Sheridan’s own to release new horror short film

Preview of The Shutterbug Man poster created by Ian MacDonald.

STORY BY AMANDA SPILKER

A Sheridan professor is set to release a new stop-motion horror film this month.

The Shutterbug Man, a short film completely acted by puppets, was created and directed by Chris Walsh, lead professor of the Animation History course at Sheridan College. He hopes to screen it at a number of international film festivals next year.

“It came from and it grew out of my love for horror movies, and a love of atmospheric films, and wanting to make something in that genre,” said Walsh.

The film tells the tale of the Shutterbug, a twisted ruin of a man whose only pleasure is taking pictures. But unlike most, his desire to photograph doesn’t lie with sunsets or animals, but the darkest aspects of humanity. His obsession with the macabre ultimately leads him toward terrible and wicked places.

“I’ve liked horror movies for a long time and I like the atmosphere of horror,” said Walsh. “You’re allowed to live in a world, one you created of imagination within that genre.”

Stop-motion film, which can be traced back as far as 1897, is a technique used to animate an object, such as a puppet. It involves capturing a frame of an object, repositioning it and capturing it again. When run at full speed the object on film appears as to be moving on its own.

“It’s pretty magical because you get to, through animation, through moving things and playing it back, you get it to come to life,” said Walsh. “I never get bored. It’s always exciting to see what happens when you bring things to life.”

Performed entirely with handmade sets and puppets that took over six months to make, they are included in nearly 4,000 frames of animation.

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“You have to jump right in and start playing, start learning. As soon as you build anything or attempt to experiment at all, you’re already learning.”

Walsh announced the finish of filming in mid-September.

On Nov. 24, it was announced that a famous voice in the euro-horror film industry would be joining the film. Barbara Steele, who has been cast as the narrator, starred in iconic movies such as Pit and the Pendulum and Black Sunday during the 1960s.

The film is currently in post-production and will be available for purchase on the official website later this month.