My name is Evan DeRushie, and I'm the director of The Fox and the Chickadee, a 6 minute stop-motion animated film. I wrote this children's fable around 4 years ago- around the same time I started working as a stop-motion animator. While building on my animation skills in a studio environment, I continued developing this story, and I've finally decided to go ahead to produce it myself.

Through my connection to Cuppa Coffee animation studio in Toronto, I've put together a team of stop-motion specialists to work on this project. These dedicated individuals are the best in their field, and have signed on to this project in support of a good story with a low-budget.

You can help!

I plan to make this film with a budget of $15,000. The National Film Board of Canada is contributing some partial funding, but most of it will be coming out of my pocket. Funds that are donated to this campaign will go towards the materials for puppets and sets. The main part of the story will be fully-detailed puppets made of fur and feathers, with a giant snowy forest set. The materials have been estimated to cost around $2000, so that's what I've set as my goal. Any contributions above this will go towards paying the talented people I'm working with.

I've tried to include something for everybody in the perks. The workshops are the most valuable things I can offer- I'll be sharing the professional skills I've developed as a filmmaker and stop-motion animator. Also on the table is an aerial circus lesson- donated by the talented Emily Hughes- where you'll learn the unique art of circus on various apparatus (silks, hoop, trapeze). Any of these workshops are a great way to help me while picking up some new skills for yourself.

Because of the amount of money and time I'm investing into this project, it won't be shown online when it's finished. My plan is to take it to festivals, and hopefully get it shown in schools. But you don't have to miss out- come see it at a screening, or take home a DVD of your own to watch it anytime! 

No money?

No sweat. Whether you're interested in investing in this project or not, I encourage you to share this campaign with everyone you've ever met. You know how it works: the more people who see it, the more chances I have to meet my goal.