Tea time with The Alan Dimension
Interview with Jac Clinch, director of The Alan Dimension
Who or what is the inspiration for Alan? Are there any autobiographical elements in there?
The idea for Alan came from my own experience of very intense deja vu. I would feel like I’d seen a moment in a preceding dream, but I found it funny that these pre-ordained moments were incredibly mundane, like a meal or a new pair of shoes. Hence Alan was born: a man with the awesome ability to see the future, but uses his gift to foresee what’s for breakfast. As well as myself, there’s some of my parents in Alan and Wendy, and it’s fun to watch it with the Clinch family as there’s a lot of familiar mannerisms and turns of phrase.
Can you tell us about your background in animation and your animation “style”?
I experimented with stop-motion from a young age, but I discovered 2D animation in my second year of Kingston University, while studying “Illustration Animation” BA. During my third year a space opened up at the National Film and Television School for “Directing Animation” MA, and I leapt on the chance, despite not officially graduating yet!
My style takes after more traditional cartoons and comic strips (Beano, Calvin and Hobbes) with some of Richard Williams’ teachings mixed in. I love mixing techniques, especially drawn characters in a three-dimensional space, and trying to hide the boundary between the two media.
Are you keen to explore other genres? Live action or other genres of animation? What do you have coming up?
I have tried writing in other genres, but I find it hard to resist injecting comedy into scenes. Writing The Alan Dimension was the first time I had written a fully-fledged story, rather than a sketch or a series of gags, and I hope my writing continues to develop.
I recently wrote and directed my first live-action short Chops for Channel 4’s Random Acts program, which is now in post-production. It was a fantastic new experience, and very different from animation: more of a sprint than a marathon. I had to resist manipulating the actors’ every movement but did make an animatic before the shoot!
I am currently directing some animated sequences and developing treatments for longer formats.
Any cinematic coups de cœur in the past year you’d like to tell us about?
Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster was absolutely my cup of tea. A cruelly surreal world presented with a matter-of-fact tone and staunch manners. Its weirdness may have infected my new short: a hairdresser’s/restaurant where people eat hair.
If you’ve already been to Clermont-Ferrand, could you share with us an anecdote or story from the festival? If not, what are your expectations for this year?
The Alan Dimension‘s producer raved about her last trip, so I’m very much looking forward to my first time in Clermont-Ferrand and to seeing lots and lots of shorts!
Are any other releases scheduled ?
Anima 2017, Belgium
BAFTA Shorts Tour, UK
8th Roanne Animation Short Film Festival (Int’l Competition, Roanne, France)
4th International Motion Festival (Official Selection, Cyprus)
Are you taking part in other events during the Clermont–Ferrand Short Film Festival ? (Espressos, Conferences, other ?)
I’m scheduled to be in an Espresso. I look forward to finding out what that is.
The Alan Dimension is being shown in International Competition I7.
