THE TEST - A stop motion short about Revenge
Tarpon Springs, Florida | Film Short
Horror, Sci-Fi
Is revenge ever justified? Natural desires for violence are revealed in a gamified experiment as one human tortures another without consequence - or so they think. When roles are reversed, the victim can seek peace, or revenge, in this retro-inspired stop motion short.
THE TEST - A stop motion short about Revenge
Tarpon Springs, Florida | Film Short
Horror, Sci-Fi
1 Campaigns | Florida, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $6,881 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
43 supporters | followers
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Is revenge ever justified? Natural desires for violence are revealed in a gamified experiment as one human tortures another without consequence - or so they think. When roles are reversed, the victim can seek peace, or revenge, in this retro-inspired stop motion short.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In this short story, we witness the reactions of two human test subjects in a surreal behavioral experiment. Dropped into separate, confined, unfamiliar rooms and separated by a glass wall, the subjects can see, but not hear one another. Suddenly, one subject discovers their ability to inflict torture on the other without obvious or immediate consequence. The victim can do nothing but gesture through the transparent barrier, begging for the pain to end. Without warning, the floor drops and our subjects fall into identical but opposite rooms; the roles are now reversed. Will our former victim seek a violent revenge, knowing the suffering it would bring?
We have begun animation! We have most sets built and are now in the production stage of the film. My two animators, and trusted former collaborators, have arrived from Barcelona and will be helping me with building and animating. They are settling in well to my home with my parents, my pets, and me!
With YOUR help, I will be able to:
- Pay my talented animators what they are worth
- Invest in a killer soundtrack/score for the film, and
- Submit to domestic and international film festivals! It's gonna cost a lot to get to Cannes! *wink*
The film is scheduled to be completed in Fall / late 2022.
I am Latin and Native American. I don't see a lot of filmmakers, let alone, animators (let alone horror writers!) that are like me. I want to offer a latin voice to my favorite genre while speaking to otrocities my culture has seen a lot of; namely, discrimination and cruelty.
My grandparents and parents tell stories of how they were forced to change their Spanish names, banned from singing their Apache lullabies, and warned to never eat tortillas in front of the white children, for fear of "setting a bad example." I grew up very blessed and mostly removed from this type of obvious hate. My proximity to, yet distance from these situations makes me curious about human behavior, and specifically, fascinated by human cruelty.
On a pandemic-fueled whim, I moved to Spain in 2020 to pursue stop motion.Through incessant writing and creating, I realized just how many stories I want to tell… even if that means moving back with mom and dad and working out of the garage. I have a vision and I won't rest until I see it come to life.
PAST WORK: The Weight of It (Trailer)
The idea for a story about revenge came to me initially as a catharsis. I have an anger that haunts me. Brewed from abusive ex-partners and further inflamed by the injustice in the world. I struggle to understand why people harm others….
As I wrote, I had to ask myself: at the core of this anger, is the same ability to hurt also in me? What separates one violence, or one wish for violence, from another? In other words, is violence ever justified?
I began to think of revenge, and what constitutes 'achieving' revenge.Could revenge be satisfied if the offender simply understands they've
caused harm? My story ends before the former-victim makes this decision, partly
because I don't know what I would choose.
Using dynamic materials and textures, I will transport the viewer to an experience that
is unfamiliar, but imaginable - almost tangible. I want to use stop motion to invite the viewer in to discover this world – to feel it, touch it – alongside my characters, while contemplating a loaded question about the human experience.
An experiment was held at Yale in 1962 to test obedience to authority. In this experiment subjects were instructed to inflict an electric shock on another “participant” if they answered a question incorrectly.
In The Test, there is no external motivation. If my characters choose violence it's because of who they are at their core.
Marina Abramović experimented with humans’ instinctive desire for violence in her 1974 performance, “Rhythm 0”. For six hours she allowed an audience to do whatever they wanted to her without protest, and although interactions began as gentle, they escalated to torturous and violent.
I’m keeping in theme with the 60’s and drawing inspiration from older sci-fi films for the aesthetics. The setting will feel clinical, contrasting a control panel will be bright and colorful almost like a toy. All this alongside grotesque, graphic gore I will create captivating yet unsettling imagery.
Please share and spread the word!
You can use the below text and photo for ease. Remember to copy the link. I thank you!
My dear friend, Olivia Marie Valdez, is making a sci-fi stop motion short film about one
of her favorite topics... REVENGE! It's going to be creepy, beautiful and gross. But she
needs help bringing the film to life! Please consider sharing this link and/or donating.
https://seedandspark.com/fund/the-test-stop-motion
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cost of Animation Team Labor
Costs $6,700
I want to be able to pay my talented team the amount they deserve!
Puppet Building Supplies
Costs $100
For the internal structure of the puppets, their skin, facial features, wardrobe, etc.
Color Grading & Post Picture
Costs $500
What I can't achieve through lighting will be crucial to nail in post production.
Set Building Supplies
Costs $100
The set will require finesse and attention to detail. I'll need money for the perfect materials.
Foley
Costs $200
I want the sound to be juicy graphic and gross!
Lighting
Costs $150
Lighting tripods, two directional lights, colored gels, diffuser etc
Hard Drive
Costs $100
Need a big baddie with a lot of storage.
Organizational Supplies
Costs $50
Calendars, printing / office supplies, etc.
Festival Fees
Costs $100
Let's make it to the big times people!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Olivia Marie Valdez is a stop motion filmmaker from the United States. After studying Visual Arts and Business at New York University, Olivia moved to Barcelona to pursue her passion for stop motion at BAU. Her graduate film The Weight of It has been recognized in eleven festivals internationally, winning two. Olivia has also animated and fabricated on the Peruvian short, Yatsi y el Espíritu del Río. She is fascinated by human behavior and decision-making and hopes to further explore this through her work.
See more here: https://www.oliviamarievaldez.com/stop-motion
Sandra Afonso Rodríguez is an illustrator, painter, and stop motion filmmaker. After 4 years living in Australia and Canada, she earned her Masters in stop motion animation in her home city of Barcelona, which has been her passion since she was a child. Sandra co-directed the award-winning stop motion short, The Weight of It.
Einar Soler Fernández spent most of his life without knowing what to do, going from one thing to another until animation appeared. In a way it was there all his life but he didn’t pay that much attention. Now he should be a 3D animator, as he studied a 2 year degree, but he found happiness in stop motion animation. Einar co-directed the award-winning stop motion short, The Weight of It, alongside Sandra and Olivia.
BA in Visual Arts with a specialty in Drawing and Painting from the National University of Art in Cusco (2017, Peru). MA in Stop motion production and animation from the “Escola de Cinema de Barcelona” (España, 2020), which graduation film, Pobre Antonio, is being shown in different international festivals at the moment. She works independently as a visual artist and animator in international projects, both animation and documentary, that talk about identity, gender and territory, such as Karuara, People of the River
(Perú), Kawsayninchikpaq (Perú, 2020), Lunga vita alla Panda (Italia, 2020), etc. She is currently co-directing the stop motion short film Yatsi y el Espíritu del Río, produced in the Amazon rainforest and it is now in the post production stage.
American producer from Oakland, CA. Founding producer of the Global Citizen Festival and formerly content executive at Snapchat and Quibi. Executive Produced Los Huesos (The Bones), recipient of the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival. He was named in the annual Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his work.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In this short story, we witness the reactions of two human test subjects in a surreal behavioral experiment. Dropped into separate, confined, unfamiliar rooms and separated by a glass wall, the subjects can see, but not hear one another. Suddenly, one subject discovers their ability to inflict torture on the other without obvious or immediate consequence. The victim can do nothing but gesture through the transparent barrier, begging for the pain to end. Without warning, the floor drops and our subjects fall into identical but opposite rooms; the roles are now reversed. Will our former victim seek a violent revenge, knowing the suffering it would bring?
We have begun animation! We have most sets built and are now in the production stage of the film. My two animators, and trusted former collaborators, have arrived from Barcelona and will be helping me with building and animating. They are settling in well to my home with my parents, my pets, and me!
With YOUR help, I will be able to:
- Pay my talented animators what they are worth
- Invest in a killer soundtrack/score for the film, and
- Submit to domestic and international film festivals! It's gonna cost a lot to get to Cannes! *wink*
The film is scheduled to be completed in Fall / late 2022.
I am Latin and Native American. I don't see a lot of filmmakers, let alone, animators (let alone horror writers!) that are like me. I want to offer a latin voice to my favorite genre while speaking to otrocities my culture has seen a lot of; namely, discrimination and cruelty.
My grandparents and parents tell stories of how they were forced to change their Spanish names, banned from singing their Apache lullabies, and warned to never eat tortillas in front of the white children, for fear of "setting a bad example." I grew up very blessed and mostly removed from this type of obvious hate. My proximity to, yet distance from these situations makes me curious about human behavior, and specifically, fascinated by human cruelty.
On a pandemic-fueled whim, I moved to Spain in 2020 to pursue stop motion.Through incessant writing and creating, I realized just how many stories I want to tell… even if that means moving back with mom and dad and working out of the garage. I have a vision and I won't rest until I see it come to life.
PAST WORK: The Weight of It (Trailer)
The idea for a story about revenge came to me initially as a catharsis. I have an anger that haunts me. Brewed from abusive ex-partners and further inflamed by the injustice in the world. I struggle to understand why people harm others….
As I wrote, I had to ask myself: at the core of this anger, is the same ability to hurt also in me? What separates one violence, or one wish for violence, from another? In other words, is violence ever justified?
I began to think of revenge, and what constitutes 'achieving' revenge.Could revenge be satisfied if the offender simply understands they've
caused harm? My story ends before the former-victim makes this decision, partly
because I don't know what I would choose.
Using dynamic materials and textures, I will transport the viewer to an experience that
is unfamiliar, but imaginable - almost tangible. I want to use stop motion to invite the viewer in to discover this world – to feel it, touch it – alongside my characters, while contemplating a loaded question about the human experience.
An experiment was held at Yale in 1962 to test obedience to authority. In this experiment subjects were instructed to inflict an electric shock on another “participant” if they answered a question incorrectly.
In The Test, there is no external motivation. If my characters choose violence it's because of who they are at their core.
Marina Abramović experimented with humans’ instinctive desire for violence in her 1974 performance, “Rhythm 0”. For six hours she allowed an audience to do whatever they wanted to her without protest, and although interactions began as gentle, they escalated to torturous and violent.
I’m keeping in theme with the 60’s and drawing inspiration from older sci-fi films for the aesthetics. The setting will feel clinical, contrasting a control panel will be bright and colorful almost like a toy. All this alongside grotesque, graphic gore I will create captivating yet unsettling imagery.
Please share and spread the word!
You can use the below text and photo for ease. Remember to copy the link. I thank you!
My dear friend, Olivia Marie Valdez, is making a sci-fi stop motion short film about one
of her favorite topics... REVENGE! It's going to be creepy, beautiful and gross. But she
needs help bringing the film to life! Please consider sharing this link and/or donating.
https://seedandspark.com/fund/the-test-stop-motion
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cost of Animation Team Labor
Costs $6,700
I want to be able to pay my talented team the amount they deserve!
Puppet Building Supplies
Costs $100
For the internal structure of the puppets, their skin, facial features, wardrobe, etc.
Color Grading & Post Picture
Costs $500
What I can't achieve through lighting will be crucial to nail in post production.
Set Building Supplies
Costs $100
The set will require finesse and attention to detail. I'll need money for the perfect materials.
Foley
Costs $200
I want the sound to be juicy graphic and gross!
Lighting
Costs $150
Lighting tripods, two directional lights, colored gels, diffuser etc
Hard Drive
Costs $100
Need a big baddie with a lot of storage.
Organizational Supplies
Costs $50
Calendars, printing / office supplies, etc.
Festival Fees
Costs $100
Let's make it to the big times people!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Olivia Marie Valdez is a stop motion filmmaker from the United States. After studying Visual Arts and Business at New York University, Olivia moved to Barcelona to pursue her passion for stop motion at BAU. Her graduate film The Weight of It has been recognized in eleven festivals internationally, winning two. Olivia has also animated and fabricated on the Peruvian short, Yatsi y el Espíritu del Río. She is fascinated by human behavior and decision-making and hopes to further explore this through her work.
See more here: https://www.oliviamarievaldez.com/stop-motion
Sandra Afonso Rodríguez is an illustrator, painter, and stop motion filmmaker. After 4 years living in Australia and Canada, she earned her Masters in stop motion animation in her home city of Barcelona, which has been her passion since she was a child. Sandra co-directed the award-winning stop motion short, The Weight of It.
Einar Soler Fernández spent most of his life without knowing what to do, going from one thing to another until animation appeared. In a way it was there all his life but he didn’t pay that much attention. Now he should be a 3D animator, as he studied a 2 year degree, but he found happiness in stop motion animation. Einar co-directed the award-winning stop motion short, The Weight of It, alongside Sandra and Olivia.
BA in Visual Arts with a specialty in Drawing and Painting from the National University of Art in Cusco (2017, Peru). MA in Stop motion production and animation from the “Escola de Cinema de Barcelona” (España, 2020), which graduation film, Pobre Antonio, is being shown in different international festivals at the moment. She works independently as a visual artist and animator in international projects, both animation and documentary, that talk about identity, gender and territory, such as Karuara, People of the River
(Perú), Kawsayninchikpaq (Perú, 2020), Lunga vita alla Panda (Italia, 2020), etc. She is currently co-directing the stop motion short film Yatsi y el Espíritu del Río, produced in the Amazon rainforest and it is now in the post production stage.
American producer from Oakland, CA. Founding producer of the Global Citizen Festival and formerly content executive at Snapchat and Quibi. Executive Produced Los Huesos (The Bones), recipient of the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival. He was named in the annual Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his work.