Month: March 2011

Award-winning Nashville animator Mike Salva is taking his latest film POUND DOGS to the people. His animated comedy — about two dogs talking about eating cat poo and waiting for adoption at an animal shelter — is now a Kickstarter Project seeking funding. Here’s the pitch video:

Kickstarter (launched in 2009) is an exciting online pledge system that allows for funding of creative projects ranging from independent films to music to inventions. Salva is looking to raise at least $2500 to pay for the audio on POUND DOGS, which will be a 10 minute animated short to be completed by the end of this Summer.

After working in more traditional hand drawn 2D animation, Salva is experimenting with a new technique by making his canine cartoon characters out of clay and then baking them in the oven. He says it’s the first cartoon he’s made “in his kitchen.” By supporting this production, donors will be helping to fund the recording and sound editing for the film. The voice performers will include Nashville comedians Ryan Williams and Sean Parrott, as well as singer Samantha Newark (who played Jem & Jerrica on the animated “Jem” series), filmmaker/music producer/songwriter/ singer Steve Taylor, and Andy Merrill (who has voiced several well-known characters on TV’s Adult Swim).

People contributing to the project will have a unique opportunity to support an independent filmmaker. To encourage donations, Salva is offering some fun incentives including a barking dog ringtone (performed by Williams & Parrott, who play the dogs in the film), a chance to have your pet thanked in the credits, a DVD copy of the finished film, and a 15-minute Skype Session with Samantha Newark for those contributing at the $200 level.

For a mere $125, though, you can receive an Associate Producer credit on the film and be listed on IMDb! Will this impress your friends? Indeed it will!

Previously, Salva has made MAX THE HERO, which screened at many international film festivals and won several awards. The cartoon features “Mystery Science Theater 3000’s” Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett. He also made DEATH ROW DIET, which stars Jonathan Katz (from TV’s “Dr. Katz”) and Tom Leopold.

Salva is available for interviews to discuss the film and the Kickstarter project, and about the creativity needed not only to make a film these days but also to find ways to fund it.

The Kickstarter project is at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/projectmeatball/help-out-the-pound-dogs (or: http://kck.st/dJCUzq )

More information on Salva and his work is available at www.projectmeatball.com.