Abagail Taper
Pancakes
"Pancakes" is a 3D animated short of a dad who is very determined to make some pancakes. This story, in its first draft was only a silly average man miserably failing, attempting to flip the perfect pancake for himself too early in the morning. It then began to evolve into something with more heart and relatability. “Never give up!” is a major theme of this piece. Try, try, and try again, until you reach your goal.
Artist/Thesis Statement
When I was first thinking of ideas for this project I kept asking myself, What is a problem that everyone faces but pays no attention to? I thought this would lend itself to a funny concept for a short story. Everyone at one time or another has tried to flip a pancake like a master chef, right? But it's not something that one would spend a whole morning trying to perfect. Why? What benefit would one have other than many discarded pancakes? This story, in its first draft was only a silly average man miserably failing, attempting to flip the perfect pancake for himself too early in the morning. It then began to evolve into something with more heart and relatability. Why is this goon making pancakes? Why doesn’t he just have boring old cereal like the rest of us?
I decided to add a small daughter for him. Adding this element gave my main character a purpose. The daughter doesn't see how much effort her father’s putting into her breakfast. Much like most of us don't remember or realize how much work our parents put into us when we were too young to remember. This creates another level of relatability for the audience. Creating this project with more humor also shows the audience that life is good as long as we can laugh at our own shortcomings and mistakes. We laugh at the dad because we can understand to some level the struggle of his predicament. “Never give up!” is a major theme of this piece. Try, try, and try again, until you reach your goal.
Using 3D modeling technology, I modeled these characters to challenge gender stereotypes. Showing a single dad who cares so much for his daughter is something we need to encourage in our society. Showing love shouldn't be viewed as a sign of weakness or a lack of masculinity. Fathers can always make a disastrous mess of the kitchen just as long as it involves some epic pancake tosses.
