OoL: Origin(s) of Life

OoL, Origin(s) of Life, in production this August, is a new handimated short film, dramatically illustrating theories behind the origin of life from a microbial perspective. It is soon to be brought to a random West coast film festival near you by the creative team of Raven and Brandon, collective experts in biochemistry, toy-based filmmaking, and the construction of elaborate characters and props from bolts of sparkly fabric and popsicle sticks.

By way of explanation, I had wanted to hyperlink "handimation" to some brilliant Wikipedia dissertation on the topic, but the internet is surprisingly bereft of data about this popular filmmaking technique, in which hands move objects around, e.g., those persistently ticket-hawking paper bags of Fandango infamy. Suffice it to say that Brandon has a storied history of handimated filmmaking and set design from his long-distant days in the choose-your-own-major program of a chimerical Californian university, followed by years of editing films as a profession, and thus brings some heavyweight credentials to the handimation craft. For her substantial part, Raven has an impressive biochemical education and a mean way with a needle and thread, forming both the backbone of OoL's scientific ideals, and the form and substance of its principal characters. More of her creative work in the arena of science can be seen at madewithmolecules.com.

Various novice voice talents have been drafted to play key roles; see more at the tiny dog flickr photo stream. Tiny dog herself is potentially up for a role or two, and brings to this effort her experience as "Doll #2" in Brandon's notorious 1994 doll-based murder mystery, "Another Day."

Stay tuned for future updates on the making of OoL, and its eventual triumphant run in a random film festival in your neighborhood. In the meantime, see the trailer here.