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John Weldon (15)
John Weldon
Born in Belleville, Ontario, John Weldon was raised in Montreal and began his filmmaking career at the NFB in 1971. He has worked on more than 50 films, including NFB classics and award winners such as Spinnolio (1977), Oscar® winner Special Delivery (1978), Canada Vignettes: Log Driver’s Waltz (1979), To Be (1990) and The Lump (1991). Log Driver’s Waltz won the Annecy festival’s Cristal award and is one of the most popular NFB films of all time, while the short Real Inside (1984), co-directed with David Verrall, innovatively depicts hopeful job candidate Buck Boom, an animated character in a live-action world, several years before Who Framed Roger Rabbit took a similar approach. Weldon directed a total of 24 films at the NFB.
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Scant SanityJohn Weldon 1996 11 minThis animated short might possibly be the trippiest of John Weldon’s (The Log Driver’s Waltz) films. It follows the psychedelic adventures of one young man who thinks he’s in a career counselling appointment but actually ends up an unwitting participant in a psychological experiment. What follows is 11 minutes of surreal encounters, morphing characters and musical journeys through different hallucinogenic scenarios. -
Frank the WrabbitJohn Weldon 1998 9 minIn this animated short, Frank proves he’s no ordinary rabbit. He's a highly intelligent "wrabbit" with a philosophical world view that affords him great comfort. Unfortunately, his outlook is challenged when the farmer's carrots disappear. His quick wit allows him to survive and prosper. In Frank the Wrabbit, filmmaker John Weldon tells a deceptively simple tale with a subversive twist.
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SpinnolioJohn Weldon 1977 9 minIn this animated short, the traditional folklore tale of Pinocchio takes a wry turn. This time around, the hero, a carved wooden puppet named Spinnolio, is totally devoid of mobility and human consciousness. Noted for his "cool head" and unruffled personality, he makes a totally passive, though quite successful go at life, until his employer decides to replace him with a computer. A reflection on consciousness, the work ethic, interpersonal relationships and the citizen in society.
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Real InsideJohn Weldon & David Verrall 1984 11 minThis short animation is a playful look at hiring practices and the tolerance for difference in the workplace. Hopeful job candidate Buck Boom is dynamic, forceful, confident and creative. But can he convince Mr. Mudgin, the personnel manager, to hire him? You see, Boom is an animated character in a live-action world and Mudgin is not used to dealing with someone who is different. Skillfully crafted, using an innovative combination of live action and animation techniques, this hilarious short film probes stereotypes, prejudices and hiring practices.
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No Apple for JohnnyJohn Weldon 1977 9 minThis animated short is the visual enactment of the year-long obstacle course run by a teacher trainee. Rich in humor and anecdote, it is a comedy of educational manners seen through the autobiographical and unflinching eye of the trainee-turned-filmmaker.
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Home SecurityJohn Weldon 2004 4 minIn attempting to secure his domicile against perceived external threats, our protagonist manages to create a more dangerous internal environment. Home Security uses humour to illustrate that problems can arise when freedom is sacrificed for safety, and alludes to the issue of liberty vs. security in a greater context.
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Of Dice and MenJohn Weldon 1988 11 minThis witty short animation film introduces the theory of probability. We learn of its inception in the 17th century to settle a dispute over a game of dice, its relationship to predictability, and its application to everyday situations--like the chances of being involved in an accident.
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Point of OrderJohn Weldon 2003 5 minGnursk and Biff are father and son practitioners of the ancient Bastroonk faith; a faith with several "peculiar" practices. The duo confront society, workplace safety, school dress code and the Supreme Court over the limits of religious freedoms and tolerance.
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YoJohn Weldon 2003 2 minJohn Weldon dissects the nature of personal space, community, and crime and punishment in this macabre whimsy. Employing the simplest of animation styles to enhance a mock Zen spirituality, Weldon and composer Chris Crilly debate the Old Testament notion of punishment fitting the crime.
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The Hungry SquidJohn Weldon 2002 14 minIn this animated short, Oscar® winner John Weldon spins a tall tale about young Dorothy and her myriad troubles: absentee parents, bad hair and a menagerie that devours her homework. But when her pet squid rampages through town and people finally realize that the homework-eating creatures aren't a figment of her imagination, Dorothy realizes that it's time to get the situation under control.
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Log Driver's WaltzJohn Weldon 1979 3 minEasily one of the most often-requested films in the NFB collection, this lighthearted animated short is based on the song “The Log Driver’s Waltz” by Wade Hemsworth. Kate and Anna McGarrigle sing along to the tale of a young girl who loves to dance and chooses to marry a log driver over his more well-to-do competitors.
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Emergency NumbersJohn Weldon 1984 2 minThis short animation from Oscar® winner John Weldon is a hilarious "cat and dog fight" film that also reminds us to keep emergency numbers close to our telephones.
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The LumpJohn Weldon 1991 7 minThis animated short tells the story of a short and unattractive man who develops an inert but highly attractive lump on top of his head. By simply buttoning his shirt over his face he changes his life! An animated parody on the superficiality of those qualities that lead to popularity and power.
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Special DeliveryJohn Weldon & Eunice Macaulay 1978 7 minIn this Oscar®-winning animated short, Ralph's day gets off to a bad start when he dismisses his wife's orders to clear the snow from the front walk. When he comes home and finds the mailman dead on his front stairs, Ralph attempts a massive cover-up with disastrous results. One dead mailman leads to a case of mistaken identity, a runaway bride, and a very confused coroner. Life starts looking up for Ralph once he decides to stop worrying about it all.
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To BeJohn Weldon 1990 10 minBlending fantasy and reality, this animated short is a bold inquiry into an as yet unresolved problem - the nature of human identity. When a scientist creates a machine that can make copies of physical objects, including humans, a number of ethical questions arise. Is the technique moral? What of its safety? A film by Oscar-winning filmmaker John Weldon (who also wrote the catchy banjo tune that punctuates the story's changing moods).
