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SPECIAL GUEST THREAD: I'm Frank E. Abney III ( @iFrankAbney). I've been fortunate enough to animate on some amazing films over the years: Frozen, Coco, Big Hero 6, and Soul, to name a few. Working on these films have been so great, but I have stories of my own to tell.
Before I tell you about CANVAS, my latest story and directorial debut, let me take you back to where this all started. I grew up in a single parent household after losing my dad when I was 5 years old. With a lot of time to myself, I got sucked into books, cartoons, and movies.
While pursuing my dream of being an animator/filmmaker, and the many rejections that came along with it, I found that for me to really elevate in my craft and push myself as a creator, I had to make things that really meant something to me. It needed to be personal.
6 years ago, I made the choice to dive into creating something to send me on the path I wanted to take as a filmmaker. I remembered questioning my place in this industry, and trying to make my way in it.
I remembered my niece as a little girl running around carefree. I remembered my relationship with my grandfather, often wondering why he was always so withdrawn. I remembered watching my mother navigate life after the loss of my dad. This was the inspiration for CANVAS.
I knew making this film in my spare time would be difficult, but this was my voice, and it mattered, so I was gonna see it through whatever the struggles were. The journey was a direct reflection of our people that's come before us -- making something from what we had.
The Black community has had to deal with so much struggle, trauma, and loss. We often don't have the chance to heal either, and just have to gather the strength to move on. With CANVAS, I wanted to send a message of HOPE that we don't have to suffer alone.
