In Conversation with Michael Oblowitz Director of Confidential Informant
Confidential Informant stars Mel Gibson, Dominic Purcell, and Kate Bosworth
Dani
Date: 2nd July 2019
Director: Elizabeth Hogenson
Producer: Kyle McClary
Editor: Robert Panico
Cast: Danielle Hernandez
indieactivity : What is your film about?
Elizabeth Hogenson : “Dani” features a real life phone call between a mother (Violetta) and daughter (Danielle). Using stop motion animation, the short film shows Danielle delivering some less than great news about her breast cancer treatment. Danielle was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at the age of 30. This call takes place after her first round of chemo, which didn’t attack the cancer as hoped for. In an emotional phone call, she share this news with her mother who is also a breast cancer survivor.
indieactivity : Tell us about the festival run, marketing and sales?
Elizabeth Hogenson : “Dani” has been featured at three festivals, so far. It’s first was American Documentary Festival and Film Fund. This was my first time ever attending a film festival, and it was a very nice experience, for a newbie. I got to dip my toes in the festival water and get a sense of how they operate and how I should be marketing my film and self. It’s second run was at Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, where it won the jury prize for best animated short. Mammoth Lakes was a beautiful and intimate festival. However, being so new to this process, and still in a bit of a shock that “Dani” is at these great festivals, I left before the award ceremony, thinking nothing of it. That night, I got a phone call from the festival’s organizer asking where I was as I had just won the best animated short category. I was at home in bed. This coming weekend, “Dani” will screen at Palm Springs Short Fest.
indieactivity : Do fill in the ‘Dramatic Feature’ below?
- “Dani” was directed, produced & animated by Lizzy Hogenson
- Producers : Kyle McClary
- Budget : $1000
- Financing : Grant The film was financed through a generous grant from USC’s Bridge Arts and Science Alliance.
- Shooting Format : The film was shot on digital.
- Screening Format : The film is screened in DCP format.
- World Premiere : The world premiere for Dani was at the American Documentary Festival and Film Fund in Palm Springs in April 2019.
- Awards : “Dani” won the Jury Award for Best Animated Short at the 2019 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival.
- Website
indieactivity : Give the full Official Synopsis for your film?
Elizabeth Hogenson : Having cancer isn’t always the hard part. On top of managing your own fears and expectations, you feel obliged to wear a brave face for your loved ones. Delivering bad news with a mixture of dry science and irrational optimism becomes second nature… Dani brings such a conversation to life, as 30-year old Danielle Hernandez delivers her grim breast cancer prognosis to her mother Violeta. A story that’s as unique and personal as it is disturbingly universal. Using stop-motion animation, Dani shows us how a simple phone call can be a study of human courage, faith, and love.
Related Story : Elizabeth Hogenson Directs Dani, Her Award Winning Animation
indieactivity : Development & Financing?
Elizabeth Hogenson : The subject of the film, Danielle, was my roommate at the time of the diagnosis, so I was closely following along with her journey. As part of her coping process, she started a podcast, which the call featured in “Dani” was originally for. When I heard the call, I was so moved by it, I wanted to do something with it. At the time, I was taking some stop motion animation classes as part of my graduate studies at USC. I asked Danielle for her permission to use the call, and she happily agreed.
The project really took off, when, on almost a whim, I decided to apply for a grant to help finance the project. I pitched, I got some money, and suddenly it all became very real. I had already edited the phone call, which is originally about twice the length of what’s in the short film, and drawn some concept art, but now it was time to really get started. This was the biggest project I had ever undertaken, so it was a little daunting.
I started with fabricating the puppets. Because of space constraints, I fabricated the sets (two in total), one at a time, with needing to scrap each on after finishing. The process of filming the animation took about two months. I turned my bedroom closed in to my animation studio and work out of my apartment.
After completing the animation, I enlisted the help of Ricky Berger, a very talented musician to help design the soundscape. She did an incredible job and it really brings the film to life. Robert Panico helped with the final editing, all of the little details that happen with stop motion animation (rig removal, etc.).
indieactivity : Production?
Elizabeth Hogenson : The entire film was shot on location in my closet (ha!). Since it was really just me, labouring away in my close, building sets, making puppets, a lot of the schedule was self-imposed. Obviously, having funding, and working with the Bridge Arts and Science Alliance, and having their money involved, as well as a scientist on-board to help with process, gave me some other people to be accountable to. I spent about a month making the puppets and sets, and then the process of filming the stop motion animation took about two months. I’d usually work from 6 to 12 hours a day during the process. After I wrapped up principle filming and reshoots, there was about another month of working with my sound designer and editor. I could probably spend the rest of my life tweaking and perfecting the film, but, at the end of the day, you have to set some sort of deadline and have a deliverable.
indieactivity : Festival Preparation & Strategy?
Elizabeth Hogenson : I’m a complete novice to this process, so it’s been a lot of learning as I go. I’ve gotten some great advice from friends who are more experienced filmmakers, but It’s also been a lot of trial and error on my part. I think that it really helps that “Dani” is such a moving film that has been touching people on such a personal level, and I’m honestly so overwhelmed by how warmly it’s being received.
indieactivity : The Release?
Elizabeth Hogenson : So far, the film is doing the festival run. Once that’s finished, I’m hoping to maybe find a cancer foundation that would be interested in sharing it.
indieactivity : Advice from the Filmmaker?
Elizabeth Hogenson : Sometimes, the process of starting to can seem daunting. Focus on what you have the time and resources to realistically accomplish. While it’s nice to be able to make a sleek, big budge production, at the end of the day it’s about creating something. A couple of puppets being animated in a closet can be just as moving as glossy flashy feature.
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