Scratch, Crackle & Pop: The Whole grains approach to making films without a camera

As I spent more time presenting my films at workshops, master classes and retrospectives, I fielded an ever-increasing amount of questions from my peers concerning the technique of painting and scratching on film. So I created a book to make these processes available to artists, students, teachers and the general public. A “manual” of handmade animation film techniques titled, Scratch, Crackle & Pop: A whole grains approach to making films without a camera. It highlights 30 years of aesthetic discoveries that I have made in super–8, 16 mm and 35 mm animated/experimental film production.  And, to enrich the reader’s understanding of my process, I also enclosed a DVD compilation of short films that I have created between 2000 and 2014.

Today, there exist a very limited number of books on handmade film. There are even fewer practical “guidebooks” on the subject of handmade film techniques. In 2010, I decided to self-publish my first filmmaking cookbook, Recipes For Reconstruction: The Cookbook for the Frugal Filmmaker. This do-it-yourself manual not only helped me promote my visibility in the field of cameraless filmmaking, it also reminded me how few artist books exist to inspire experimental filmmakers.[1]

This second instructional book is intended to convince developing artists to try simple, inexpensive handmade filmmaking techniques such as, paining, scratching, batiking and bleaching directly onto the surface of the film.

 Technical Layout:

Scratch, Crackle & Pop is divided into three distinctive sections. Each part highlights the qualities and characteristics of a particular technique that I’ve used in my process (i.e. scratching, painting and brikolage) and  includes a list the tools and tips for creating a successful film. Hand–drawn diagrams, film stills and photographs are added to support the physical production steps. Each chapter references  several films on the accompanying DVD. Mr. Marco DeBlois, the animation curator from the Cinematheque Quebecoise has graciously agreed both curate and edit the book for historical accuracy.

Title: “Scratch, Crackle & Pop: The Whole grains approach to making films without a camera.” 
Pages: 108
Binding: perfect bound, colour and black and white