…Actually, it’s t-minus 10 months, 15 days, 3 hours, 28 minutes, 47 seconds, 18 frames and counting!  But, regardless of those little details, we are now into our final year of this production, which is slated for completion on October 1st 2009.  Needless to say, the pressure is on!

September and October have been very busy months.  I’ve been focusing all of my creative energy on Act II of the film, which is coming along nicely – more on that later.  On the producing end of things I’m finding that, given the current economic environment, I need to redouble my efforts in order to raise the money required to keep work on Dear Anna Olson moving forward.  And then there has been the creation and upkeep of this website.  So, as you can imagine, it’s all been a bit crazed.  But, I’m NOT complaining!

www.DearAnnaOlson.com
Yes, soon after the official launch of DearAnnaOlson.com I came to the realization that a website is something you never actually finish.  In order for it to remain relevant it must be an ever-changing outlet for information if it is to best serve the needs of its visitors.  Speaking of which, I would like to thank everyone who has visited the website thus far.  The team and I really appreciate your kind words of praise for our efforts.  I would especially like to thank everyone who has given us feedback on ways to improve the design and content of DearAnnaOlson.com.  We encourage this as it helps drive the future direction of the site.

The Progress Continues!
As I said above, Act II is moving steadily toward being finished, with Shot 15 already prepped to go to camera and the other shots not far behind.  There is also progress to report on Act III with rough animation being completed on five shots, two of which (if I may brag for a moment) were animated by former students of mine.  Andrew Coats worked on Shot 27 and Stewart Shaw on Shot 28.  Both did a superb job and I’d gladly have them contribute their talents to more shots on Dear Anna Olson. But, alas, ‘tis not meant to be as they have been hired by Blue Sky Studios to work on Ice Age III: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. I wish the two of them the best of luck!

Dear Anna Olson in the Press!
Our hometown paper, The Simsbury Post, published an excellent article by Stephen M. Emirzian about Dear Anna Olson and myself.  Here is a brief excerpt:

… In essence, both communicating styles add up to little more than whispers in the dark; a desperate attempt at connecting with the unknown using the tried and true salutation: “Is anyone out there?”  The character of Anna is not pathetic in her attempts at companionship, but rather, exactly like any strong-willed human being who refuses to take life lying down.  Anna is a fighter and doesn’t mind taking matters into her own hands despite the unlikely degree of success with her endeavor.

Mr. Emirzian’s insights into the film once again demonstrate that, even in its unfinished form, Dear Anna Olson’s message resonates strongly with the public.

You can read the entire article by clicking here: Center Stage – Local animator draws success with latest film

“Dean, you’re starting to sound like an NPR shill!”
- Robert Marianetti, Animation Producer/Director
Sad but, true.  It’s rare these days when I’m talking to someone about the film that the topic of fundraising does not come up.  But, the reality is, if we are to meet our October 2009 deadline, we need to raise the balance of Dear Anna Olson’s budget to remain on schedule.

The previous funds we received as part of the Challenge Grant from the Mark and Yvonne Hulbert Charitable Gift Fund allowed us to hire some help, focus full-time on creating the final artwork and bring the film up to 69% completion.  Unfortunately, we have had to stop assigning shots to our supporting artists as we only have enough money to keep the production going through November.  After that time we will assess the situation and, if adequate funds have not been raised, we will be forced to put the film on the shelf for an indefinite period.  Obviously, this will torpedo our targeted completion date and negatively impact our ability to take full advantage of the 2009/2010 festival season.

So, here I am again, back in my role as a fundraiser asking you to support the creation of this very special film.  Any donation you make will be greatly appreciated and no amount of money is too small.  As always, all donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.  Please visit the following link and show your support: DONATE NOW!

Here you can contribute either via check or by using our updated and very convenient Donate ONLINE feature.

Your support is needed now more than ever to keep Dear Anna Olson moving down the road toward completion and then onto a busy run on the festival circuit.

Thank you very much for your interest and support and please feel free to contact me should you have any questions: Information@DearAnnaOlson.com or (860) 424-2747.

Most Gratefully,
Dean Kalman Lennert
Director/Animator,
Dear Anna Olson