World Wide Webbing It!
My appearance on WFSB’s Better Connecticut caught the eye of animation historian and author Jerry Beck.  What captured his attention were the lengths to which we have been going to get the word out about Dear Anna Olson and our current fund-raising efforts.  He was so impressed with our approach that he went on to write a very supportive piece about Dear Anna Olson for the website he co-founded, CartoonBrew.com, and embed the video.  Thank you Jerry!

Then something unexpected happened.  A lively discussion ensued about Dear Anna Olson’s budget, its merits and my abilities as an animator/filmmaker.  To be honest, I really enjoyed hearing from both supporters and detractors as they formed their opinions about the film and myself.  Here is the link to Jerry’s write-up and the comments that followed:

The Cartoon Brew Discussion

More Television Exposure!
It was my hope after our television debut that there would be enough interest generated around Dear Anna Olson to lead to more interviews … and, indeed, it has.  Thank you to producer Jason Knight for inviting me to appear on WTNH News Channel 8’s Good Morning Connecticut. The interview was conducted by host Chris Velardi and ran for almost five minutes, allowing more time to share in-depth information about the production.  I would also like to thank Melissa Warner for doing an excellent job in getting me ready to go on-air.  Here is the link to the interview:

Good Morning Connecticut

An Uptick in Donations!
Obviously, this big push for exposure has been pursuant to one goal: drumming-up more financial support for the film.  I am very happy to report that our efforts seem to be paying off.  Thank you to the following new supporters for choosing to join the ranks of so many others that believe in the important message Dear Anna Olson has to share: Laurel Brown, Miguel Martinez-Joffre, Mike Owen, David Palmer, David Smith and Eric Weil.  And we can now boast international support as we welcome Sarah Knight from Oxford, England!  Along with these folks I would like to thank returning supporters Johnny & Phyllis Lennert (thanks Mom & Dad for continuing to support my dreams and ambitions!)  The production has also received a matching gift donation from The Ensign-Bickford Foundation, Inc.

Two More Sets of Helping Hands
As mentioned in the last newsletter, we have raised enough money to hire some additional artists.  Animator, Ilya Skorupsky, is now working on Shot 46 and returning Art Assistant, Zoya Baker, is adding color to Shot 16.  Needless to say, I am very grateful to have the funds to cover such expenses and get three times the amount of work done.  Thank you again to everyone who has made this possible!  And, of course, thank you to Zoya and Ilya for their excellent work!

A Long Overdue Thank You!
Since the beginning of our fund-raising efforts five years ago, there has been one person behind the scenes charged with the task of crafting various versions of Dear Anna Olson.  Our Assembly Editor, Tom Zukowski, is responsible for updating the story reel, pulling together customized samples for each and every grant application we submit and prepping our many clips for uploading onto the Internet.  Thank you Tom for all of your continued hard work on this project!

Shot 14 Backgrounds Finished!
With the completion of the backgrounds on Shot 14, I decided to replace the film’s first teaser with this updated version:

Dear Anna Olson - Teaser 1 Redux

Enjoy!

Release Date Abandoned!
This past April 1st was supposed to mark the completion of animation on Dear Anna Olson and the beginning of the post-production process, where we add the finishing touches to the film through editing, music and sound design.  Unfortunately, even with our big fund-raising push earlier this year, we have only been able to raise a little over 10% of the $41K needed to keep the production on schedule.  How does this effect our October 2009 release date?  Actually, it completely torpedoes it!  And a new date will not be considered until after we have secured the funds needed to complete the animation.

Over 1,000 Views on YouTube!
I am very happy to announce that “Dear Anna Olson” – The First Interview has passed the 1,000 views mark on YouTube.  It’s very exciting to think about so many people watching that clip.  But, I have to admit, when I see numbers like that the producer in me takes over and I can’t help but think, “If each of those people just made a $40 donation I’d have the rest of the animation budget taken care of!”

Perhaps one of the toughest challenges I face as a fund-raiser isn’t so much trying to secure that large individual contribution but convincing the vast majority of people, whose gifts may be more modest, that their support is just as important. The reality is that these smaller donations will play a more significant role in bringing this film to completion. The trick is convincing potential donors of this fact.

Are you one of those potential donors?

PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TODAY!

In closing, I hope that you and yours are enjoying good health and happiness as we continue to move into the later days of spring!

With Much Optimism (that we can raise these much needed funds … with you help, of course),
Dean Kalman Lennert
Director/Animator
Dear Anna Olson

As we embark on a new administration, we also enter a new era of engagement within our communities and our world. It seems daunting. There are so many challenges in front of us as a global community. So where do we begin? By sweating the small stuff, because these are the things that make the difference to families, friends and even strangers.

In my lifetime, we have never been more ready or willing to join our collective fates and be “our brother’s keeper.” When better to finish Dear Anna Olson than in this sea of change—from a time of rugged individualism and (dare I say) avarice, to a period of reflection, collaboration and participation towards positive social impact.

If ever there were a time for Dear Anna Olson’s message to resonate clearly throughout the world, it is now!

Our Television Debut!
I am happy to report that our publicity efforts have graduated from the printed page and moved onto the cathode ray tube (do they still use those?)! Early last month I appeared on WFSB Channel 3’s Better Connecticut to talk about Dear Anna Olson and present clips from the film. It was a wonderful experience thanks to host Scot Haney who invited me on the show and Producer Melissa Dethlefsen who pulled it all together. You can view the clip here:

Dear Anna Olson – The First Interview

Enjoy!

DAO on FB
After much prompting and/or coercion from my wife (and Dear Anna Olson Animation Supervisor), Nancy, I finally set up a FaceBook page! Very soon after that my brother-in-law, Tom Keegan, created a fan page for Dear Anna Olson. Thanks Tom! This new tool is an effective outlet for information and is proving to be a great way to reach out and grow the film’s fan base in a more personal way. I am also able to share more material from Dear Anna Olson including crew photos, joke sketches, animation tests and much more! It has also enabled me to re-connect with several of our volunteer artists with whom I had fallen out of touch. So, if you’re on FaceBook, please become a fan of Dear Anna Olson and tell your friends too!

Online Donation Feature Fixed
We apologize to anyone who tried to make an online donation to the film through the website only to be informed that the “Donation System is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance.” Our fiscal sponsor, IFP, has since informed me that the upgrades have been implemented and the site is ready to receive your contributions.

133 and Counting
To date 133 very generous people have chosen to make a financial gift of support to Dear Anna Olson!

Thanks and welcome to our latest new contributors: Keith Cormier, Dayna Gonzalez, Sean Hannon, Jeffrey Joe, Bonnie Kaplan, Keith Klohn, Stephen Longo, Crystal Place and Margie Simon. My deepest gratitude to the following returning supporters: Sonya Artis, Katherine Cohn, Masako Kanayama, Jack & Rosalie Keegan, Carl & Meryl Mallery, Maggie & Carl Monty, Linda Simensky and Scott & Maria Storm. During this current fundraiser, we have brought in a total of $3,715 in contributions. This latest amount will enable me to hire an additional animator and art assistant to help out on some shots.

But we are still $37,285 shy or our goal for the end of this phase of the campaign. Without these funds, an October completion date is in a tenuous state. So, if you haven’t already done so, or if you would like to make an additional gift of support to the film, please click on the following link:

Show your support TODAY!

Thank you!

Thank You for Your Friendship and Commitment
As important as Dear Anna Olson is to me (and many others), I know that so many of you show your support because you are connected to me personally as a friend, a colleague or a family member. I continue to be moved and amazed at how loyal and generous you all are, and want you to know that this film belongs to all of us. This is not just about my personal journey as an artist, but it is a representation of the wonderful community that surrounds me. Every time you send a note, give a gift or extend a word of encouragement, you are embodying the message of this work. So, it is because of you that I am motivated to complete this film and continue to find inspiration to bring it the best of my talents. Thank you again, everyone…

With Gratitude,

Dean Kalman Lennert
Director/Animator
Dear Anna Olson

New Supporters and Returning Supporters!
Let me begin by welcoming Ray Kosarin, who became a new supporter of Dear Anna Olson this fall. Thank you Ray! I will also say Thank You! to returning donors Janet Benn and Brooks Jewell and returning sponsors Dr. Fred & Sue Storm for making additional contributions in support of this production. In fact, it is because of all their generosity that I am able to continue working exclusively on the film through the end of the year. Thank you!

And Still More Support!
As many of you may know, aside from relying on the generosity of individual contributors for funding this project, I also submit three to four grant applications to various organizations every year. Needless to say, I’ve received my fair share of replies from said groups to the effect, “Dear Mr. Lennert, Thank you for submitting your application for our consideration. Each year we receive many proposals for potentially outstanding projects. Unfortunately, we are only able to support a very small number of these … AND YOUR’S WAS NOT ONE OF THEM! BWAH HA HAH HA HA! …” Yes, foundations can be pretty harsh.

Well, this past Saturday morning, I’m happy to report, I received a letter from New York University informing me that I’ve been awarded $2,000 from the Faculty Development Fund in support of Dear Anna Olson. On top of the support from the contributors mentioned above, these funds enable me to hire an extra artist to assist on a shot or two. With that, let me extend my deepest thanks to Dean Mary Schmidt Campbell, as well as Resource Planning & Administration, Executive Director, Gerard Bueno & Associate Director, Irma Sim; Office of Faculty, Associate Dean of Faculty, Louis Scheeder; and Kanbar Institute of Film & Television, Budget Coordinator, Derrick Bethune for honoring me with this award. Again, Thank You!

Coming October 2009!
I am very happy to announce that the first official teaser for Dear Anna Olson is up on the website as well as being posted on YouTube.

Here’s the link:

DEAR ANNA OLSON – Teaser 1

As you can see, I’ve optimistically retained the completion date of October 2009. It can still happen if I am able to keep the production moving forward and continue to bring more artists back onboard. In the meantime, enjoy this first teaser! And be sure to share it with your friends and family. After all, we’re always looking to expand our fan base!

50 = $2,500 or MORE!

Composer, Cory Gabel, has been a solid local supporter of “Dear Anna
Olson” for the past three years. This month he continued this relationship
by donating 50 copies of his album of solo piano works, “Alabaster Sky”,
to our current fundraising efforts. Now, anyone making a tax-deductible donation
of $50 or more will receive a copy of this CD as a thank you gift.

I’m a really big fan of Cory’s work so I am very happy to be able
to share this album with you. Here are some track excerpts from “Alabaster
Sky”:

• Twirl
• Fireflies
• Serenade
  for K

So now, the math: 50 CDs x $50 = $2,500. Achieving this goal would allow us
to cover the camera costs for all of Act II, or more, if donations are made
at the Sponsor or Dear Friend Of Anna levels of giving. So, if you’re
interested in taking advantage of this offer, please ‘click’ on
the link below and show your support today:

Make a Donation NOW!

Thank You!

PRODUCER: Your Name Here!

We added a new feature to our “Producer’s Circle” page that
allows you to get a sneak peek at what it will be like having your name prominently
displayed across the ‘Silver Screen’ at the premiere! I will add,
that even if you can’t afford to make a contribution at this level of
giving, you should check out this new feature anyway, as it’s pretty fun!

All you need to do is ‘click’ on the link below:

Preview your credit
HERE!

Enter your name in the box labeled ‘YOUR NAME HERE’.

Then ‘click’ on any of the producer buttons and up pops your credit!

• Experience the EXHILARATION!
• Impress your friends and loved ones!
• It’s a sure hit for breaking the ice at parties!

More Contributions!

As an acknowledgement that not all contributions are financial, let
me thank my officemates at NYU’s Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and
Television, Laszlo Santha and John Crawford, for their feedback and ideas regarding
DearAnnaOlson.com. Thank you for your valuable input and support!

(I told you this was “The Official Supporters Edition!”)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I’ll conclude this edition by saying Thank You to everyone who
has made it possible for us to bring this very special film to the 70% completion
mark over the last year and a half! Here’s wishing you and your families
a very Happy Holiday and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Looking forward to seeing you all at the premiere in 2009!

Warmest Wishes,

Dean Kalman Lennert
Director/Animator
“Dear Anna Olson”

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

• Image galleries.
• Video clips from the film.
• The ability to make convenient online donations!
• All easily accessed from our interactive Homepage (click on the notes!).

Now, aside from the creation of this website, we do have other news to report.  I’ll begin with the big news first…

… ACT I HAS BEEN COMPLETED!!!!  Yes, I’m happy to report that everything came together beautifully … including finding a cameraman who still shoots film and wasn’t on the verge of retiring  …  and, now, Act I of Dear Anna Olson is, as they say, “in the can!”

Working full-time on the film, for well over a year now, has allowed me to bring the production up to speed and make great strides toward its completion.  And, to build upon this forward momentum, I brought three additional animators and various assistants onboard to help out with the remaining acts.  If I can maintain this current pace I expect to have Dear Anna Olson all wrapped up by October 2009.  Then begins the process of promoting, exhibiting and eventually distributing this picture … a task, which will require almost as much work as creating the film in the first place!  This brings me to the next bit of news.

Dear Anna Olson is now being sponsored by the Independent Feature Project (www.ifp.org). No, I haven’t added 75-minutes to the film’s running-time! IFP sponsors the short works of emerging directors. Throughout its 29 year history IFP has been a significant presence at film festivals around the world and a champion of independent motion pictures. It is my hope that this affiliation will prove beneficial when it comes time to start entering the Dear Anna Olson into festivals.

And, by way of more local news, The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism (www.cultureandtourism.org) screened excerpts of Dear Anna Olson as part of the inaugural show in their new gallery space the past February. The CCCT awarded me a $2,500 Artist Fellowship Grant last year, which I used to cover the camera costs and some of the lab fees.

That’s just about it for the news but, before I conclude, let me take this opportunity to thank several people who were instrumental in pulling this website together, starting with my close friend and Producer, Jennifer Kirby, who’s literary contributions to DearAnnaOlson.com (not to mention countless grant proposals, newsletters, press releases and on and on) have proven to be invaluable.  Thank you Jennifer!

Thanks to my Production Advisors, Liz Culp and Lori Castronuovo and my Animation Supervisor (and wife), Nancy Lennert for helping to polish and guide the look and content of this site.

Thanks to our Web Guru, Mary Jo Place, who  patiently worked with me while I explored the many presentation options for this site.

Thanks to the following Industry Notables who so generously lent their words of support to this project – Frederic Back, John Canemaker, Daniel Esterman, David B. Levy, Bryan Singer, Linda Simensky, Tom Warburton, Chris Wedge and Mo Willems.

I would also like to thank our team of brave and hearty Test-Pilots for diving into the site and providing additional perspectives which helped direct what you see here – Cory Gabel, Johnny Lennert, Phil McNagny, Scott Storm and Jennifer Tippins.

And finally, many thanks to you, for not only visiting DearAnnaOlson.com but, for your continued interest and support of this very special film!  Without you this site, and Dear Anna Olson, wouldn’t exist!

Please feel free to CONTACT US should you have any comments or questions about DearAnnaOlson.com or the film itself.  And, so you don’t miss any new developments, we encourage you to sign-up for the Dear Anna Olson ONLINE NEWSLETTER!

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