Along with being able to present my ideas I do present myself to heavy criticism. I’ve had a few ideas where I wonder to myself if anyone other than me would be interested in seeing this. Fortunately it seems there are others who have the same taste in stories as I do.
What is the estimated number of projects you have worked on?
I’ve worked on close to seven projects so far. All have been animated and not all were directed by me. At first I worked alone on my own stop-motion films, but soon I was able to experience working with a group on a 2D animated film titled “Little Bully”. I cleaned frames on a few scenes for that film. After that I mostly worked with a group starting with my next directed project “Tailypo”.
Who is your favorite filmmaker?
I have a number of favorites starting with Henry Selick who started my interest in making films. I still follow his work and watched his last film “Coraline” a number of times. His films typically have a dark sense to them while still being amazingly colorful with characters that all have great personalities. I love when a film ends and I feel like the characters still live on. Along with Selick I also enjoy the work of Brad Bird (Iron Giant) and Don Bluth (An American Tail).
How has your life changed since you became a filmmaker?
Not by much actually, but I’ve always been involved in a creative field. Before making films I was heavily involved in an art studio working on airbrush paintings and amateur comics. Though I’m still very small in filmmaking I’ve found that the group I have working with me now is basically the same as when I was in the art studio as a kid.
What is one piece of advice you can give to someone who also wants to make it in the movie business?
I had the pleasure of meeting Don Bluth (Director of “All Dogs go to Heaven” and “An American Tail”) once and I asked him the same question. What he told me was that making films, especially animated ones, is never easy. It’s a great struggle and you will fail, and people will tell you to stop, but you have to keep working at it no matter how hard things get. The end result is always worth it. He was completely right.
What do you like to do besides filmmaking?
I do a lot of sculpting. I currently have about 48 sculptures right now and countless others I’ve sold at art shows and given as gifts.
Have you had any other jobs before you decided to become a filmmaker?
I have, though I wasn’t very well suited to them. I’ve held jobs at about three call centers and after that time I’ve learned that I don’t really belong in a call center. The time I spent sitting in one place while saying the same thing into a phone constantly was a dizzying experience. Anyone who can actually perform that job deserves a lot of credit.
What are some of your favorite American films? Foreign films? Television shows?
I have a number of favorite films, but if I had to choose I’d say “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” is a film I can’t help but watch more than once after I see it. “A little Princess” by Alfonso Cuaron, “Coraline” from Henry Selick, “Iron Giant” by Brad Bird, and the “Secret of Nihm” by Don Bluth. When it comes to television shows, my favorite from when I was younger was “the Maxx” on MTV in the early to mid 90’s.
How would you describe your film education?
I went to school for animation at the Art Institute of Phoenix where I learned much on creating animated films from people who worked on films like “Anistasia” and the series “Star Trek the Next Generations”. With their help I’m able to storyboard and plan films by industry standards. I also learned a great deal from film commentary, making of books, and behind the scenes footage. Typically I won’t buy a film unless it has behind the scenes documentaries.
How would you describe the film "scene" where you live?
Here in Arizona I’m able to find groups of filmmakers but in my experience these groups have been hardtop find. With animation groups it’s an even greater challenge. I’ve only come across 2 stop-motion projects here and both were short-lived without being finished. I believe the film scene is greater in other areas of Arizona that I’m not near, and I’m sure that with time it’ll grow.
How has social media changed the independent film industry?
It’s simpler to connect with others in the industry. I can also work with others at a great distance. In all I believe social media has helped a great deal with film projects.
What's your opinion on crowdfunding?
I believe crowdfunding helps bring projects to reality that wouldn’t be made otherwise. Currently it seems difficult to get funding at a studio for a film unless you’re creating a sequel, prequel, or remake to a film franchise that already shows to have a large following. With crowdfunding people have hope that though they may not be a big name director they can still find funding for their original ideas.
How does independent film differ from the mainstream?
Mainstream films tend to often have limitations. At times the mainstream film can become something of a long advertisement. Independent films have the freedom to explore any story they’d like without any limitations and requirements.
You could go back in time and see any film being made. Which film would it be and why?
Probably “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”. I enjoy animation and mixed media. Watching the work filmmakers and animators went through to combine animated characters with live action would be amazing. It’s also the kind of effect that a major studio will most likely never do again. Today everything is composited with computers and I’ve even seen test footage of Roger Rabbit as a CG character, but this just isn’t the same. The people who worked on the first film had to be dedicated and I’d love to see that dedication.
What is your opinion on movie remakes and sequels?
Movie sequels and remakes have been around for a while, However I wouldn’t feel strange about them if there weren’t so many. I believe nearly all the films coming out are some kind of remake. We even have directors making remakes of their own work now. I can understand a director loving a story and wanting to show their take on it, but when the movie has nothing to offer except hoping to gain the audience the original already has, it seems unnecessary.
What is your opinion on book to movie adaptions?
When I read a book I can’t help but to imagine it as a film, and bringing a book I enjoy to life is something I’d like to do someday. However it does seem like a fairly difficult job to take. If the book has many fans there’s already a large group who has an established idea of what the film should be which can be limiting on what you’re able to create. Along with this fans want everything in the book to be in the film. When you have a 500 page book that would translate into about an 8 hour movie, so I can understand making cuts, but with them you would need to withstand angry fans. You’d have to trust in the end result of what you’re making.
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