I, Pet Goat II
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation studio |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Louis Lefebvre |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
| Products | Animated films |
Number of employees | 3 |
I, Pet Goat II is a Canadian animated short from 2012, created by Louis Lefebvre, who took on the roles of writer, director, producer, and editor. The title alludes to The Pet Goat, the book President Bush was reading during the events of September 11.
This film offers a critique of globalism and American policies following 9/11, showcasing figures such as Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama alongside symbolic representations like the gnostic Christ. It weaves together elements from the War on Terror, Biblical narratives, Egyptian mythology, and occult symbolism within a dystopian backdrop. Renowned for its enigmatic imagery, the piece conveys Lefebvre's perspectives on the Illuminati and conspiracy theories related to 9/11. It continues to hold significance in online conspiracy discourse, with Lew Rockwell dubbing it the "granddaddy of conspiracy cartoons."
Development
Production commenced in 2006 under Louis Lefebvre, who by 2008 had founded Heliofant, his Montreal-based studio staffed with 3D animators. The musical score was composed in partnership with the Tanuki Project. The short film was officially released on June 24, 2012.
In various interviews, Lefebvre described his artistic process as one driven by intuition, allowing visuals to surface organically without complete comprehension of their meanings. His objective was to delve into spiritual traditions and universal symbolism to inspire multiple interpretations.
The creation process employed software such as Autodesk Maya, V-Ray, FumeFX, and RealFlow for animation and rendering tasks. Additionally, dance instructors from a Montreal university were engaged to perform motion capture for dancers featured in the animation.
Reception
The SUFI Journal highlighted the film’s integration of dancers, musicians, visual artists, and 3D animators, noting its critical examination of the previous decade’s events and portrayal of a worldwide spiritual awakening involving figures from various cultural backgrounds.
Amid Amidi, editor at Cartoon Brew, commended the film’s intricate production design that merges motion capture with keyframe animation to produce a captivating surreal atmosphere. Nonetheless, he regarded the extensive use of occult and spiritual motifs as somewhat overambitious.
Awards
I, Pet Goat II earned numerous honors including:
- Best Short Film at the Ocelot Robot Film Festival 2012
- Ranked 14th in Fubiz's Best of 2012 list (top 100)
- Short of the Week Award from The Future of Animation
- Best Film Distinction for 3D Movie Creation at the 4th International Animated Short Film Festival "Ciné court animé" (Roanne)
- 3D Film Award at Bitfilm Festival
- Recognition at Toronto Animation Arts Festival International
- Selection at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2013
- Participation in the International Competition at the 20th Granada Short Film Festival
External links
- Heliofant – Archived explanation detailing the film’s thematic content.