Artist Interview: Jeremy, Huang Ji and Derrick

Eat Pray Bird is the graduation film of Jeremy Teo, Huang Ji and Derrick Fun, made during their final year at NTU School of Art, Design and Media (ADM). In November, their CG animated short made waves across Asia, winning the “Special Mention Award” at the 18th DigiCon6 ASIA Awards Ceremony held in Tokyo, Japan. This was after they clinched the “Next Generation Award” in the Regional Awards (Singapore), and was invited to represent Singapore at the competition in Tokyo.

Synopsis:
An apprentice monk is tasked to endure 7 grueling days without food or rest in a secluded bamboo forest amongst the mountain peaks. The monk came prepared with food to cheat, but was held back by his master’s presence. A hungry bird steals his food and now he has to get his food back without alerting his master. The bird however, proved to be an evenly matched adversary, and the monk grows desperate while he struggles for survival. In the delicate balance between the master’s watchful gaze and the feathered annoyance, the monk finds enlightenment in the most unexpected way.

Cartoons Underground: Could you tell us more about what got you all into animation? Your inspirations and influences?

Jeremy: I loved illustration, comics, video games and manga while growing up, and chose to major in animation as it seems the closest fit to my interests. I never imagined that it would draw me into its wholesome nature as a visual storytelling form. My main influences include James Jean’s illustrations, Kinu Nishimura of Capcom, Eiichiro Oda’s story genius, Final Fantasy IX, and director Brad Bird.
Derrick: I grew up watching a lot of anime and playing a lot of games, it would be a dream for me to work on a renowned title seeing my creations come to life on screen. My inspirations and influences come mainly from the stuff that I watch in my childhood and teenage years: Ridley Scott for Blade Runner, Mamoru Oshii for Ghost in the Shell, Hideaki Anno for Neon Genesis Evangelion, to name a few.
Huang Ji: Most of my inspiration came from watching cartoons growing up. I grew to love CG animated films like Toy Story, and the fact that I loved playing games naturally led to me studying animation.

CU: What was the seed inspiration for your film Eat, Pray, Bird and how did the story develop?

Jeremy: Huang Ji and Derrick were developing an idea about a monk and his test of virtue. In trying to push the story further, I realized that the team’s strengths favored comedy more so than a serious film about morality, with Huang Ji’s exaggerated and snappy animation style and Derrick’s bright beautiful paintings.
Derrick: If I were to put it into one word, it would be determination. We rolled with the idea of a young and foolhardy monk stuck between two influences. Between obligation and desire, it creates a dilemma and an internal dialogue within the monk for us to play around with.
Huang Ji: Comedy and light-hearted films are my favourite, as they leave the audience with a feel-good emotion, especially after a long stressful day. That was what inspired me to come up with an idea that is playful and fun, to brighten people’s day and put a smile on their face.

At the DigiCon6 ASIA award ceremony in Tokyo