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Bombshell

A heartbroken hermit crab struggles to find lasting love.

  • Maggie Kisor
    Director
  • Ciara Cronin
    Producer
  • Bryce Buckley
    Voice of Herm
  • Conner Hardin
    Music
  • Andrew McKinney
    Concept Art and Character Design
  • Project Type:
    Animation
  • Genres:
    Romance, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 53 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Maggie Kisor

Maggie Kisor is an animator born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She currently works as a freelance graphic designer and makes short films in her spare time. She got her start as an animator sophomore year at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), doing clean up for a variety of student films. From working on so many films, she gained knowledge of how to make the film, but also how to best direct the crew, which greatly helped her make “Bombshell” during the last year at her college. While also at SCAD, she developed a serious passion for live action film, which inspired her to try to keep pushing the art of animation, and hopes to make serious mature animated content. Her goal in life is simple: to make films that inspire others. She was lucky enough to work on “The Good, Bad and The Puppy" which was featured in Twin Cities Film Fest, and Atlanta Film Festival, and "Under The Weather" which won Under the Stars and Austin Spotlight Film Fest’s Best Animated Film Award.

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Director Statement

I was inspired to make this film, because like most people, had a bad relationship. After the horrible and very emotional breakup, it was only then did I see my ex for what they were, and saw all of the red flags that I failed to notice. I felt like a heartbroken fool, that no matter how cautious I was, I was taken advantage of. I do not know when I consciously realized that my experience would be reflected in Bombshell or not, but in late-pre production, I was aware of it and ran with the meaning of not seeing the red flags because you are too in love to care.
The first idea for this film was a bit different than the film as you see it today. It was about an emotionally driven hermit crab “Herm”, whose naïve attitude leads him into trouble, as he believes he can defuse a sea mine on the beach, cuts the wrong wire, and he dies in the explosion… THE END. (This was a dark story, as I too, wanted to be edgy in my film.) Like all best ideas, they do not come from me entirely. My best friend off-handedly said “well what if he’s in love with the bomb?” and thus, a spark was lit in my head and the fire was started that would not go out.
The ending after the (spoilers!) explosion was added in after talking to two professors (again, my ideas alone only get me to good ideas, not great). During a meeting with my closest professor, he said my film was too “dark” as the film ends with Herm dying in a fiery explosion and credits rolling. He suggested (well really, told me) to change to a hopeful and happy ending. Now Herm discovers there is someone else who also was a fool in love! Although at the time it was hard to write that hopeful ending, I had to look into the future and know that later on I would recover from my trust issues. We are all Herm in a way, trying our best and even though life can be bleak, we cannot give up, as eventually we learn to overcome the hard parts.