Channel Frederator Blog

“Bedbug’s Odyssey” animator and director Ned Wenlock gives us a little insight on how creative blocks can spawn neat, stylish, pest-centric short films.

Channel Frederator: Where did you get your animation education?

Ned Wenlock: I’m self taught.

CF: Who or what has influenced your work the most?

NW: I would say Herge, who created The Adventures of Tintin. I love the way he free-forms a story, I love his graphic style, the colours he uses and the fact that he has a sense of humour.

CF: What gave you the idea for this film?

NW: I made it up as I went along, each day I would design a new shot, create the background and rough out the animation, not knowing what was coming next, e.g. I didn’t know there was going to be a bedbug until the front door opened. New influences came to me each day!

CF: What do you do to get past creative blocks?

NW: This whole film was a way of getting past a creative block, hence the way I went about it.

CF: Are you working on anything new you’d like to discuss?

NW: I’m making a short animated film called ‘Diamond Dr. Golden Love’ at the moment, it involves a villain that never quite mastered the technical I.T. hurdles involved in taking over the world.

CF: Aside from bedbugs, do your harbor sympathy for any other misunderstood pests?

NW: Maybe woodlice, although from experience they really can be a pain in the arse.

Ha! Thanks for the chat, Ned!

You can scope out Ned’s film “Bedbug’s Odyssey” right here on Channel Frederator!

-Bailee DesRocher