The Legend of Bill

Inspired by a confluence of desert “trophy truck” racing, western landscapes, racing films, Texas summers, vintage automotive illustration, motorsport culture, and a healthy diet of classic cartoons, “The Legend of Bill” chronicles the tale of how a duck with “triple billing” got his start on the off-road racing scene.

While this animated bonanza is full of suspense and suspension, ready to take on any landscape, the vehicles are extensions of the characters who drive them: exploring themes of convenience and tech over hard work and mechanical know-how. It’s not so much about the vehicle, but the character of the one who drives it.

We had an extremely talented core “pit crew” of 7 grads and 6 undergrads who all wore many hats. Each of us in our second year of learning this team sport called animation. We completed production of this hybrid DCI 4K juggernaut in a single 15-week semester, but the race was far from finished. The following semester shrunk down to a skeleton crew of director, producer, and editor, as we pressed on through rendering, compositing, editing, and re-editing outside of class.

While we rustled up an additional 5 shots, and brought a few others into polish, we frame-locked picture so our composer, a gifted senior undergrad from the school of music, could work his magic. He gave us a legendary score with western notes while we enlisted the help of another film grad, our sound mixer, to capture live sound from both of the real engines that give life to the vehicles in our film, and by legendary happenstance, we got both vehicles on the same day.

Having the distinct pleasure of watching this film with an audience, and hearing their response in and out of the room, we are proud to present: “The Legend of Bill.”