Anthony Gaddis x We Transfer x Adobe Stock

Illustration by Ariel Davis for the Adobe Stock Short Film Fest

July 22, 2020

“We spoke to 13 filmmakers from around the world who decided to take a moment of global disruption, turn it upside down, and shake it to see what might fall out of its pockets. Duly inspired, they each made a short film which speaks to the power of creativity to rewrite the narrative in the face of challenging times. As for the future of creativity? It will never be the same – and that has never seemed so exciting.”

Some months into the global Covid-19 pandemic, I was approached by Adobe to participate in their first-ever Adobe Stock Short Film Festival, which was put on in conjuction with the file-transfer service We Transfer. Adobe offered full and free access to their stock libraries, as well as sound effects and music from their partner company, Epidemic Sound. As I had a vision for, and always wanted to make an animated video using nothing but green-screened stock video elements, I jumped at the opportunity. At that time, being completely locked inside for a few months, I had been interested in the idea of whether it was possible to make a video experience that would induce a mellowing, trance-like state - via color, movement and sound. I was thankfully able to consign my long-time partner in animation, Jon Lutjens, to the project.

“It was also an exercise in flow state, Anthony says. In lockdown, he found he could experience whole days at a time without any “smash cuts,” or interruptions to the flow of his process.”

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