Jamaica - A Stop Motion Animated Music Video Event

Rett Bowers is a self-taught animator, film maker, and musician from Oregon who, prior to beginning this project in 2018, had no previous experience or training in stop motion animation and film. Neither did he have any experience in the use of clay modeling or sculpting. What he did have, however, was a great deal of experience in music, and a high-level of confidence and a desire to combine the three art forms into a single entity which culminated in his film, “Jamaica - A Stop Motion Animated Music Video Event.”

He feels his raw, “DIY” approach to his film adds to its unique flavor and entertainment value. He says: “By doing this myself I felt lucky to have filled nearly all the roles involved in the making of this film; writer/performer, producer, director, camera and lighting operator, as well as character designer and creator, among others. I had a huge learning curve over the length of the project (14 months), but it was a great deal of fun and creatively fulfilling.”

Additionally, he created the sets, did all the artwork, and, with a few exceptions, made all the props. On the musical side Rett also plays all instruments (except drums), the vocals and harmonies (except where his granddaughters join him in the chorus). But, he was not entirely alone, though: his wife helped with the wardrobe, and some of the artwork, and as mentioned his granddaughters had a key role in the backing vocals.

Jamaica is his first real attempt at this art form. In it he combines his love of music with his love of animation. He hopes you will enjoy it as much as he did.