Category: The Simple Carnival

The Simple Carnival

Dynasty Blu-ray Pre-orders are Ready!

Post By Jeff Boller December 30, 2020

The 1977 Hong Kong kung-fu 3-D extravaganza known as Dynasty (not to be confused with the 1980s Linda Evans/Joan Collins soap opera of the same name) can now be pre-ordered on the Kino-Lorber site!

As I mentioned in a previous post, my “Go Away I Like You Too Much” CG animated music video will be included on this release as a bonus feature.

Although the best way to watch this disc is with a 3-D blu-ray player and a 3-D TV (or projector), the disc will also play on regular blu-ray players and televisions. The disc includes an anaglyph version of the movie and a pair of red/cyan 3-D glasses; this means that anybody with a regular blu-ray player and TV can watch the disc in 3-D.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this film, but I remember it being completely over-the-top with lots of wild “in your face” 3-D moments. The blu-ray cover above with kung-fu warriors kicking and poking things at the audience is a pretty accurate representation of what’s in the film. If this sounds like your cup of tea, drop everything and set up your pre-order now!

A big thank you to the amazing Bob Furmanek and Greg Kintz at the 3-D Film Archive for making this happen. I’m honored to be a part of this project and I can’t wait to see the final results!

The Simple Carnival , , ,

“Go Away I Like You Too Much” will be on a 3-D Kung Fu movie blu-ray!

Post By Jeff Boller July 13, 2020

The Simple Carnival’s 3-D music video “Go Away I Like You Too Much” will be a blu-ray bonus feature for the bonkers 1977 martial arts epic, Dynasty!

If you’d like to see crazy Kung Fu in 3-D (you don’t even need a 3-D TV to see it in 3-D), this is the Kickstarter to support! Here’s more information about the Kickstarter campaign.

I saw Dynasty in 3-D when it aired on cable TV in the early 1980s. I use the word “bonkers” to describe a only a handful of films…and Dynasty fully earns that adjective.

The 3-D Film Archive has an amazing track record of restoring vintage films, so I can’t wait to see how their restoration looks…it should be glorious!

 

Smitten 3D, The Simple Carnival

Why I’m (kind of) done with The Simple Carnival

Post By Jeff Boller April 18, 2020

“Good luck with your album!”

Several people said variations of that comment to me recently. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that The Simple Carnival effectively ended over three years ago.

It’s not their fault — I probably haven’t communicated the somewhat unusual state of The Simple Carnival clearly or widely enough. I figured it might be a good idea to write an open letter of sorts to describe what’s going on.

The state of The Simple Carnival can be summarized as such:

  • There will be no more songs or albums from The Simple Carnival. It was great fun, but the chapter of my life where I was singing and writing pop songs is now closed.
  • The Simple Carnival’s recordings will continue to be available on all major digital streaming and download services. Physical merchandise is no longer for sale, but you can find secondhand CDs on Amazon and eBay.
  • I am done working on the Smitten 3D project. All of the completed music videos are available to stream in anaglyph 3D at www.smitten3d.com. There are no plans for releasing the final product on physical media
  •  I plan to create some narrative animated shorts. I’ll be writing the orchestral score for those shorts. (It’ll be film music, not pop tunes.)
  • The Simple Carnival is no longer on the usual social media sites. In an alternate universe, there is a form of social media that I really enjoy being a part of…but in our current universe, no such option exists. That said, you can connect with me on LinkedIn. If I have anything really cool that I want to share, though, I’ll post it directly on this site — www.sundriftproductions.com.

Why did I stop making pop music? After I completed the Smitten album, I felt as though I said everything that I wanted to say in a pop song. I’d rather stop while I’m ahead rather than repeat myself and overstay my welcome.

Unlike pop songs, I don’t think I’ll ever run out of things to say in an animated film. Film allows for a broader range of subject matter than pop tunes. Film also requires many more disciplines to master; there’s always a new challenge lurking around the corner. I want to take the things I’ve learned from affecting audiences with The Simple Carnival and apply that toward visual, animated stories — stories that make audiences laugh, cry, and cheer. It’s going to be a while until I get there, but I look forward to sharing the results with you one day.

In the meantime, there’s a lot of history about The Simple Carnival over at www.simplecarnival.com. I’m leaving all of it up because I’m proud of the work that I did on that project. But there’s not likely to be any more activity on that site.

I hope this clears up things, and thank you for your understanding!

Film Festivals, Smitten 3D, The Simple Carnival

Go Away I Like You Too Much Wins 2nd Place at LA 3-D Movie Festival

Post By Jeff Boller December 31, 2018

As I reflected upon 2018, I realized that I forgot to blog about one of my biggest film-related highlights. The animated 3D music video I had worked on for the past year and a half, The Simple Carnival – Go Away I Like You Too Much, premiered at the LA 3-D Movie Festival earlier this month and won 2nd Place USA Film!

I was able to attend this year’s festival and had a great time seeing old friends, making new friends, and watching some terrific films.

A heartfelt thank you to the LA 3-D Club, 3-D Space, and the fantastic audience at the festival for this honor!

Behind the Scenes, Film Festivals, Smitten 3D, The Simple Carnival, Work in Progress

Presentation at 3D-Con 2018

Post By Jeff Boller August 1, 2018 No Comments

A couple weeks ago, I gave a talk at 3D-Con about how I’m using Smitten 3D as a self-directed masters in filmmaking and animation. If you’re interested in low budget DIY indie animation, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes fun in this presentation.

Here is the 2D version:

 

If you have red/cyan 3D glasses, here is the 3D version (put the red lens over your right eye):