In Animator vs. Animation IV, stick figures Becker create go rogue and wreck havoc on his computer and iPhone.
“Animator vs. Animation plays with the idea that the little stick figures that you animate can fight back and do damage to your computer. Since the world of computers is so vast, the possibility for gags is endless,” Becker wrote on his Kickstarter page for the fourth instalment, which was successfully funded to the tune of $11,000.
On how this iteration differs from its predecessors, Becker wrote:
I’ve had the stick figure engage in matrix style fighting with all the icons on the desktop, a one-on-one duel with Clippy (the old Microsoft Word Assistant), a solitaire fight with another stick figure using cards, the list goes on. Now we’re entering the age of tablets and iPhones, so the spectrum of possibilities is even wider now.
Becker created this new animation on Adobe Flash, and has even offered to teach others about the craft via a YouTube tutorial page.
To create this animation, Becker estimated it would take 325 hours, according to his Kickstarter page. But at one point in the project, he noted he was at 551 hours of animation work.
He added: “In the past, animating was easy because I was just a high school kid dependent on my parents. Now I have rent, car payments, and bills. I recently graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design, which is not cheap, so I also have loan payments.”
Becker isn’t just releasing the short and sitting back to watch the pageviews rack up. He plans to submit Animator vs. Animation IV to film festivals across the world. “Winning awards at certain film festivals can put me in the eyesight of those who pick the Academy Award nominees,” Becker writes on his blog.
He’s also been busy creating a Spirited Away world in the online game Minecraft.
