My guest, Tomer Eshed, directed three of the funniest animated shorts I’ve seen:

Our Wonderful Nature, which is about the water shrew’s secret mating habits:

https://vimeo.com/26632368

Flamingo Pride, which is about the only hetrosexual flamingo in a flamingo pride parade:

https://vimeo.com/62085792

And The Common Chameleon - which is about a chameleon with an insatiable appetite.

https://vimeo.com/167910027

Tomer’s currently directing his first feature length animated film in Germany, DRAGON RIDER, produced by Constantine films. Our conversation covered a wide range of topics, including:

- Why go for realistic CG animation, and how his stories could only be told that way.

- How he uses technical challenges to motivate his crew.

- How he went from releasing his thesis film into being offered to direct a feature film.

- The unique opportunities Germany offers to short film directors.

- Working in a distributed production structure.

- How overlapping stages (story and animation) can be bad but also good to a project.

- Why it is okay to cry from time to time.

The title image for this episode is from The Common Chameleon by Tomer Eshed.

Opening and closing song: "14 Days" by Akın Sevgör.

@akinsevgor

Next week I'll be back with Episode 4 featuring Aaron Nee, who along with his brother Adam, is attached to direct Sony Picture’s new “MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE” franchise reboot, as well as write Warner Brother’s MINECRAFT.