Josiah Watters J.Watters@wlv.ac.uk 0906155

Behind the Sunglasses

An animated film by Josiah Watters

Josiah Watters J.Watters@wlv.ac.uk 0906155

Contact InformationName: Josiah WattersHome Address: 3 Hydes Road WednesburyPostcode: WS10 9SXPhone Number: 0121 556 1834Mobile Number: 079 13055 529Email: J.Watters@wlv.ac.ukVimeo: https://vimeo.com/user14770241Animation Blog: https://josiahwatters.wordpress.com

Josiah Watters J.Watters@wlv.ac.uk 0906155

Long Synopsis (250 words)Behind the Sunglasses is a short animated mockumentary that takes a satirical and humorous look at the Western celebrity/music culture through the use of anthropomorphic animal characters. The film mimics and parodies the tropes and motifs of ‘Behind the Music’ style American documentaries as a narrator documents the life of Ugly Cool, a famous pop star duck who wears sunglasses to hide the fact that his eyes are crossed. The character is a spin on the ugly duckling tale, and the celebrity lifestyle has left him with an arrogant and egotistical personality. After a quick introduction to the character, the film recounts how Ugly sought out romance with his childhood love-interest Beauty Lake, who had begun to notice Ugly after he had achieved wealth and fame. However Beauty had developed problems of her own, and had become addicted to bread (a euphemism for crack – referred to ‘Quack’ within the context of the narrative) and started to lead Ugly down the same destructive and chaotic path shortly after they are reunited. The film climaxes when Ugly and Beauty boil their own egg in an omelette and eat it during a bread-induced high, and the experience pushes Ugly to get his life back on track. The entirety of the animation was made using the program TV Paint while special effects were added in After Effects and Ulead Video Studios. The voices are providing by Josiah Watters, Tom Edwards and Kandice Adams. The film employs a mix of Meta, self-aware and dark humour.

Medium Synopsis (100 words)Behind the Sunglasses is a short animated mockumentary that takes a satirical look at the Western celebrity/music culture through the use of anthropomorphic animal characters. The film mimics and parodies the tropes and motifs of ‘Behind the Music’ style American documentaries as a narrator documents the life of Ugly Cool, a famous pop star duck who wears sunglasses to hide the fact that his eyes are crossed. The character is a spin on the ugly duckling tale, and the celebrity lifestyle has left him with an arrogant and egotistical personality. All the animation was made using the program TV Paint.

Short Synopsis (50 words)Behind the Sunglasses is a short animated mockumentary that takes a satirical look at the Western celebrity/music culture through the use of anthropomorphic animal characters. The film documents the life of Ugly Cool, a famous pop star duck who wears sunglasses to hide the fact that his eyes are crossed.

Josiah Watters J.Watters@wlv.ac.uk 0906155

Josiah WattersA soon to be animation graduate of Wolverhampton University, Josiah has always had a keen interest in the creative process behind animated films. Josiah found his way onto the animation course whilst searching for what he considered to be the most effective form of artistic expression with which to convey his unique brand of scriptwriting. He has experimented with different Medias and genres of animation and film during his three years on the animation course and he has developed a distinctive

style focused more on narrative story and creative dialogue as well as a running theme of animal characters and anthropomorphism seen throughout the majority of his animated works. ‘Behind the Sunglasses’ revisits the character Ugly Cool, whom Josiah original created during his Second Year of the course. He hopes to go on to do an MA in Screenwriting at Bournemouth University to further expand his skills and creative writing portfolio.

Thomas Edwards – Voice of Leather JacketA professional actor, voice-actor and singer for 4 years; with known credits as a successful blues brothers tribute (The Fugitive Blues Brothers) in venues all over Corfu, Cyprus and the UK. Thomas has also performed in various touring pantomimes across the West Midlands. One of his most recent voice-acting credits involves his contribution to the audio-production, at Shepperton Studios- Pinewood, for the new Guitar Hero Live game coming out this Autumn.

Alec Shea - MusicBorn and raised in Australia, Alec has grown up with music his whole life. After years of learning classical piano, music theory, and electric guitar, he began composing his own music. After discovering the world of digital audio in high school and moving on to complete a Bachelor of Audio Engineering and Sound Production at the JMC academy, he began working on games, animations and films as a composer, sound designer and voiceover artist. Alec has composed pieces for game, animation and film sound tracks, live orchestras, string quartets, rock bands, solo piano, musical theatre, pop singers and various other forms and styles of music. He has worked on sound design and audio post-production for various games and animations, including Rolling Ball and Black Lung. As a mid-baritone voiceover artist, he has also worked on various projects including playing Dax Carter in the animated series, Orbital Springs.

Josiah Watters J.Watters@wlv.ac.uk 0906155

Transcript

Narrator: He was the first duck to ever make it big as a recording artist. But behind all the glitz and glamour is a life filled with personal struggles and emotional turmoil. Join us as we explore the duck behind the sunglasses… Ugly Cool released his debut album, ‘Ducky in Love’, and it went straight to Number 1. He was finally where he wanted to be.Reporter: Tell me about Ugly Cool. What do you love about him?Fangirls: (inaudible screaming)Ugly: Yeah, I had almost everything I ever wanted, except for one thing…Narrator: That one thing that Ugly Cool is talking about but our camera ran out of film before he said what it was and we didn’t realize until it was too late, was Beauty Lake.Leather: I think Ugly always loved Beauty. She was his childhood sweetheart and now that he was rich and famous she wanted him too after ignoring him for the last 20 years. And if that’s not the sign of true love I don’t know what is. Shakespeare, eat your motherf**king heart out!Narrator: It was the fairy tale of the millennium. Ugly and Beauty got married in Tahiti in a private ceremony in front of 100 reporters. They then shared a night of intimate love-making, also in front of 100 reporters. But unbeknownst to her new husband, Beauty was addicted to the most dangerous substance known to poultry: ‘Quack’. Also known as ‘Flappy Quacky’ or ‘Eggstacy’, or by its scientific name: Bread. And it wasn’t long before Beauty introduced Ugly Cool to this lethal substance.Beauty: A lot of people don’t realize that it’s an illness. Everywhere I go I’m known as the woman who got Ugly Cool into Quack. But I didn’t force the s**t down his throat, he made a choice.Narrator: But things took a dark turn, when one night at their penthouse suit, both off their beaks on Quack, Beauty gave birth to their first egg only for them to boil it and eat it in an omelette.Ugly: I can’t… I can’t even… I don’t remember it but I know it happened. I ate my own egg! I’m disgusting! The worst part is we were so high I couldn’t even finish the omelette!Narrator: Unable to move past what had happened, Ugly and Beauty decided to get a messy divorce that lasted several agonizing years and went their separate ways. Five more marriages and seven trips to rehab later, and the King of Music was back.Ugly: YEAH! Nothing’s gonna stop this train! Ugly Cool is the greatest artist of all time! A visionary! Women love me! Men wish they could be me! The only way is up! It’s nothing but good things from now on!

Josiah Watters J.Watters@wlv.ac.uk 0906155

Credits as they appear on Film

A Film byJosiah Watters

Directed byUgly Cool

Written byUgly Cool

Produced byUgly Cool

Edited byUgly Cool

Special Effects byUgly Cool

Costume Designs byUgly Cool

Ugly Cool/Narrator………………….…………………………………Josiah WattersLeather Jacket………………………………………..……………………Tom EdwardsBeauty Lake…………….…………………………..……………………Kandice AdamsFangirls…………………………………..….…………..Kandice Adams/Lucia Tozzi

Music byAlec Shea

Special Thanks toJack Bowdler

Cassi CMegan Horton

Ryan James HorvathKamila Konczewska

Perdita LawtonEmily Mantell

Samantha MooreThe University of Wolverhampton

Family and FriendsSpyro & Marco

Josiah Watters J.Watters@wlv.ac.uk 0906155

Josiah Watters J.Watters@wlv.ac.uk 0906155