An animator has drawn international acclaim for his cartoons that are able to make even hard mathematics come alive in the classroom.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Phil Henderson's cartoon explainer of the Pythagoras theorem was chosen for the Australian International Animation Festival, which showcases some of the best animation in the world.
The three minute cartoon consists of over 5000 painstakingly handcrafted frames of animation, each one meticulously drawn by Mr Henderson himself.
"It took me three months. It was a labour of love really, it was something I really looked forward to doing each day," Mr Henderson said.
"It was eating, sleeping, keeping relationships together, and animating... COVID was especially good for introvert artists, because we've got an excuse to spend all our time at home and we were no longer social pariahs for doing so."
Mr Henderson's animation was just one of his many cartoons that are played in schools around Australia, covering every subject from mathematics to world history.
He became an animator after he injured himself by falling off of his motorcycle 15 years ago, rendering him unable to continue his old job of being a sign writer.
During his search for a career change he happened to stumble across an animation class at Charles Sturt University, and since then he has been totally absorbed in his craft.
"I walked past the animation studios at uni and I ducked my head in to see what they were doing, and I saw all these weird and wonderful things being drawn," Mr Henderson said.
"Fine art has very strict guidelines to follow, but in animation you can be as weird as you like and funnily enough the weirder it is the better it is received."
IN OTHER NEWS:
The cartoon's reception was "incredibly positive" according to the film festival's co-director Andrew Hagan, who said it left no doubt that Wagga was home to some of the world's best animation talent.
Mr Hagan teaches animation at CSU, and he said the wealth of artistic talent in the Riverina was astounding.
"A lot of people are very proud that not only is Australia home to all these fantastic independent animators, but so many of them originate from the Riverina region," Mr Hagan said.
"There is such demand. Australia is a hotbed for animators and I'm fortunate enough I get to meet such wonderful, creative inspiring people."
The Australian International Animation Festival was held at Forum Cinema 6 over the weekend, and it was one of the few animation festivals in the world that were able to go ahead this year due to the coronavirus.