SPOTLIGHT: Cordell Barker/ NFB- Get Animated

The National Film Board of Canada sponsored a great afternoon down at the plaza.

Starting at 2:30 there was a collection of animated shorts with a plethora of unique styles and varying content. The filmmakers were in fine form with this shorts package. Daniel Janke's How People Got Fire creatively mixed rotoscoping, watercolour and smoky charcoal with a look at history and a little girl's experience of "now". Yet another sweet story unfolded when the screen transported us to the Land of the Heads, an accordion playing monkey, a black crow and of course, a bodiless head.

The final short in what proved to be a very well rounded package was none other than two time Oscar Nominated Cordell Barker's Runaway. Cordell took us back to the train tracks, but in a full steam engine instead of the old trolley car from The Cat Came Back. Cordell's timing is at it's finest in this new short, with plenty of laugh's, greed, romance and a spotted heifer.

Cordell was in town at the urging of the NFB to talk about his work and the audience was treated to a live behind the scenes from one of Canada's greatest animators.

Cordell started by showing a ten minute reel of his influences. From Popeye to Mickey to a number of NFB classics, it became evident that Cordell's attention to detail is in large part what makes his animations so special. Timing was the keyword, as he then went on to break down his first oscar nominated short, The Cat Came Back(available for viewing at www.nfb.ca).

Cordell broke down the film by section revealing the things that still irk him 20 years later, but more so, sharing in the victories he still values. It was refreshing and a great reminder, that the animator really must have a passion for the project they are working on. It will be with you, good or bad, for years to come.

Hopefully we'll get to see another Cordell work soon!