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Dust Alive

friend is made of cardboard, non-binary (using they/them pronouns) and spells their name with a lowercase f.

friend is kind, inventive and tenacious.

In "Dust Alive" one of friend's roommates, inspired by a Marie Kondo-esque cleaning show, unknowingly vacuums up friend’s friends: a family of dust bunnies living under the sofa! Will friend be able to save them?

"Dust Alive" is a proof of concept for the series "friend." In this handcrafted series, cardboard comes to life as we follow the adventures of one little puppet living in a New York City apartment filled with magic, monsters, and roommates.

Our "friend." pitch deck can be found in the "Files and Attachments" section on the right side of this page.

  • Jon Riddleberger
    Director
  • Rachael Balcanoff
    Writer
  • Joseph Lymous
    Writer
  • Jon Riddleberger
    Writer
  • Rachael Balcanoff
    Producer
  • Joseph Lymous
    Producer
  • Jon Riddleberger
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Television
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 19, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    300 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:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jon Riddleberger

Jon directed "Dust Alive" as a member of 3A3.

3A3 is a Trio of Queer Artists who have come together through the need to quarantine. We seek to nurture a habitat of creative cooperation where our varying skill sets and sense of resourcefulness come together to create playful, reflective, visually driven stories.

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Director Statement

In March of 2020 we found ourselves quarantined together as three queer artists in the midst of a global pandemic. Through living and working together we realized we shared an interest in creating community, employing empathy, making art... and a surplus of cardboard (from all our online shopping).

That’s when “friend.” was born.

We immediately fell in love with friend. We found ourselves rooting for them as they took on the big world with their mighty determination. Their imagined adventures helped us find freedom from our quarantined space. Like a miniature cross between Mr. Rogers and Macgyver, friend thoughtfully and practically confronts life’s complicated obstacles and emotions. In watching them do so, we in turn learn that we can do the same.

With all the chaos and division in the world around us, we felt it imperative that the world has a bit more “friend.”

We hope you enjoy our proof of concept episode "Dust Alive"