Interview with filmaker Anthony Kolodziej
Welcome Mr Kolodziej, we are very excited to have you today and discuss about your work. Who is Anthony Kolodziej and how did the passion for filmmaking start ?
When people meet me for the first time, they usually ask two questions: “How tall are you?” and “Do you play basketball?” Answering those two questions, I’m 6’9” (2.01m), and no I do not play basketball. Height aside, I’m an up-and-coming 2D Animator from Chicago who appreciates creative storytelling and what we as humans can learn from them. The zeitgeist from each story represents a snapshot into cultural reflection and problem solving, each with their own unique perspective. My favorite stories to tell involve comedy, conflict, and the nature of human beings. The passion for filmmaking spans as far back as I remember. When I was growing up, I was exposed to a surplus of creative content. My favorite kind content as a kid was animation. I was in awe of the drawings that came to life and tried to emulate what I saw as best as I could, from taking my toys using the family camera in my childhood to using stop-motion to animate paper puppets in my adolescence. The burning passion to tell a story has always been with me.
Can you tell us about your previous work?
Previous work in animation recently involved a summer internship at an advertising agency located in downtown Chicago. I had the pleasure of using my animation expertise to create motion graphics for high-profile clients, and I’m thankful to the company’s video team for granting me the opportunity to help. Prior to this, 4 people and I represented our college in the 24-Hour Animation Contest, where our team produced a 30-second short in less than a day. We managed to take home the “Best Behind the Scenes” award for our work and even got featured in the Toon Boom Educational Reel for 2022. Being able to point out a moment like that during my college experience is a truly spectacular feeling.
CONVERSATION ABOUT: BLAZER
Talk to us about animating ? How did you first get in touch with this genre ?
Animation and visual storytelling have always been major components in my life. I grew up watching cartoons from Saturday-morning action shows to the old shorts produced by Warner Brothers and Disney. Around this time in my childhood, YouTube had started to take off and as a result I was exposed to the underground animators of the mid-to-late 2000’s. At first, animation was just something I wanted to make, and it wasn’t until around age 11 or 12 that I seriously considered pursuing it as a career. I remember watching Cowboy Bebop alone in my basement on a hot night in early summer. The fight scenes complimented by the music and phenomenal story made me realize that animation was my path to pursue. I worked hard to develop my craft and was fortunate to have been accepted into a college with an amazing animation program. The friends and teachers I have met throughout my time there have been inspiring, influential, and they’re great people to have worked with.
Talk to us about your film? How was it created ?
BLAZER was a created on the idea that if a storyteller’s character were alive, it’s creator would have difficulty understanding them. As filmmakers and storytellers, we are confident that we understand our characters because we control their actions and the theatric reality they reside in. The truth is these characters would be as unpredictable as everyone else if given the sentience and agency of the real world. When initially developing this film, the original title was going to be “Proof of Concept” as a play on words between Dan and Ray’s in-progress comic in the film, and the comic characters that came to life. Ultimately, BLAZER had a nicer ring to it. What really inspired BLAZER was my childhood and adolescence spent creating stories with my friends. Those summers watching animated videos on the computer, coupled with long nights collaborating on scripts are memories I hold near and dear to my heart. Those days are long-gone, and I wanted to immortalize them. What also inspired this film were various action scenes in animated content from the original 1986 Transformers movie to eastern media like Ninja Scroll, and Cowboy Bebop. The use of action in western animated storytelling is limited. A fight scene is a great way of showing animated principles, but it takes a team of talented individuals because of the scope of the composition and choreography which can be rather costly to produce. BLAZER employs every animation technique I learned to maximize
Your characters, Dan & Ray, who are they ?
Dan and Ray are two amateur comic creators who like action and think that they can create the next big idea. They serve as an analogue of cognitive bias within some inexperienced storytellers. A lack of outside input results in these two overestimating their creative abilities. In the film, they instantly gratify each other for their work instead of asking important creative questions. Dan dismisses the notion of taking art classes, and Ray’s writing is never brought into question. When the characters in their comic come to life, it’s almost meant to serve as a critique of their work.
How was the style, genre and atmosphere selected ?
I knew from the beginning I wanted to make a thriller but was torn between making a psychological-thriller film, and an action-thriller. Ultimately, I decided to combine the two ideas and make something unique out of it. BLAZER by design is a psychological narrative disguised as an action film. Many of the compositional choices came from reading comic books and manga. I made these choices to reflect Dan and Ray’s background in comics, as well as the character Blazer’s nature as their comic character. Elements of the visual style were inspired by a Gennedy Tartakovsky and the late Derrick Wyatt, two animators who I revere immensely. I borrowed elements of their art and cinematography styles to help fuel my designs. The atmosphere was created using backgrounds to help set the mood. From our protagonists’ beginning in a quiet suburban park, to the chaotic showdown in the woods, all set in nighttime to add a sense of mystery and foreboding. I based the locations off my neighborhood, shooting references in various parks and local forest area. These were locations I had fond memories of with my friends, and they help cement the small-town milieu of Dan and Ray.
FUTURE WORK AND CLOSING LETTER
What is the message the audience should convey leaving the screening of your film ?
Realistically, I want the audience to feel satisfied watching BLAZER. My humble crew and I poured months of our time in creating a short that fills a need for animated action, with both funny and scary moments to help balance out the atmosphere. What I most want the audience to see is a cornerstone in a group of people’s animated careers. This is only the beginning of what’s to come. Hopefully there is an audience rooting for more when the time comes.
What is the target audience of your project ?
My target audience is young adults who enjoy riveting action and psychological discussion. Much of today’s animated content centers around comedy-based writing when there is potential for a wide variety of animated storytelling. There have been countless conversations I’ve had with my colleagues in the field, as well as friends of mine about the nature of today’s animated content. We noticed a consistent trend in wanting to see more variety. As a result, I felt a desire to create something different while paying homage to the action shows of my childhood.
Any future projects incoming ? Along with personal aspirations.
I have a few scripts that are finished, with production starting on two of them. One is an action-based comic set in an undisclosed time in the future, while the other is an animated pilot for an existential comedy involving wildlife native to the Midwest. My biggest aspiration right now is to find steady income to help finance these projects. Ideally, a job in motion graphics since animation is the big thing that drives me each day. I love working in animation, whether it’s helping a client achieving their creative vision or creating work to satisfy my ever-growing passion. Each project I undertake is an opportunity to shine and leave a mark on the cultural zeitgeist.
That was the interview with our beloved creator Anthony Kolodziej. Our community is rising everyday, new talented filmakers and screenwriters get onboard. Be sure to check the rest of our interviews and why not schedule one for yourself to promote your work. To publish an interview simply submit on the INTERVIEW OF YOUR FILM category on our Filmfreeway page.
