Justin Rasch Interview
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Give us a brief bio of your self:
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I was born in Miami Florida and lived all over Florida until I was about 15. I was always an artist and continued to do art in my high school years. I attended Art Institute of Pittsburgh and graduated with a degree in Animation . I Have been working as a professional CG animator for the last 12 years. I have been working in Stop motion for the last 2.5 years.
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How did you originally become interested in stop motion and what age where you:
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I first became aware of stop motion in the films Jason and the Argonaughts and Clash of the Titans as well as the original Star Wars films. I was always playing with action figures as a kid{He man - Star Wars – Gi Joes} and I would animate them through their various adventures. Gi joes were the most animateable and I would have them doing gymnastics and super battles all day long. I was not sure how it was done till much later but it instantly caught my attention and my imagination .I always was interested in Stop motion animation but had very little knowledge of how a normal person would do it {no camera}. I did not have access to cameras or even artists of that nature to guide me so I mainly would draw .When I went to colledge I wanted to do special effects for films with a focus in animation{stop motion}Once I saw the animation in Jurassic Park I quickly switched to CG. This was the end of my stop motion quest until just 2 and a half years ago. After 9+ years in the Cg industry I was very frustrated to be creating so much work that if electricity failed I would no longer possess. This was the genesis on my stop motion film “Geralds Last Day” and a new Creative Life Direction for my entire family.
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What would you regard as your biggest achievement to date:
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Finishing a 10 minuet stop motion animated film is the biggest accomplishment of my animated career. Making an animated film is hard {I have made 5 now}but making a Stop Motion animated film is REALLY, REALLY Hard.....its hard to make even a BAD stop motion film.
As for my LIFE - Finding True Love and enjoying a life of creativity with my family is my lifes greatest achievement..
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What do you do for inspiration:
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I read comics – I watch Films – I collect Sculptures - toys – I surround myself with the things that made me want to be an artist. I read Blogs of artists who are also creating films or like minded artwork. I also often look to people who have MADE their Dreams come true and think on their storys to fuel my own drive. I often listen to film scores which Completely fill my head with storys galore.
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Have you any new projects in the pipeline:
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Yes – me and Shel have many projects in line. We have a [Top Secret] project that is in development and is completely different than making a film. It will likely take a year or so to finish. Its really exciting to use all the knowledge we have gained on {Geralds Last Day} towards the next projects . We also have a Story that me and Shel have been writing for the last couple of years. We are going to make it into a 45 minuet animated film when we are finished with our next couple of projects. Its much larger than anything we've done before so We are preparing in many ways. We also have several shorts and fun concepts we plan to explore in the next few years.
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What has been your toughest challenge with stop motion and how long did you spend on it:
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The hardest thing about stop motion for me has been the limitations of the puppets themselves. I really love how improvisational stop motion is.... but a lot of the improvisation comes from limits of the puppets physical being. Like when a puppets wire breaks in the middle of a shot or when the puppet physically cant do the pose I want. This tends to squash some of my big ideas at times. I also dislike how much repair is needed after each puppets use. When They get damaged or break its a major slowdown to production.
All of these problems though are just a tiny price to pay for the high I get after seeing my puppet come to life!!Without stings!!! Total MAGIC!!
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Where do you believe the future of stop motion lies:
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I believe the future of stop motion lies in all of our hands .I found stop motion and fell in love with the process. It will only go where ever we take it as Artists. I am floored by the creativity of some artists in this medium. They make things animate and try concepts That my brain never even considers trying .Its Totally wide open for exploration....
I do believe the performances of the animators through the puppets is getting off the charts. The talent of top people in this field is incredible ! I hope to join them someday.
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Have you any tips for new comers and beginners:
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You can do anything ....{no EXCUSES}....thats all they are.......and thats all they will ever be.
Hard work is the easy part....
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Given a unlimited budget what would your dream project be:
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My dream project would be to take a focused 2 years and make a Stop motion Animated film that Shel and myself write together. I would like the employees on the project to be our friends and family.
Thats the DREAM......and I plan on making it come true reguardless of the unlimited budget! Ha!
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