3D World:  What did you give up to make Henry’s Garden?

Moon:  That's a good question.  My sanity?  :-)  Most people I know comment upon the "freedom" of doing your own work, but there's quite a bit of sacrifice involved.  I walked away from a steady career with a six figure salary.  More significantly, I removed all anchors in terms of the daily structure of work and the presence of colleagues.  I think that's something I took for granted.  The amount of mental discipline that working home alone requires didn't cross my mind at first.  It's quite stressful, because it's all on you.  In the end however, I think that what I gained - my independence and my creative voice - has been more than worth anything I gave up.

3D World:  And why did you decide to make Henry’s Garden? Why that particular film?

Moon:  I wanted to tell a simple story with some emotional resonance.  Thematically, "Henry's Garden" dealt with ideas regarding the encroachment of technology on nature that Kevin (my husband and collaborator) and I had explored 10 years earlier in painting, sculpture and photography.  But I wanted to create something that the audience felt in their heart, rather than appreciated on an intellectual level.  Henry really came alive for me in the process of making the film.  He feels like my child.

3D World:  How long did it take you to make Henry’s Garden?

Moon:  About 2.5 years, from initial story development to final film master.

3D World:  In how many festivals did you enter the short? And you had 9 nominations or wins?

Moon:  Kevin handled most of the promotion and distribution for "Henry's Garden".  He researched a bunch of festivals online and in books, and then made a list of around 200 to enter.  We were accepted into almost 70 of those, and received awards of various nature in 9.  Kevin puts the laurels up on our website, because that's what everybody does, but I don't think about them at all.  If you start thinking about the awards as meaningful, then you have to start thinking about the rejection as meaningful.  For me, the experience of making the film - and hopefully communicating something with it - is what's meaningful.

3D World:  Why enter the film into festivals?

Moon:  Um, because they're there?  :-)  Festivals are a great way to get your work seen around the world by group audiences, theatrically projected at large scale.  "Henry's Garden" has enjoyed a level of exposure that none of our traditional artwork ever could.  Of course, I've only been able to attend a few screenings in person, so most of the time you just sort of send it out there, and after a while it comes back and it seems like nothing really happened.  But then you receive an unexpected email from someone in Poland or Germany, expressing how they were touched or inspired by the film, and the reality of that long-distance connection sinks in. 

3D World:  How did you select which festivals to enter?

Moon:  Kevin chose a variety of festivals on his list of 200, ranging from the major venues to lesser-known festivals, both in the United States and overseas.  Chris Gore has a good book on scouting and selecting festivals which are appropriate to your particular film, but it's still ultimately a shot in the dark.

3D World:  Why do you think it did well at festivals?

Moon:  Well, "did well" is a big term.  :-)  It toured around the world for over 3 years and picked up some recognition, so I suppose that's something.  And we've received positive responses from those who have seen it.  People seem to respond to Henry's gentle nature and care about what happens to him, so on that level I consider it successful.  It's ironic that the film has received a more positive response in Europe than it has here in the United States.  I think it appeals more to the European sensibility.  It's certainly not the type of "ha ha" funny animated short that I think American audiences expect to see.

3D World:  Did you use an automated submission package (eg. Withoutabox)? Why? Or Why not?

Moon:  At the time that we were circulating "Henry's Garden", automated submission tools like Withoutabox were just starting to appear.  I think that Kevin used automated submissions for some festivals, but most of his entries were "manual".  Regardless of the entry form delivery, putting those packets together (film, press kit, stills, etc...) took a lot of time and money.

3D World:  You’re also distributing the short online via iFilm. Why is that? How’s that worked for you?

Moon:  iFilm contacted us after seeing "Henry's Garden" at a festival, and asked if we would submit it to their site.  "Henry's Garden" is intended to be viewed theatrically on film, but since it had already been touring the festivals for some time and the Academy submissions were behind us, we figured that the added exposure provided by iFilm wouldn't hurt.  Of course, I'm not sure how much it's helped, either.  According to our iFilm page, tens of thousands of people have viewed it online, but there's nothing in it for us other than that statistic.  Basically, you're providing them with free content at your expense.  That's the fate of the independent filmmaker, I guess.  :-)

3D World:  Did you look for any DVD or broadcast distribution deals?

Moon:  We've been approached by a number of distributors, but the terms were always hard to swallow.  So we didn't.  Instead, we decided to produce and sell our own DVD.  And while we haven't sold many, we're not splitting the profits with anyone, so we've probably taken in more than we would in one of those other deals.  That being said, this certainly has not been a money-making enterprise.  More like a money-burning enterprise.  :-)

3D World:  What impact has the success of Henry’s Garden had on your career?

Moon:  I think that remains to be seen.  It's made me more confident in my storytelling abilities, and has inspired me to pursue greater goals, such as developing a feature.  There's more creative energy in my life than there was when I was a studio hand. 

3D World:  Did you get an agent/manager on the basis of Henry's Garden?

3D World:  Did you go back to work in any of the studios, or are you now working fulltime on the new short and feature proof of concept?

Moon:  I'm currently working fulltime on my next animated short, "My Friend Shadow", as well as developing a treatment for an animated feature with the working title of "A Green Winter".  I've had offers to return to the studios and work on various films, and although the money and the secure routine are tempting, I find the thought of going back depressing - like this was something that I just had to get out of my system.  As unsupported and frustrating as working independently can be, I can't walk away from it.  To quote Joseph Campbell, "Follow your bliss."  Of course, it helps to have a sugar daddy while you're following your bliss.  :-)

3D World:  Why make another short?

Moon:  I ask myself that very question almost every day!  I suppose the most fundamental reason is that I have another story to tell.  I wanted to do something more involved, and also work with a group of volunteers this time around as preparation for directing a larger crew in the future.  There's narration, dialogue, multiple characters and extensive sets in "My Friend Shadow", so it's proved to be more challenging than "Henry's Garden", even with the extra help.  Having finished one, I thought this would be easier - but it's been anything but.

3D World:  What advice would you give an animator hoping to become a director, and about to embark on his first animated short?

Moon:  I guess that advice would be best summed up by our "Top Ten Principles of Home-Grown CGI Production", which we delivered at SIGGRAPH during an animation sketch on "Henry's Garden".  The presentation can be found on our website, but in short that advice would be:  10) Make The Rules  9) Break The Rules  8) Use What You've Got  7) Keep It Simple  6) Keep An Eye On Your Dog (If It Can Go Wrong, It Will)  5) There's No Such Thing As Paranoia When It Comes To Backups  4) See It Big  3) See It Through The Eyes Of Others  2) Be Persistent,  and finally:  1) If You're Satisfied With The Result, You Haven't Learned Anything

3D World:  Based on your experience with Henry’s Garden, would you promote your next short film differently in the future?

Moon:  I think we'll try to time the release and promotion of "My Friend Shadow" a little better, and be more proactive about our presence on the web and in the trades.  For example, we know in hindsight that it would have been better to let "Henry's Garden" tour the festival circuit for a year and then submit it for Academy consideration at the end of 2003, rather than rush it in for consideration as a relative unknown in 2002.  There is a building of momentum and peaking of awareness with independent films which is similar to that of studio releases.

3D World:  What career path are you hoping for in the future?  Presumably directing the feature?  Is the plan for Kevin to produce under your own production company but with studio finance?  Are you also writing the feature script?

Moon:  I want to write and direct my own animated feature film, and Kevin wants to make that happen.  He recently outlined an 8-year plan which has us releasing "A Green Winter" independently in 2013.  I laughed when I saw it because it seems like such a dream right now, but you have to start somewhere.  We have development boards hanging in our home studio, and are working on a revision of our initial treatment, so... who knows?  Anything's possible.