They can make you smile, or they can make you cry.
When the Affolter brothers set out to make a film, it doesn’t matter if they’re creating a comedic spot with animated fruits and vegetables or recreating a Tennessee diner in the midst of the civil rights movement. For them, the story comes first.
“All four of us bring different different things to the table, so we can really swing both ways. We can do dramatic, intense work with actors that’s moving, compelling and can make you think, or we can do something that just brings a smile to your face,” said Thomas, the youngest of the four.
And now they’ve been recognized by the Telus Story Hive contest, which awarded them a $10,000 grant to create their next film alongside four other winners from B.C. Their piece “Soggy Flakes” will be a five-minute spoof about washed up breakfast cereal mascots.
“We had this idea of making a short stop-motion film about breakfast cereal mascots who are out of work because of our health food society. They all have this support group and they gripe and reminisce about the past,” said Jon.
“We pitched that and it was a one-day 24 hour voting period where we had to get as many people from BC and Alberta to vote.”
And now that they’ve made the cut, they’ll be given access to industry professionals who will advise them as they head into pre-production. Filming will commence in February or March, with the final product coming out to the public on Optik TV sometime next summer.
The quartet have already made a name for themselves, and racked up a number of awards, with their YouTube channel Comedy Blender and with a latest historical short film Counter Act. Filmed in a converted casino in Maple Ridge, the film tells the story of an African American sit-in.
“We were inspired by the bravery and the resilience of these people, the way they protested and the whole way they went about it. We wanted to make a film about the people that are brave enough to do that sort of thing,” said Nathan.
And they plan to keep evolving.
“We’ve been doing this ever since we were kids messing with our Dad’s camera,” said Nathan, who credited Mount Sentinel teacher Heather Shippit for helping them develop their skill sets.
“We recognize it’s a real unique thing that we’ve got with the four of us working together. We help each other be better artists and better storytellers.”
