HEROmation’s award-winning short, animated film, The Wrong Rock, was released today YouTube. Written and directed by Michael Cawood, the film is a tale of equality told through the adventures of a mushroom.
The film has screened at film festivals around the world including Tokyo, Chile, London, Athens, Ireland, Bermuda, and throughout the United States. The Wrong Rock won Best Animated Short at both the Burbank International Film Festival and the Davis International Film Festival.
The Wrong Rock is an indie film made entirely through the virtual studio model. Hundreds of artists from all over the world collaborated online with the Artella platform. Lead by Michael Cawood, the team created the 3D CGI animation in Maya and rendered with Redshift. Some of Cawood’s previous credits include Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Pete’s Dragon, Bumblebee, The Lego Ninjago Movie, and Happy Feet. Cawood’s latest short film, Devils, Angels & Dating, has garnered over 17.7M views to date.
“I wanted to tap into the themes that affected me as an immigrant,” says writer and director Michael Cawood. “Before we can change the world, we must put aside our differences. After all, we’re all on the same rock!”
The soundtrack includes an original song created by the band, The Mrs., and a score by BAFTA award-nominated composer Grant Kirkhope, whose credits include iconic video games such as Donkey Kong Country, Golden Eye, Banjo Kazooie, and Mario-Rabbids.
“Coordinating artists from all over the world is a fun challenge, and it was incredible to see how passionate the team was about the film’s themes. Being on a video call with animators from Spain, Canada, Iran and beyond was really exciting,” recalls producer Julie Pifher.
Visit http://TheWrongRock.com to watch the film and a behind-the-scenes documentary.
About HEROmation
HEROmation is an independent animation company specializing in story and visual development for television, film, and commercials. Based in Los Angeles, HEROmation often utilizes the virtual studio model to benefit from a global talent pool. The company owns the IP of several science fiction books, and has a robust slate of current film and TV pitches. Official website: http://heromation.com.