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ERIK EVANS OF BOTTLE ROCKET PRODUCTIONS

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With a name like Bottle Rocket Productions - we suspect that you like fireworks?

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The name was inspired by my love of fireworks, true. Especially Bottle Rockets that I used to ignite in tubes that worked as a make-shift rocket-launcher. I would zip them into pools, ponds, the woods, you name it.

Bottle Rocket also captures childhood and fun and games and toys. Stu� I love. And that’s a big emphasis on what I am trying to do. I write, create, illustrate and sometimes animate my own projects geared towards the children’s market.

Furthermore, as an Art Director I work for a lot of Silicon Valley companies helping them tell their stories in marketing and development.

I know your a #PHILLY #Flyers fan, so explain how you arrived to live in the land of the #Kings ?


Well officially I live in the land of the Sharks, since San Jose is closest and they have a really good team as well. I follow them towards the playo�s but my heart remains with all my Philly teams - Flyers, Phillies, Sixers and Eagles. Pretty much other than the Eagles - they almost always suck. But I kind of love that too.I moved out to California shortly after college in 1996. Friends of mine moved first and I went to visit in late January of 1995. It was a vicious Winter, and I remember driving to the airport in sleet and freezing ice. The roads were a white-knuckled death ride.

5 Hours later I arrived in San Diego, and my friends had a place on the beach in La Jolla. It was incredible - January, 70 degrees, surfing, BBQ’s and Sunsets. I went back home to Philly, quit my crappy job and a short time later drove across country to live in La Jolla. Just me and my beloved Jack Russel terrier, Calvin. We never looked back.


Do you miss the East coast?

I do miss the East. I miss my family and friends, and the food - man, I miss the food. Cheese-steaks, hoagies, soft pretzels, Stromboli, thin crust pizza, water ice, Mack and Manco pizza in the summertime at the Jersey Shore. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Luckily I am back and forth a couple times a year.

Besides hockey, the West side plays hard in the entertainment industry, what trends do you see happening in #animation?


I think one of the big things I see is that computers and programs have become available to everyone. And therefore, more people are able to make, create, edit and output their own ideas quickly and cheaply. And they look awesome. The Creative Cloud made available from Adobe is amazing resource. I have everything at my fingertips on my laptop.

Also, what I see, is that an emphasis on story is key to selling any product. I see it in places like Chipotle, that has used animation and story to connect to the public and further enhance sales. “The Scarecrow” is one of the most beautiful and moving pieces of animation Ive seen in awhile. Great stu�.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE

Also, I see innovation in storytelling through devices like iPad and a cool new company like “Toy Talk” making games for kids that are completely immerssive and driven by storytelling- choices. We have just scratched the surface on how we tell stories and use animation on tablet devices. The future is exciting.

http://toytalk.com/about/team/


Is stop motion animation making a come back?

The success of “The Lego Movie” has created an interest in Stop-motion again. Even though that movie was made using 3-D Animation and modeling software, it had the feel of stop motion, something that a child might create. And that’s wonderful.

Also, the studio “Laika” is, for my money, making some of the best stop-motion movies imaginable right now, whether its stop motion or hand-drawn or computer animation, or film. They are just killing it.

And William Joyce and his MoonBot studio, are using all forms of animation to tell their stories, from Stop -motion to hand-drawn. They won an Academy Award for best short - and that used Stop-motion. Its a beautiful art form.

http://moonbotstudios.com/

My studio has put in several bids this year to work on commercial projects and the request has been stop-motion. I’m excited about that. My dream and goals are to grow my company similar to Moon Bot.


If Storytelling is about engaging an audience, does Bottle Rocket have any tips on how to make a Big Bang first impression?

Well, story is about connecting and conveying an emotion or emotions. Taking people or clients on a journey they recognize as both personal and universal.

And great characters. Thats something I always strive for is great, memorable characters. My kids, twins Jackson and Parker, are huge inspiration as well. I’ve written a character named “Janey Ryan” that is inspired by my daughter, Parker and I created “Maxx Zoom” with my son Jackson in mind.

What’s next for Bottle Rocket Studios - any secret projects you want to let fly?


My big focus for this next year is to get many of my intellectual properties out to the world. I have 4 or 5 stories that I’ve written and am now illustrating and I’m eager to find an audience for them.

“Maxx Zoom” is written as a comedic, episodic chapter book perfect for the third and fourth grade reader. I’m eager to get that in the hands of the right agent and publishing house.

“Janey Ryan” has been written as a feature length motion picture, and its a per-fect vehicle for a children’s property that could be serialized cartoons. I want to see that be made into I want to see that be made into video games and action figures. Its perfect for that.

And another personal story called “TeenOsaur” that I would like to see made into my first children’s book. Its a story written for my daughter and that is near and dear to my heart.

I have lots of embers starting to smoke and now its time to light that fuse and unleash Bottle Rocket on the world.

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