Dam that River by Alice in Chains: Flash animation (aka Angry Beaver)

A few days off work and I finally finish a project I started three years ago. I hope my angry beaver singing Dam that River by Alice in Chains makes you smile, even as you consider what it is we do to this planet of ours.

The reason why

When I listen to music, I see movies. Not just flashes of images, but full scripts and storyboards. I have been known to replay the same song on repeat for a three-hour road trip.

This is the reason why over a decade ago I started a career in what-was-then called multi-media.  Alas, my artistic strengths are not as natural as other talents, hence my typical emphasis on leadership and management principles.

So I tinker.  I have a dozen or so animations lined up, but so far only two released. You can check out my first animation for Carbon by VNV Nation here.

Drawing, tracing, copy and pasting, whatever gets the job done

I didn’t draw as much as I copied and pasted basic shapes over each other using different colours.  Each of the animals are courtesy of interpretation from Google image search.  The dude I borrowed from a book, and everything had an assist from the incredible Theresa Renando.

You can see some of my inspiration below.

Behind the angry beaver (those damn dams)

Dam the River has a lot going for it.  My teen roots are embedded in the Seattle grunge scene making Alice in Chains easy on the ears. The lyrics of the tune lend themselves to metaphor.  And at just over 3 minutes, I thought I might be able to pump out the animation quickly.

I was a bit off on that last point.  I have worked on the project off and on (mostly off) for the past three years, with a full year spent in fear of drawing water. With much encouragement and inspiration from my wife Theresa, I fought through.

As for a greater cause behind the story, I cannot argue for hydroelectric projects as being any more destructive than other means by which we support our excessive and unsustainable existence.  Dams are relatively clean compared to other forms such as coal or nuclear, but the disruption to ecosystems can be extensive.  You can read more about dam dangers over at International Rivers and get a case study on the threat to endangered species by Bruce Barcott, also highlighted in Forbes.

My animation is not likely to inspire any emo beavers or suicide bunnies.  But perhaps it will bring a smile to those who endeavour to make the world a better place.