I spent much of the last year working on an animated Baba Yaga fairytale for the documentary The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga. It was a blast to work on, and how could it not be? It has everything you could ask for: a hut on chicken legs, dark and grasping forests, a helpful cat with glowing eyes, a magic comb, a looming witch who travels by giant mortar and pestle, a moonlight abduction, windmills, and even a ghost! EVERYTHING I SAY!
The film was made by my good friend Jessica Oreck and is part live action shot in Eastern Europe and part animation. The fairytale scenes were illustrated by the talented Devin Debrowski, and then I brought them into a paper-theater-esque 3-Dish space, and added lighting, shadow, and effects. Below are a few stills from the animation. At last I will have a chance to watch the film in its entirety, and if you are located in NYC, so can you! The Vanquishing is screening this Saturday and Monday as a part of New Directors, New Films. I'll be at the Saturday screening, maybe I'll see you there! The film has been getting fantastic reviews, and it's sure to be a cinematic experience unlike any you've seen before.
