Interview By Ninichi | Contact | Follow
Towards the end of last year, I was contacted by Hannah Chung, a really talented animation student at Sheridan College, to work on the music and original score for her animated film Curiosity Killed. After seeing the film and imagining how it would develop, I was super excited to work on this with Hannah.
We wanted the music to be playful and upbeat, with a hint of jazz / swing but not to be overly happy in order to support this imaginative story about a kid who uses his imagination to solve a murder!
Curiosity Killed has finally been completed and I’m really excited to share Hannah’s wonderful work with you. She’s also been kind enough to share a bit of background on her and where the story came from too. So, let’s see what this short film and filmmaker is all about…
Who are you and how did you get into creating film creation and animations?
’My name is Hannah Chung and I'm currently a fourth year animation student and Sheridan college, working on my thesis film, Curiosity Killed. Initially, I applied for the program just to improve my draftmanship skills, but ended up appreciating the film making process. I'm more of an animator than a storyboard artist or a director, so making this film was kind of a struggle initally, but so far, it's been quite fun. This is my first independent film, but I also was the leading character animator in the group film, "Love Struck", which to my knowledge, has not been published.’
What’s Curiosity Killed about and where did the idea come from?
’Curiosity Killed is about a young kid who imagines a world where he's a detective in order to solve the murder of a rat he found in his room. It's filled with crayon drawings and changing worlds, much like how kids like to doodle on to paper. This idea initially came to me in the middle of the night when I had trouble sleeping. I just sat up as my mind and I was like, "I gotta write this down", so I took out my phone and wrote a huge list of what came into my head. However, that idea wasn't what I used for my film, as I realised that my first idea was much too complicated for a 1-2 minute film. It went from being a story about a kid-detective who had a butler that murdered to keep the kid's passion for crime solving fuelled, to a story about how a kid pretend fighting his cat for killing a mouse. Although I did have to sacrifice some elements, it was a good decision to cut it down.’
What’s special about this film?
’I think the art direction is pretty different, at least from what I've done in the past. I'm used to having a more graphic style with not a lot of colour, but this film is filled with warm colours, has a variety of styles - going from childish scribbles to a cleaner, more realistic style. The animation is also made using 2D rigs, something that I don't see often come out of student films. I've been told that my rigs look 3D and rotate naturally despite being 2D, so I'm pretty proud of them.’
What role does music play in Curiosity Killed and how do you feel about how it’s come out?
’I wanted the music to reflect the mind of the kid in the film. Even though the film would be about solving a murder, it was also about a kid having fun.
From finding the body to fighting the villain, Ninichi set the mood perfectly and really got what I was shooting for. She has been incredibly understanding, professional, responsive, and an all around very pleasant person to work with!
I decided to work with Ninichi because of her ability to use different styles of music was impressive, and she seemed quite established in her portfolio. She was very thorough in making sure she understood what kinds of moods I wanted and was constantly communicating along the way. I would definitely work with her again if I end up making another film.’
What are you plans for the film? Where can we see it?
‘The film is now finished and I am thinking of applying it to film festivals in the future. You can find it on Youtube or via my portfolio site (hannahchungportfolio.com), where you will be able to see extra animations and visual development of this film.’
Will you be creating other films?
‘Currently, I don't have any plans of making more films, but I may make more rigs and post small animations of them up on my website and/or instagram (@chungohann).’
So there you have it folks! I was really honoured to work with Hannah on the original music for this wonderful film. I hope you all like it and continue to support Hannah with her future filmmaking!
About the Author:
Ninichi is a freelance composer passionate about creating music for film, games and media.
Need help with music? Check out her film music page for examples of her work & contact her to explore working together.
