The Innocent

About

SYNOPSIS:

In an inner city, a man living with his mother and sister spends his days gazing out his apartment window. Restricted from wandering in public due to his mental condition, the man’s only entertainment is feeding the pigeons which occasionally land nearby. His winged friends comfort him and remind him of happier days when his family lived in their old home. However, the man’s condition proves too much and so the family must make a difficult decision.


ARTIST STATEMENT:

The book "Spiks" by Pedro Juan Soto is a compilation of first- hand stories based on the marginalization of Puerto Ricans upon their migration to the United States in the 1950s. One of Soto's most famous stories, "Los inocentes", deals with the theme of nostalgia and home-sickness. So profoundly was I touched by the story that it inspired me to create an animated adaptation which would move audiences the way Soto moved me. In "The Innocent", I aimed to capture the essence of Soto's story with minimal dialogue. By doing this, I leave the audience to come up with their own subjective interpretation on the difficult theme of giving up something beloved. The man's loneliness is emphasized through the desaturated, neutral colors of the rigid, 3D city that he feels caged in. The pigeons (with their traces or saturated color) are metaphorical to the man's free- spirit and connection to nature. Subsequently, they are his only comfort and connection to home from the unfamiliar reality of his hash, new environment.


ACCOLADES:
Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival 2012
(BEST EDITING and 2nd PLACE - Animation category)
California International Animation Festival 2012
(AUDIENCE FAVORITE - 2D category)
Red Stick International Animation Festival 2012
(FINALIST)
Miami Short Film Festival (2012)
NYLA International Film Festival 2012
Cinefiesta International Film Festival 2012
Puerto Rico International Film Festival (Vieques) 2012
Heritage Film Festival 2012
Hearts & Minds Film Festival 2012
Minneapolis Underground Film Festival 2011
SCADanimate 2011

Credits

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/ANIMATOR:
Jose A. Rodriguez

STORY:
Pedro Juan Soto

VOICE TALENT:
Ashley Sahler
Jack Butler
Savannah Betts
Sarah Gardner
Jason Brooks

SOUND ENGINEERS:
Brad McGlasson
Michael Winters
Kurdice Neal

ILLUSTRATOR:
Jake Lee

LAYOUT ARTIST:
Arielle Katarina

EFFECTS ANIMATOR:
Mark A. Godoy Jr.

Technical Info

ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE:
Flash
Photoshop
After Effects
Premiere

AUTODESK:
Maya

DIGICEL:
Flipbook