Meevil the Weevil: Breakfast of Champions, 4min., USA
Directed by Kyle Arneson
Meevil https://filmfreeway.com/submissions/32428116#ff_javascriptthe Weevil is a little bug with big dreams of being a stuntman. “Breakfast of Champions” mixes stop motion animation with live action footage where we follow Meevil’s thrilling ride across a 1970s breakfast table on rocket roller skates.

https://www.instagram.com/stunt.bug/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
The film came about after developing the character as a hesitant hero with big dreams of grandeur. It's strongly inspired by the stunt men and women of the 1970's and 80's that I found so captivating back when the world was a little more shag-carpeted and wood-paneled. During this initial creative period I lost my father unexpectedly and it was at some point in the haze of the grieving process I realized that the relationship between Meevil, and Olis, his coach, mirrored that of my relationship to my father. So with that guiding light, the ethos of the project became clear and bringing it to reality became a goal for me as a way to honor my dad.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you
to make this film?
From idea to final prduct this film took 3 years to make. Nothing happens fast in stop motion animation, the puppet had to be designed and built, all of the props and sets were hand made and the entire film was shot one frame at a time.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Nostalgic fun!

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacles faced in completing this film were time and financing. Stop motion animation is the unique outlier in the field of animation that utilizes every artform and filmmaking department (illustration, sculpting, painting, puppet building, fabrication, set design, cinematography, rigging, lighting, VFX, post, etc) and requires a lot of time, space and hands to accomplish. Because this was an out of pocket venture with a very small crew it meant very incremental progress with a number of pauses in order to take on paying jobs to help propel forward momentum.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking
about your film in the feedback video?
It was so heartwarming and meaningful to hear that the film resonated with a group of thoughtful and earnest viewers. I was delighted to learn that the pacing felt right, that the humor landed as hoped and that the spirit of the project delivered as imagined.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I knew I wanted to make films and be involved in animation and puppetry since my first exposure to Jim Henson and the Muppets as a child. I started making stop motion films as a lad in the 80's, first just manipulating clay in front of a borrowed video camera and then progressing on to sculpting characters and telling epic (and entirely nonsensical) stories with a cast of strange creatures.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
This might be a 3-way tie between Henry Koster' Harvey, Stanley Donen's Charade and John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other
festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking
career?
Having recorded feedback is exceptionally meaningful and helpful so it's very hard to imagine anything else!

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your
experiences been working on the festival platform site?
It has been a mostly positive experience. We're slowly learning how to vet the thousands and thousands of festivals available through the site and how to maneuver the festival landscape a bit more thoughtfully.

10. What is your favorite meal?
I love all things Thai food! Either yellow curry with tofu or Pad See Ew (but really, just about any dish).

11. What is next for you? A new film?
We are diligently working to expand the Meevil the Weevil world into episodic stories. This character appeals to children and adults alike so finding that perfect balance is a very fun and challenging pursuit. I am also working on a faux-documentary feature film story about a fan that grew up with Meevil as his hero in the 70's and 80's and now, as an adult, is trying to reconnect with the Stunt Bug to bring him back into the public consciousness.