Channel Frederator Blog

Recent animation graduate Bianca Beneduci’s film “Popped” features some slick traditional animation and cool, retro inspired backgrounds. Here she tells us about the artists she’s bonkers about, and the inspiration for her film.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Bianca Beneduci: I took the classical animation program at Vancouver Film School - graduated at the end of last month.

CF: Is there a particular teacher who really helped you with your work?

BB: Well, all of them helped a lot, they’re all really great. But I guess I have to point out one of them, Moose Pagan. He played a really big part during the whole process. Excellent mentor, I feel like I’m a very lucky student.

CF: What has influenced your style the most?

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This excerpt from Mars and Beyond is one of the oddest cartoon sequences ever produced by Disney. A bizarre bevy of fantastic and imaginative Martians cavort in a speculative exploration of what might lurk on Mars. Too bad it didn’t turn out that way; I’d be first in line to visit if these silly creatures were actually in residence. The animation was aired in 1957 and directed by Ward Kimball.

The entire program is available on the DVD set Walt Disney Treasures - Tomorrowland: Disney in Space and Beyond.

And for a timely connection: check out this great piece of Ward Kimball Martian art which is up for auction in February at Heritage Auction.

—Anne D. Bernstein