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Catnap

Catnap is a two-dimensional animated short film inspired by classic cartoons from the 1940s and uses some of the visual comic jokes from that era. Catnap features a cat named Benny who wants to return to his kitty dreamland but a dog named Jack obliviously disturbs Benny through silly antics. The story was inspired by Carrie Runyan’s cat, Benny, who has a sweet face but makes expressions like “Why do we have a dog’ and her dog, Jack, who accidentally steps on Benny because he lacks self-awareness.

  • Carrie Runyan
    Director
  • Carrie Runyan
    Writer
  • Carrie Runyan
    Producer
  • David Troyer
    Key Cast
    "Cat"
  • David Troyer
    Key Cast
    "Dog"
  • Carrie Runyan
    Animation Department
  • Anna Houser
    Animation Department
  • Colin Ballinger
    Animation Department
  • Carrie Runyan
    Coloring and Shading Department
  • Anna Houser
    Coloring and Shading Department
  • Alexander Parker
    Coloring and Shading Department
  • Jordan Lyden
    Coloring and Shading Department
  • Amanada Moseng
    Coloring and Shading Department
  • Misty Hernandez-Perez
    Coloring and Shading Department
  • Eleanor Bareford
    Coloring and Shading Department
  • Carrie Runyan
    Visual development
  • Anna Houser
    Visual development
  • Rachel Scobey
    Visual development
  • Nick Scheiber
    Composer
  • Carrie Runyan
    Sound Designers
  • Anna Houser
    Sound Designers
  • Tyler Welker
    Executive Producers
  • Curtis Wood
    Executive Producers
  • Alyssa Dodd
    Coloring and Shading Department
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    70 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Huntington University
Director Biography - Carrie Runyan

Carrie Runyan is a writer, animator, and story artist. She recently graduated from Huntington University with a Bachelor of Science in Animation. As an animator, Carrie developed short animations for a stage play version of "The Little Prince." Carrie worked on various senior animated thesis films, The Lenape Story, Space Ducks, Base Galactic, and Bella. In April 2023, she presented “How Does an Animation Student Experience the Animation Pipeline?” at the Alpha Chi National Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Recently, she worked as a TV camera operator and telephone screener for PBS Fort Wayne.

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Director Statement

Catnap's art direction is a homage to 1940s animated cartoons like Tom and Jerry and sincerity from Frank Capra's films. The story was inspired by how my sassy cat, Benny, interacts with my dorky dog, Jack, who is highly food-motivated. Despite their size difference, Benny will retaliate against Jack when Jack wags his tail in Benny’s direction. The cartoon version of Benny is softer because the real Benny is not afraid to use his claws.

Catnap is a film for younger audiences, pet owners, and aesthetes. Before the film was pitched, the animatic for Catnap was tested on my mom's second-grade class. The animatic quite humored the class, and they requested to watch the animatic seven times. Whenever I visited my mom’s class, they were eager to hear about Catnap's progress. I was motivated to complete this film so my mom’s second-grade class could see a final project, not just a storyboard. After they saw the film's final version, one of her students quipped, “That was a thousand percent better than the storyboard.”