Animation

Fresh Cut Grass

Fresh Cut Grass is a short, yet emotional, tale from Boulder Media’s Creative Director, Robert Cullen. The story is about a wide-eyed young pup merrily making his way from the blossomy smells of the idyllic countryside to the neon lights of the bustling city.

Journeying to visit his big sister, the young pup is quickly exposed to the frantic nature of city life. His trip suddenly descends into a world of depravity that he was not prepared for. The surprising tonal flip at the start of the tale is flipped again with a heart-crunching ending, that is sure to have your tears welling up. Somewhere in between the optimistic beginning and touching conclusion is the most unsettle use of the novelty song “(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?” that you are likely to hear.

The idea for the short was conceived by Cullen over 10 years ago. In that time, he had constructed the majority of the short in his head before ever putting anything on to paper. To help him bring the story to life, for us all to see, was a team of around 25 animators. Cullen spent around 6 months on the pre-production, in his own time, then the core production took around 8 weeks. It was animated in Flash, with Photoshop backgrounds, and After Effects composition.

Fresh Cut Grass was screened at festivals worldwide, winning Best Animation at the Galway Film Fleadh 2014, the Audience Choice Award at the Dublin Animation Film Festival, Best Animation at UKFF 2014, and Best Animation at the Delhi Shorts International Film Festival.

Established back in August 2000, Boulder Media is one of Ireland’s largest animation studios. In 2014, the Irish studio was commissioned by CBBC to reboot the loved childhood classic Danger Mouse. The series, directed by Robert Cullen, premiered 28 September 2015. You can read an interview with Robert Cullen and Paul O’Flanagan about Danger Mouse on Cartoon Brew.

Credits

Writer and Director: Robert Cullen
Animation: Boulder Media

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