Rider On The Storm: a stop-motion animated film

In the ever-evolving world of animation, one independent studio dares to push the envelope. Located on a mountain top, surrounded by fields and forests Grateful Motion Studios’ unique setting provides the freedom and space to create exceptional works of art. The latest project from Harrison Killian, founder of Grateful Motion Studios, is an animated short film Rider On The Storm.

Rider On The Storm

What sets Rider On The Storm apart from other animated films is its groundbreaking animation technique, developed by Harrison Killian, that fuses the artistry of stop-motion with the precision of CGI to create imagery that blurs the line between reality and animation. The result is a visual experience that leaves the audience questioning if what they saw was animated or real.

Producer Harrison Killian is also a sculptor whose knowledge of human anatomy and movement enables the creation of characters that are incredibly lifelike. Primarily self-taught, he has fine-tuned his ability to recreate human anatomy and movement, allowing him to bring characters and stories to life with remarkable realism and authenticity.

**Fig. 1 - Building *Rider On the Storm*’s characters.**

Rider On the Storm - Character Design

Each character, body and head, are a 1:6 scale sculpt, is hand-sculpted, molded, and cast in silicone over a ball and socket armature that acts as a skeleton (Figs. 1-3). The meticulous attention to detail ensures that everything, down to the smallest digit, articulates seamlessly. The silicone, with its skin-like texture, mimics the displacement and wrinkling of real skin, adding to the hyper-realistic illusion (see below). The narrative of Rider On The Storm is just as compelling as its animation technique. Culled from a feature-length screenplay that has been lauded with high industry scores, the script is designed to evoke emotions, inspire imaginations, and resonate deeply with viewers. This emotionally gripping and humorous story is poised to captivate audiences of all ages.

Rider On The Storm tells the story of a young boy named Rider. Orphaned at the age of seven, he endures a decade of bullying by other orphans and abuse at the hands of the Head Matron. His only solace are his dreams of freedom and life outside the orphanage. At seventeen Rider finally stands up to the biggest bully in the orphanage, a turning point in his life. Then, facing the wrath of the Head Matron, he makes a desperate run for it, leading him to the dense woods behind the orphanage and up a steep cliff that rises up behind the orphanage, dislodging a large boulder. Unbeknownst to Rider, it crashes down the cliff and through the forest bouncing onto the orphanage yard, landing on the Head Matron, killing her instantly. After a frozen night on a campground picnic table, Rider continues to run and finds himself on the edge of an overpass. Below, a train speeds past. With the belief that he has finally achieved his dream of freedom, he takes a leap of faith, landing on the moving train, unaware that the boulder has killed the Matron and he is wanted for her murder. The film ends with Rider looking out at the world, a mix of fear and exhilaration on his face as he speeds away atop the train. The final shot leaves the audience with a sense of uncertainty about his future, creating a powerful and enduring image of the value of freedom. This riveting narrative was culled from Harrison’s feature-length screenplay, which landed the Red List on Cover Fly. The short is the first chapter of the feature screenplay, being produced to introduce this mind-blowing animation technique, and as such, stand on its own. The Studio’s future plan is to then use the short film as a teaser to fundraise and market the feature film.

The feature-length screenplay, a poignant tale of resilience, courage, and the quest for freedom will be set against the backdrop of the counter-culture era of the 60s. The story follows Rider’s journey across the US to the Golden Gate Bridge to set his mother’s ashes free, and in so doing, frees himself from the mental prison he had been in. Along his journey Rider is confronted with the brutish realities of rural America in the late 1960s, from the bigotry and hatred of small-town America to the promise of freedom found in the Vietnam era counter-culture and the chaos of living through it.

Rider meets Jim, a war torn Vietnam Vet and together they are forced into the lives of a thieves, leaving a wake of warrants in their path, with only intentions of innocent young men trying to survive. Rider meets Jim hiding in the train car he landed on. Jim fought in the name of freedom for his country and came home to find himself unwelcome and ostracized for his role in the war. The two are at odds as they flee from being caught by the Bulls that guard the train, and slowly bond as they wind up crossing the country together. The film depicts Jim’s experiences in Viet Nam as he recounts them to Rider, bringing the audience into the atrocities that were the fight in the name of freedom there. The two befriend a stray dog they name Buddy and Rider meets a girl running from the very type of family he had always wished he had. The life lessons are as applicable then as they are today, as seen through the eyes of his uncle and nephew, who discover his story in a box of photos and journals he left behind for them to find.

This short film and the feature-length to follow will showcase an emotionally compelling story. This is a serious tale told with adventure and side splitting humor with imagery that will leave the viewer wondering if what they saw was live or animated. This unique animation style is destined to create a timeless piece of art that truly pushes the boundaries of what an animated film can be.

Fig. 4 - Building the world of ***Rider On The Storm***.

Harrison Killian is no stranger to acclaim. His previous animated short has been screened or won awards at over 20 film festivals globally, including prestigious events like Sundance, Mill Valley, and Catalina. With Rider On The Storm, Grateful Motion Studios aims to build on this success and create a timeless, award-winning film. As an independent studio, creating this film without compromising the original vision of the artist is not without challenges. Grateful Motion Studios has launched a Kickstarter campaign to generate the necessary funding for Rider On The Storm.

Your contribution can play a pivotal role in realizing this groundbreaking project. Whether by making a donation or simply sharing the campaign with your friends and family, every bit of help counts. In recognition of your support, Grateful Motion Studios will honor you with a shout-out on the official film page. This is your chance to become a part of a pioneering project and help redefine the boundaries of animation.

Link to Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rideronthestormfilm/rider-on-the-storm-animated-short.

**Article published: October 6, 2023**

Biography

Harrison Killian is a musician and producer of animated films. He resides on a mountaintop in Liberty, located in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Primarily self-taught, he has thus far created all aspects of his films using his own combination of stop-motion animation and CGI. He sculpts and fabricates the characters, writes the scripts, and designs and builds the sets. He also plays percussion, bass, keyboard, and guitar. The musical scores for his films utilize both music recorded by other artists, and music that he plays, records and arranges. His last stop-motion animated short film, Dream With Me, is a music video produced in collaboration with the songwriter. Though primitive compared to the animating techniques he has since developed, Dream With Me has been screened and/or won awards in 21 film festivals globally and throughout the US including Sundance, Mill Valley, Catalina, and is available on Amazon Prime. Harrison is currently producing Rider On The Storm, a short film that is a scene from a feature-length screenplay he wrote and is also currently in the process of pre-production.