Way back in 2003 I was a fledgling animation freelancer in London. I was working for major brands making pixels move around the place, but it all felt a bit empty. Cue Barry, my next-door neighbour and resident left-wing political thinker. Barry and I had been setting the world to rights for months about Bush’s invasion of Afghanistan and impending invasion of Iraq. On the spur of the moment one day I decided to record Barry delivering a polemic about his thoughts on the soon to be realised US invasion of Iraq. The rest is history. I spent between September 2003 and February 2004 using all my spare time to animate the film using early versions of After Effects and Cinema 4D. 

 

To my surprise the film was a major hit. Launching at Onedotzero in London, it toured the world with Resfest and played at more festivals than I ever kept track of, winning best animation at The London Portobello Film Festival and The Brooklyn International Film Festival. Weirdly its success got me signed to an animation production company so I could carry on making more work for big brands. The jury’s still out on that decision…

 

Writer & VO: Barry McNamara

Direction & animation: Simon Robson

Additional modelling: Andrew Morgan

Grade: Jim Birchenough

Music composition and Sound design: Jody K Jenkins

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