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Dive deeper into the creative process of filmmaking. Explore the inspirations and challenges faced during production, and gain a richer understanding of some of the films selected for this year's festival.
These candid conversations not only shed light on the artistry and technical expertise that go into filmmaking but also provide a glimpse into the personal stories and motivations that drive these talented creators.
What would the apocalypse look like through the pastel coloured glasses of an anime girl power team? Probably a lot like Magical Doomsday Horsegirls of the Apocalypse.
Go behind the scenes of the making of the new short with directors Abbie Bacill and Andrea Schmitz who discuss the initial concept, the process of working together on a project over the course of a year, and the experience of seeing the finished project with strangers.
Image Credit: Magical Doomsday Horsegirls of the Apocalypse © 2024 Abbie Bacilla, Andrea Schmitz. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKERS
Abbie Bacilla
Motion Designer & Illustrator // Frame.io
(Magical Doomsday Horsegirls of the Apocalypse, Spacepup, Gravel Institute, Pan Pan Doo)
Abbie Bacilla is a motion designer and illustrator specializing in tech and editorial work. Since April 2018, she has served as the resident motion designer at Frame.io, while also enjoying the creation of characters, illustrations, and animations.
Beyond her professional work, Abbie is an active member of the New York City chapter of Panimation and a four-time alumna of the School of Motion.
Website // Vimeo // Instagram // LinkedIn
Andrea Schmitz
Motion Designer, Director // Independent
(Magical Doomsday Horsegirls of the Apocalypse, Mistletoe, Thrist, Rapunkzel)
Andrea Schmitz is a freelance 2D motion designer and short-form animation director from Little Rock, Arkansas, currently working in NYC.
She loves bringing characters to life, whether through puppeted AE characters, frame-by-frame cel animation, or the written word.
Her portfolio includes work for clients such as HBO, Amazon, Spotify, DoorDash, CNBC, Newsy, Acorns, Applegate, the World Bank, and musical artist Jen Kwok. Previously, she served as Motion Design Lead at Insider Inc/Business Insider for several years and as a motion designer at New York Magazine.
Between 2018 and 2024, Andrea organized an annual animation anthology called Things Took a Turn, which encouraged artists of marginalized genders (including women, non-binary artists, and trans men) to create animated short stories that reimagined familiar narratives.
In addition to her work in animation, Andrea enjoys writing speculative fiction, reading Webtoon comics and fanfiction, and baking every other day.
Website // Instagram // LinkedIn
MODERATOR
Marina Antunes
President // Spark CG Society
Marina has been writing and discussing film for over 15 years, first on a personal blog, followed by a decade-long tenure on the now retired Row Three. In 2008, she joined the writing staff at Quiet Earth, becoming Editor-In-Chief in 2014, a role she still holds. Over the years, she has also produced and hosted a number of podcasts including Before the Dawn, a long-running podcast on the Twilight franchise, Girls on Pop, a podcast on film and popular entertainment from women’s perspective and After the Credits, bi-monthly film podcast with nearly 300 episodes.
Marina is a member of ACM and ACM SIGGRAPH, the Online Film Critics Society, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society. She is the President of Spark CG Society and the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter. She has also served on juries for several film festivals including DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. She joined the Spark CG Society in 2014.
Dive deeper into the creative process of filmmaking. Explore the inspirations and challenges faced during production, and gain a richer understanding of some of the films selected for this year's festival.
These candid conversations not only shed light on the artistry and technical expertise that go into filmmaking but also provide a glimpse into the personal stories and motivations that drive these talented creators.
What would the apocalypse look like through the pastel coloured glasses of an anime girl power team? Probably a lot like Magical Doomsday Horsegirls of the Apocalypse.
Go behind the scenes of the making of the new short with directors Abbie Bacill and Andrea Schmitz who discuss the initial concept, the process of working together on a project over the course of a year, and the experience of seeing the finished project with strangers.
Image Credit: Magical Doomsday Horsegirls of the Apocalypse © 2024 Abbie Bacilla, Andrea Schmitz. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKERS
Abbie Bacilla
Motion Designer & Illustrator // Frame.io
(Magical Doomsday Horsegirls of the Apocalypse, Spacepup, Gravel Institute, Pan Pan Doo)
Abbie Bacilla is a motion designer and illustrator specializing in tech and editorial work. Since April 2018, she has served as the resident motion designer at Frame.io, while also enjoying the creation of characters, illustrations, and animations.
Beyond her professional work, Abbie is an active member of the New York City chapter of Panimation and a four-time alumna of the School of Motion.
Website // Vimeo // Instagram // LinkedIn
Andrea Schmitz
Motion Designer, Director // Independent
(Magical Doomsday Horsegirls of the Apocalypse, Mistletoe, Thrist, Rapunkzel)
Andrea Schmitz is a freelance 2D motion designer and short-form animation director from Little Rock, Arkansas, currently working in NYC.
She loves bringing characters to life, whether through puppeted AE characters, frame-by-frame cel animation, or the written word.
Her portfolio includes work for clients such as HBO, Amazon, Spotify, DoorDash, CNBC, Newsy, Acorns, Applegate, the World Bank, and musical artist Jen Kwok. Previously, she served as Motion Design Lead at Insider Inc/Business Insider for several years and as a motion designer at New York Magazine.
Between 2018 and 2024, Andrea organized an annual animation anthology called Things Took a Turn, which encouraged artists of marginalized genders (including women, non-binary artists, and trans men) to create animated short stories that reimagined familiar narratives.
In addition to her work in animation, Andrea enjoys writing speculative fiction, reading Webtoon comics and fanfiction, and baking every other day.
Website // Instagram // LinkedIn
MODERATOR
Marina Antunes
President // Spark CG Society
Marina has been writing and discussing film for over 15 years, first on a personal blog, followed by a decade-long tenure on the now retired Row Three. In 2008, she joined the writing staff at Quiet Earth, becoming Editor-In-Chief in 2014, a role she still holds. Over the years, she has also produced and hosted a number of podcasts including Before the Dawn, a long-running podcast on the Twilight franchise, Girls on Pop, a podcast on film and popular entertainment from women’s perspective and After the Credits, bi-monthly film podcast with nearly 300 episodes.
Marina is a member of ACM and ACM SIGGRAPH, the Online Film Critics Society, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society. She is the President of Spark CG Society and the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter. She has also served on juries for several film festivals including DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. She joined the Spark CG Society in 2014.
