Private Project

The Alligator Hunter

After losing his wife in a traumatic attack, an elderly hunter seeks revenge on the culprit: a massive albino alligator. Months of waiting for the creature to resurface turns his grief into a desperate obsession. However, when the hunter finally has the chance to kill the alligator and obtain catharsis, he feels an unexpected bond. In the monster’s eyes, he sees his wife looking back. Reunited with his love, the hunter decides to leave the safety of his boat and swim with the alligator.

  • Kyle V. James
    Director
    The Death Drive (2015), Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015), China Test Girls (2017)
  • Kyle V. James
    Writer
    The Death Drive (2015), Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015), China Test Girls (2017)
  • Mallori Taylor
    Lead Animators
    Safe (2015), Uglies Anonymous (2015), The Death Drive (2015)
  • Kyle V. James
    Lead Animators
    The Death Drive (2015), Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015), China Test Girls (2017)
  • Michael Bourne
    Sound Design
    Illuminate (2015), The Death Drive (2015)
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 51 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 12, 2017
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Kyle V. James

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kyle grew up fighting creatures and robots in his backyard with a homemade lightsaber. He now works as a director and film professor at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. His work spans feature films, TV commercials, and award-winning short films. When Kyle isn’t drawing, he is writing his book on paradoxes: "The Parado’s and Paradont’s of Time-Travel".

Kyle V. James is best known for his work on "The Death Drive" (2015), "China Test Girls" (2017), and "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" (2015).

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"The Alligator Hunter" is a 3-minute animated fable about a man who spirals into madness after his wife is killed in an alligator attack. He vows revenge on the creature, but must try to maintain his sanity in the process.

Kyle V. James, Mallori Taylor, and Michael Bourne tasked themselves to tell a story in a way they had never seen before. Their deeply rooted respect for 2D animation combined with their desire to experiment landed them on a painted aesthetic that uses live-action footage as reference. Nearly 3,000 hand-drawn images and several years later, "The Alligator Hunter" was completed.

James, Taylor, and Bourne’s method pays homage to the great animators that inspired them, while simultaneously presenting an entirely unique style. This story not only stands alone as a short film, but also fulfills a scene from their upcoming animated feature film, "Rawspace".

Ultimately, "The Alligator Hunter" performs as a cautionary tale, while also exploring the blurred contrast between human nature and animal instinct.