Channel Frederator Blog

Animation student Dylan Holden’s short film “The Manila Folder Classifieds” is a hilarious spoof of 1950’s supernatural TV and radio. Here he tells how he developed the idea for the film, and why lights out means lights out!

Channel Frederator: Where did you get your animation education?

Dylan Holden: I’m actually still getting my animation education. I’m currently attending The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles. I’m originally from Connecticut but realized that getting my education in California would be a wise choice if I wanted to work in animation. I’ll be graduating this December and can’t wait to break into the industry.

CF: Who has influenced your work the most?

DH: Hmm that’s a tough one to pin point. I have a lot of favorite artists that I follow consistently and am always inspired and motivated just by looking at their work. Many of the artists I keep up with work in the visual development side of the industry. I’m really into Nate Wragg, Lorelay Bove, Lou Romano, Teddy Newton, Mel Milton and the list goes on. Mary Blair and Maurice Noble also drive me crazy, they are masters, but who doesn’t go crazy over their work? Basically in a nut shell I’m influenced by a lot of old and new very talented artists!

CF: The premise for this film is pretty silly - where’d you get the idea for it?

DH: It is a bit silly! Well the idea came from my enjoyment of radio and television show hosts. I noticed that a lot of the times I found the narrator or host more interesting than what they were hosting. “The Twilight Zone” host’s voice is one of my favorites.

Please don’t get me wrong, the actual shows are amazing, no argument there. I just loved hearing him talk, I was sad the episode was over but excited to hear what he had to say and how he had to say it. For the short I wanted to make a narrator that was the center of attention and sort of make him the main character. I just ran wild with the visuals and the bizarre vocabulary and laughed my way through making it. I’m happy with the end result, although my mother was pretty confused when she first watched it.

CF: Are you working on any new projects you can tell us about?

DH: I’m currently working on my reel, getting ready for graduation and introducing myself to the animation world! I am also doing some animation on a project through Red Giant my schools production team, with some fellow students, and trying to see if I can squeeze in the time to make “The Manila Folder Classifieds: Episode 2”!

CF: Have you ever conducted an experiment that absolutely failed?

DH: This was my favorite question out of them all! When I was about ten years old I was in my bedroom with my brother. We were supposed to be sleeping but easily became distracted. I remember talking about wanting to be a scientist. I found a left over project from Cub Scouts on one of my shelves. It was a piece of wood with a slab of metal attached to it. It was supposed to be a telegraph or something, not exactly sure.

I then told my brother I wanted to see if I could turn the night light off by sending the electric current through the metal slab. I then slightly pulled the night light out of the socket, leaving it in enough to stay lit. Next I held the wood base and slid the metal slab behind the light and against the metal prongs going into the plug. Sparks blew out from the wall and lit up the room. The house flickered a few times too. I started screaming and threw the telegraph across the room in fear. I ran down the stairs screaming and half crying telling my parents I would never do it again, while they looked at me in bewilderment waiting to hear what I would never do again.

If anyone would like to take a look at my other work I post a lot on my blog at holdenslines.blogspot.com and I’m also on Frederator RAW!

Happy animating everyone!!!

Right back at’cha, Dylan!

To watch Dylan’s “The Manila Folder Classifieds” stay right here on Channel Frederator!