Pure Animation for Now People: An Interview with Mark Neeley

Please start by telling us a bit about yourself. How did you become interested in the world of animation, and how did you learn animation?

I am an analogue animator who makes short films, music videos and advertisements. I have been interested in animation for just about as long as I can remember. From a young age, I was just fascinated by it and always wanted to learn more about how it was made and who the people were who made it. I taught myself by getting DIY materials from the library as a kid, such as “The Animation Book” by Kit Laybourne. I would make primitive flipbooks and stuff like that, because at the time I had no access to proper materials or equipment.

Do you think that in animation production, unlike live-action cinema, academic training is mandatory and necessary, or can one learn this art through self-study?

Definitely not. I’m self-taught, and obviously today with the internet, there are more learning tools than ever. With that being said, it’s a distinctly labor-intensive and unique artform and one that you definitely need to have a passion for. If you want to work in the mainstream industry at television/film studios, then college is probably still necessary as a very select few schools are essentially recruiting systems for that.

Tell us about the idea behind "Pure Animation for Now People." How did you come up with this concept, and how long did it take to get the final design down on paper? How much time do you generally spend developing an idea?

I had always wanted to attempt to make a microfilm around one minute long, and it had been a few years since my first personal short Fragments (2020). I wanted to make something that was a bit more abstract, but also still in a “character animation” vein. So, it’s sort of self-referential in rudimentary animation concepts like the classic walk cycle, black & white and mixed media and such. The title is a play on an album called “Pure Pop for Now People” by Nick Lowe. Like the irony in that title, it’s referencing an era when “now” was used in the lexicon meaning something hip and cutting edge that would appeal to certain counterculture sensibilities. And then I worked up the courage to ask Mark Mothersbaugh if he would provide music. I had the opportunity to interview Mark, a personal hero of mine, for Aquarium Drunkard (who I write and do artwork for) the year prior. To my surprise, he said yes.

What was the toughest challenge in making "Pure Animation for Now People," and in what area do you think you faced the most difficulties?

Even though the film isn’t necessarily linear plot-wise, it was probably just trying to squeeze a concept into a minute’s length. The scene at the end of the film which features live action footage intertwined with the animation was done by my friend Matt Stalf, a great videographer. Is making short animations a stepping stone for you to eventually create feature-length Animations?

I like the flexibility and challenges of working within the framework of shorts, which is sort of the lifeblood of independent animation. There is not really a market for independently produced features, even on a studio level. And because I balance my films with freelance work, it wouldn’t be realistic to ever be able to commit the time and effort to something like a feature.

What media and platforms do you think are available today for an animator to showcase their work to others?

For all of its faults (now more than ever), Instagram has been a place where a lot of people have found my work which has led to jobs and various projects. For years I used Vimeo exclusively for my animation work, but I find that platform almost nonfunctional these days. It’s unfortunate because it used to be a nice alternative and filmmaker-centric platform. Reluctantly, I started putting select work on YouTube about a year ago.

Finally, please tell us about your future projects.

In addition to commercial work, I am in the early stages of planning my third short film, which is actually adapting a vintage children’s book that I’ve loved for a long time. After recent communication, I was given the greenlight by the family and estate of the author and am currently working on a storyboard and concept art. It will be the most ambitious project I’ve done.