Jim (2004)

Ok this film needs an introduction. This film started out as a satire of films being made at the same time (from what I was seeing at festivals and my own films :P) where the main character would v/o how miserable his life is and if only his achey heart could heal and at the end some pretty girl would turn up change his life or something. I hated that, it felt like writers were living out their fantasies. So this was an anti film to that. Also I was dragging in elements from around me with my friends and myself whinging about how bad everything is. So I decided to give this film a message "shut up it's not so bad you could be being mauled by a bear" which I think is a great message they should give it out at gift stores, put it on the back of cars or whatever.



Some interesting production notes where:

• The piano music composed by Alison Derby each song title was variations of "Tim is poo", "Tim likes poo" and "Tim eats poo". Such classy titles for such beautiful piano loops. This is what happens when you don't pay your crew.
• This contained my first time using traditional hand drawn animation. Mostly I draw straight into flash but for the sequence where Jim was running inside I used pencil in paper (of course I coloured it all in flash)
• The movie stubbs for their first date was for the movie "Raging Bull".
  
• I designed Jim's apartment with a Dutch cultural Nick knacks. Such as the plates on the wall of windmills and the Porcelain figurines on the TV. (The chairs from Africa... I don't know what I was thinking with those)
  
• The Bear was based on my amusement of Yogi bear. I loved how they gave the bear a collar so you wouldn't realise they were replacing the head when they did lipsync. Also hats and ties on bears is funny. This bear is making a few appearances in the Cat and Rabbit universe
• The bear sounds were stolen (gasp!) from a nature doco. I don't know what one I'll have to get that info from Adrian.
  
• Perrina did all my scouting for voice talent and would send me audio clips and I would judge who I wanted. When I went over to record the voice for "Jim" I came to realise that the actor had recently had a partner who had left him and they had planted a tree together. So I got to say that was a real awkward experience (Thanks Perrina! haha)
• Another thing about the actor was during takes he ...uh had a few drinks. Amusing times with the line "A beer? A BEER!"
• The film was screened for the last Sunset Cinemas "Grassroots". Possibly the greatest festival that WA had. Unfortunately that company lost the rights to the Kings Park venue which is now been take over by Moonlight cinemas who don't hold a short film competition. I should be more annoyed by this but people in WA know how to fuck up a good thing.
• My favourite comment about this film was yelled at the screen by a guy sitting near us at the Grassroots festival. "THAT'S STUPID, WHY WAS THERE EVEN A BEAR IN IT!". He didn't have any problems that it has a hat and tie or that really doesn't even look like a bear (I should have at least used one reference photo).
  

Jim

Written and Directed by

Timothy Merks

Jim: Anthony Dunn

Macintosh: Jonathon Shearer

Doctor: Claire Housden Monet

Music by: Alison Derby

Sound by: Adrian Tolman/Perrina Bozanich

Edited by: Perrina Bozanich