Alan Becker Gives Us 'The Chosen One'

One of the undeniably incredible things about animation is the ability of the animator/director to create whole imaginary worlds within the confines of a computer screen. But what if the action remained literally and resolutely inside the computer screen itself? Freelance animator Alan Becker started his 'Animator vs Animation' series in his late teens and has since completed the fourth in this series, along with a number of other imaginative animation experiments and his own YouTube tutorials page.

While each in his series is a brilliantly comic feat of storytelling-through-stickfigures, this latest installment is clearly the most complicated in terms of story, technique and even production value and was created largely thanks to fan-pressure and a successful Kickstarter fund. The aptly named stickfigure 'The Chosen One' that we met in the first ever episode reappears and wreaks havoc (again) on the digital life of the animator. Treating us to everything from an unlikely chase scene to an epic battle, all within the narrow confines of a desktop and iPhone, this clever spot certainly explores what it is possible to achieve in the smallest possible arena of expression.

We were fascinated by Alan's concept so tracked him down to find out more about where the idea started and why stickfigures were his chosen medium, while also picking his brains to find out more about his approach and if we can expect any more action-packed installments!

You can find Alan's profile and more unsigned directors on our Scout page.



You released your first ‘Animator vs. Animation’ at the humble age of 17. Where did it all begin and how did you get into animation?

I started my first animations by making animated GIFs  on the computer when I was around 10. I think I became fascinated by it through the TV show on PBS called ZOOM, where they featured a young boy who did animation as a hobby.

Why did you decide on a stick figure as the main character?

Stick figure animations were very popular on the internet at the time, so I wanted to have the animator draw something that a typical young animator would be drawing.

Considering all we see are stick figures, icons and the hands of the animator, was it a challenge to convey emotion and tone?

Yes, a fun challenge. I believe that Richard Williams, author of the Animator's Survival Kit, stated that if you can convey everything you want to convey through a stick figure, you're doing the job right.



I expect there was a LOT of planning/storyboarding before you even began. How long did the script/pre-production take you?

Maybe a few weeks. Before beginning, the only thing I made was a full storyline, which got edited as time went on. I didn't storyboard the animation because it existed on a flat 2D world in which camera angles don't exist. Also, much of the interface is out of my control, for example, I can't control how far the chat box is from the top of the window, those things are fixed by Facebook. I did storyboard the live action sequences.

From looking at the making of, it seems that even the apparently simple things on screen took an age to achieve. Were there any points where you thought you had bitten off more than you could chew, or wished you’d scaled back? (We’re glad you didn’t!)

I did scale back to finish this animation, actually. There were two scenes that I deleted from the original script, which were really good ideas for gags but didn't add anything to the plot or storyline. I have plans to turn those deleted scenes into shorter episodes.

Was there anything you wanted to put in the film but couldn’t?

A YouTube scene and a MacBook scene. Deleted due to time constraints and because they didn't add to the story.



Did you have help making any part of it?

Some of the live action scenes required an extra hand, namely the scene where I'm holding the laundry basket and when the camera pans up from my hand on the mouse to the keyboard. My friend Tomo helped with those shots.

The film utilises social media, graphic manipulation software and phone apps on-screen, so did you feel you were making the film for a tech-savvy audience?

Yes, this animation is meant to resonate with the whole spectrum of people who have ever used a computer for Facebook or an iPhone. The Flash Animation program is not a frequently used application, so when people watch it I want to give them a sense of wonder, like, "I don't know what's going on but I like it". But animators should catch the "inside jokes" I put in.

On that note your stick figure’s version of ‘ending’ the animator is through social media and his phone. To your mind what’s the worst damage he could conceivably cause or does the mind boggle?

It is a commentary on how much identity we associate with our Facebook profiles and our communication devices. A stick figure can destroy a computer but wouldn't do any harm to the animator himself, so instead he can attack his social life, which is accessible through the computer.



Judging by your Kickstarter campaign this latest ‘Animator vs. Animation’ was crowd-requested as well as crowd-funded. Was it mentally on the cards for you to do another or was it the fan pressure that made you take it on?

My teacher suggested it to me as I was about to graduate. It was a good idea, because I had such a foundation of fans, it would be smart to take advantage of it. Before that point, number three was the last one I would ever do.

Can we expect/hope for any more in the series?

Yes, I have plans for shorter episodes. They wouldn't be labeled with numbers, like V or VI, but with episode titles.



The film not only showcases your wicked animation skills, but also some nifty ‘on-screen’ software techniques. Have you ever thought of creating a ‘how to’ guide in the same style? (Maybe with the stick figure as the teacher?)

Haha, not as elaborate as having the stick figure as the teacher, but I do plan to answer people's questions in tutorial form, some people have asked about how to make your own Facebook chat box. I would make those in the same style as my current tutorials, just walking through it onscreen.

At one point your stick figure animates himself as well as the world around him. If you could do the same what would you do?

If I could animate the world around me? I would probably just go crazy and make anything and everything until I've run out of interest and ideas.

What’s next for you now, any exciting projects on the horizon?

I'm making plans for a mini episode involving Minecraft.