Don Hertzfeldt

Don Hertzfeldt is a creator of independent animated films, aesthetically recognizable for usually having black and white stick figures in a white background with limited color in the films. He typically writes, draws, directs, distributes and produces his own films, which typically feature the use of slapstick humor and violence to explore existential themes.

Technique
The identifiable look of Hertzfeldt’s cartoons comes from his reliance on pen and paper drawings done without the aid of computers. Claiming he “never felt really creative or intuitive using software” Hertzfeldt relies on older techniques for animation, feels that 35mm film stock is essential for his later works, and has, since 1999, used an antique animation camera stand that was used in the 1960’s to shoot Peanuts cartoons. 

Filmography
Ah, L'Amour (1995)

Genre (1996) Lily and Jim (1997)

Billy's Balloon (1998)

Rejected (2000)

The Meaning of Life (2005)

Everything Will Be OK (2006)

Untitled Second Chapter of Everything Will Be OK (announced, 2008)

Distribution
In keeping with his technology-averse methods, Hertzfeldt is not happy with the viral success his videos have found online, specifically because of what he views as the lower quality and remixing of his films. Stating, “I guess when you own all ten year's worth of content and then create the dvd independently it's not much of a further leap to distribute it in-house too,” Hertzfeldt distributes his collections through his production company, Bitter Films. 

Future
Currently only 31 years old, Hertzfeldt continues to make successful films with his most recent film Everything Will Be OK winning the 2007 Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking from the Sundance Film Festival