PES (director)
Encyclopedia
PES is a director and animator of numerous short films and commercials.
Receiving a B.A. in English Literature at the University of Virginia
, PES migrated to film as a storytelling medium. His use of everyday objects and stop-motion animation to create original material is instantly recognizable. His work has been recognized in the United States and internationally, especially the short films "Roof Sex", "KaBoom!", "Game Over", and "Western Spaghetti". PES's latest short, "The Deep", premiered as part of Showtime Network's "Short Stories" series in December 2010. An early influence on PES's animation style is the work of Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer
.
. "Roof Sex" was featured at over 100 film festivals worldwide and won numerous awards.
The war short "KaBoom!" (2004) was instrumental in defining the artist's personal style and approach to animating objects. The film features an atomic airstrike on a miniature city using children's toys and festive objects such as gift bows, Christmas ornaments, and clown-head cupcake toppers. A "Making of "KaBoom!" narrated by PES is available on the director's website and gives insight into the logic behind the object use and selection.
In "Game Over" (2006) PES recreated classic arcade death sequences (from the games Centipede
, Frogger
, Asteroids, Space Invaders
, and Pac-Man
) with familiar objects including muffins, toy cars, insects, pizza and fried eggs. The film was inspired by an interview with Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man, who said the original source of inspiration for the Pac-Man character was a pizza with a slice missing.
In July 2008, PES released his short "Western Spaghetti". The film shows PES cooking spaghetti (the hands in the film are PES's) but all the ingredients in the dish are replaced with objects such as tomato pin cushions, rubber bands, rubik's cubes, post-it notes, and bubblewrap, and all are brought to life through stop-motion animation. TIME Magazine named "Western Spaghetti" the #2 Internet film of 2008 in its "Top Ten of Everything 2008". The film also won an Honorable Mention at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Annecy International Animation Festival in June 2009. In May 2011, Cartoon Network
featured the short in an episode of their TV series Off the Air.
In Winter 2008/2009 PES launched his own version of the classic Yule Log (TV program)
, creating a miniature fireplace loop using pretzel logs and candy corn animated in stop-motion. The film is available as a free screensaver on the director's website.
PES also directs TV commercials, including spots for Kinder Surprise
(2011), Washington State Lottery (2010), Scrabble
(2008), Sprint
(2007), Sneaux Shoes ("Human Skateboard", 2007), Orange Telecom (2006), Bacardi
(2005), and Coinstar
(2005). The commercial for Sneaux, "Human Skateboard", became an internet phenomenon in 2007, amassing millions of views online. All films are available for viewing on the director's website.
In June 2008 Director Michel Gondry
was quoted in Paste Magazine as saying "Clicking on a PES film is to open a safe and suddenly see a million ideas glittering and exploding. The only reason you close the door is to re-open it just after and discover what will pop this time."
Receiving a B.A. in English Literature at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, PES migrated to film as a storytelling medium. His use of everyday objects and stop-motion animation to create original material is instantly recognizable. His work has been recognized in the United States and internationally, especially the short films "Roof Sex", "KaBoom!", "Game Over", and "Western Spaghetti". PES's latest short, "The Deep", premiered as part of Showtime Network's "Short Stories" series in December 2010. An early influence on PES's animation style is the work of Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer
Jan Švankmajer
Jan Švankmajer is a Czech filmmaker and artist whose work spans several media. He is a self-labeled surrealist known for his surreal animations and features, which have greatly influenced other artists such as Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, the Brothers Quay, and many others.- Life and career :Jan...
.
Career
PES's first animated film, "Roof Sex", features two life-sized chairs having sex on a New York rooftop. Though only a minute long, the film took 20 shooting days to complete. In 2002, "Roof Sex" won the Best First Film award at the Annecy International Animated Film FestivalAnnecy International Animated Film Festival
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring every two years, the festival became annual in 1998...
. "Roof Sex" was featured at over 100 film festivals worldwide and won numerous awards.
The war short "KaBoom!" (2004) was instrumental in defining the artist's personal style and approach to animating objects. The film features an atomic airstrike on a miniature city using children's toys and festive objects such as gift bows, Christmas ornaments, and clown-head cupcake toppers. A "Making of "KaBoom!" narrated by PES is available on the director's website and gives insight into the logic behind the object use and selection.
In "Game Over" (2006) PES recreated classic arcade death sequences (from the games Centipede
Centipede (video game)
Centipede is a vertically-oriented shoot 'em up arcade game produced by Atari, Inc. in 1980. The game was designed by Ed Logg along with Dona Bailey, one of the few female game programmers in the industry at this time. It was also the first arcade coin-operated game to have a significant female...
, Frogger
Frogger
Frogger is an arcade game introduced in 1981. It was developed by Konami, and licensed for worldwide distribution by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog must avoid cars while crossing a busy road and navigate a river full of...
, Asteroids, Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
, and Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
) with familiar objects including muffins, toy cars, insects, pizza and fried eggs. The film was inspired by an interview with Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man, who said the original source of inspiration for the Pac-Man character was a pizza with a slice missing.
In July 2008, PES released his short "Western Spaghetti". The film shows PES cooking spaghetti (the hands in the film are PES's) but all the ingredients in the dish are replaced with objects such as tomato pin cushions, rubber bands, rubik's cubes, post-it notes, and bubblewrap, and all are brought to life through stop-motion animation. TIME Magazine named "Western Spaghetti" the #2 Internet film of 2008 in its "Top Ten of Everything 2008". The film also won an Honorable Mention at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Annecy International Animation Festival in June 2009. In May 2011, Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
featured the short in an episode of their TV series Off the Air.
In Winter 2008/2009 PES launched his own version of the classic Yule Log (TV program)
Yule Log (TV program)
The Yule Log is a television program which is broadcast traditionally on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning , originally by New York City television station WPIX but now by many other Tribune Company-owned television stations, including WGN America, and by Antenna TV starting in 2011...
, creating a miniature fireplace loop using pretzel logs and candy corn animated in stop-motion. The film is available as a free screensaver on the director's website.
PES also directs TV commercials, including spots for Kinder Surprise
Kinder Surprise
Kinder Surprise, also known as a Kinder Egg or, in the original Italian, Kinder Sorpresa, is a confection manufactured by Italian company Ferrero. Originally intended for children, it has the form of a chocolate egg containing a small toy, often requiring assembly.-Overview:Kinder Surprise...
(2011), Washington State Lottery (2010), Scrabble
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
(2008), Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
(2007), Sneaux Shoes ("Human Skateboard", 2007), Orange Telecom (2006), Bacardi
Bacardi
Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
(2005), and Coinstar
Coinstar
Coinstar, Inc. is an American company.The firm's original focus was the conversion of loose change into paper currency, donations or gift cards via coin counter kiosks...
(2005). The commercial for Sneaux, "Human Skateboard", became an internet phenomenon in 2007, amassing millions of views online. All films are available for viewing on the director's website.
In June 2008 Director Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
was quoted in Paste Magazine as saying "Clicking on a PES film is to open a safe and suddenly see a million ideas glittering and exploding. The only reason you close the door is to re-open it just after and discover what will pop this time."
Short Films
- The Deep (2010)
- Western Spaghetti (2008)
- The Fireplace (aka Yule Log) (2008)
- My Pepper Heart
- Cake Countdown (2007)
- Game Over (2006)
- Making of KaBoom!
- KaBoom! (2004)
- Fireworks (2004)
- Making of Roof Sex
- Pee-Nut (2003)
- Drowning Nut
- Baby Nut
- Moth
- Marriage is for...
- Prank Call
- Rogue Peanut
- Roof Sex (2001)
- Dogs of War (first film)
Commercials
- Kinder Surprise (2011)(UK)
- Washington State Lottery (2010)
- Scrabble "60th Anniversary" (2008)
- More Than "Journey"(2008)(UK)
- More Than "Motor"(2007)(UK)
- More Than "Home"(2007)(UK)
- Sprint (2007)
- Sneaux Shoes "Human Skateboard" (2007)
- PlayStation PSP "Fred" (2006)(UK)
- PlayStation PSP "Milo & Maria" (2006)(UK)
- Orange Telecom "Socks" (2006)(UK)
- Blue Cross (2005)
- Coinstar "Gift" (2005)
- Coinstar "Book" (2005)
- Bacardi Coco (2005)
- Bacardi Razz (2005)
- Bacardi Apple (2005)
- Bacardi Limon (2005)
- Coinstar "Inspired Coins" (2005)
- Los Angeles Dodgers "Bobbleheads" (2005)
- Nike "Wild Horses Redux" (2003)
- MoveOn.org "Missing" (2003)
- Glacier Glove
- The Learning Channel "Beasty Boy"
- Tic Tac "Whittlin' Wood"
External links
- Eatpes.com, Director's website. All films available here.
- Director's Facebook page Some behind-the-scenes material here.
- "Game Over" interview with PES
- Q&A with PES at Anthem Magazine
- Chapter on PES in Animators Unearthed, Continuum, 2010
- Make Magazine article on Western Spaghetti, June 2010
- PES talks Directing Commercials in Directing Animation, Allworth Press, 2010
- "The Deep" interview with PES at Motionographer, January 2011