This month, audiences can screen Home With Nine Little Bears on the Planet Classroom Network – a charming, light hearted story about nine bear cubs learning about the world around them.
Produced and directed by Woody Yocum and written by Lynn Pickering, this beautifully animated short is a comforting tale with a message that will appeal to young people of all ages. It reassures us that whatever kind of day you may have had, the world is still a wonderful place. The music is by Klaus Ebert. The film is curated for the Planet Classroom Network by KIDS FIRST! Film Festival.
The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome Woody Yocum.
Woody, what was your main source of inspiration for this short film? What was it that first gave you the idea to make this?
Home with the Nine Little Bears is based on a bedtime story that my sister, Lynn Pickering, has been telling her kids and grandkids for several decades. We decided to make the film as our ‘Pandemic Project’, as a way we could work together long distance and make something that would be reassuring and positive for young children. Lynn always says that the purpose of a good bedtime story is to help children make peace with whatever the day has been and to feel the world is a good and safe place, before they drift off into sleep. We tried to make the little bears’ world a comforting place that children could return to and feel at home in.
The animation and art style you went with was very beautiful and unique. Where did you find this style, and what made you want to use it for this?
I needed to learn some new tools for this film as I was animating it solo and without any budget. I found that the Unity game engine provided all the tools I needed to animate the 3D characters, and I drew and painted everything else. Sometimes the tools that you use influence the style you develop for a film. In all our design choices, we wanted to make this a comfortable world for young children with the storytelling paced like a bedtime story.
What do you hope kids will take away from your film?
When very young children find something comforting, they will want to touch it now and again, a familiar relaxing pleasure. This is of course our goal.
We made a free ebook version of the story with the film included at the end in the link. It is viewable on computer or most mobile devices.
Do you plan on making more shorts with the Nine Little Bears?
We are off on new projects that mix film and ebooks in some interesting new ways, and we will keep you updated!
Thank you Woody!
C.M. Rubin and Woody Yocum
Don’t Miss: Home With Nine Little Bears, now screening on the Planet Classroom Network.
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