Vince Backeberg's

ClaymationŽ Years Filmography

Below is the complete filmography of commercial
and television work I did for Will Vinton Productions.

 

 

  • Domino's Pizza....."Dome of Quality"..... Armature builder

  • Domino's Pizza....."TrapDoor".....Armature builder

  • California Raisins....."Playing with your Food".....armature,character builder

  • Moonlighting TV episode.....Armatures,moldmaking

  • CBS TV Special..... "A Claymation Christmas"..... Animator(Rudy raisin seg.)armatures,sets

  • California Raisins..... "Raisin Ray"......Animator (candy characters),armatures,props

  • Dole Frozen Fruit Bars....."In the Mood".....Animator(Cherry),molds

  • Post Raisin Bran....."Big Stars".....Animator(raisins)armatures,molds

  • CBS TV Special....."Meet the Raisins".....Animator (Star Trek spoof) Set dressing/detail for Trek bridge.

  • California Raisins....."Intermission".....Cel painter

  • California Raisins....."Michael Raisin".....designer,moldmaker,armatures
    I designed a female raisin singer based on Jackson's sister Latoya. He approved it, but it was cut before animation began, do to time. That's showbiz.

  • Fuji Videotape....."The Presentation"......Animator (pitchman)

  • Kamol Baume....."Le Rugbyman".....Animator,armatures,sets

  • Alpo Treats....."Animated Dan".....Animator (Dan the Dog),set construction,armatures

  • Charmin ....."Baby Store".....sets,molds
    This was an interesting spot. Claymation babies designed by Robert Terrell and animated by Tony Merrithew sang and danced atop a set of toilet paper roles. It was very much in the style of 1940's musicals. Very elaborate. There was a very tight schedule and over a dozen people worked extremely hard to meet the deadline. Unfortunately for us, Charmin decided to alter the campaign and use a traditional live action spot instead. It never aired. I imagine the tape of that spot is sitting on a shelf somewhere in one of those "Raiders of the Lost Ark" warehouses.

  • CBS TV Special....."Comedy of Horrors".....tested animation effects. I spent a couple of weeks testing ways to animate lightening effects in camera. I used cut-outs of Scotchlite front projection material that would be used as replacement animation.

  • Bay Cable Co-op....."It's Alive"..... animator pick-up shots

  • Macleans Toothpaste....."Castle".....set work,puppet assembly Worked on finish detailing and assembly of dozens of toy soldier puppets.

  • Smithsonian....."Corn & Potato Show".....Animator (Corn) ,armatures A very intense two weeks of animation with John Logue and Si Tran.

    Disney Channel's

    "Adventures in Wonderland"

    These were 60 to 100 second clay cartoons. Every episode the Caterpillar would read a story that would come to life as a clay cartoon as he narrated. The clay animaton was a departure from the fully three dimensional work the studio is known for. The characters were more 2 and a half-D flat characters animated on panes of glass.
    The best part about these shows, from an animators standpoint, was the fact that I built and animated everything. On commercial work there are so many people involved it is impossible to have any individual authorship. Many times you animate a character or element that is composited into a scene that has the work of many other animators. That's what made these shows unique for me. I have to point out that this didn't mean that the animators had free reign. We had audio tracks and storyboards that Disney had approved. Barry Bruce and John Logue directed and Doug Kelly was Art Director. Mary Sandell was producer. In all WVP did over 40 clay cartoons for "Wonderland"

    • "Patience".....Animator

    • "The Dog who hated Being Alone"...... Animator

    • "Phil the Grumpy Frog".....Animator

    • "A Planet Called Clone".....Animator

    • "The Spelling Bee".....Animator

    • "Cow Competition".....Animator

    • "A Very Private Ant".....Animator

    More commercial work....

    • Scott's Fertilizer....."Scott's Fertilizer".....prop builder

    • Lysol....."Frightened Fixtures".....mold, prop builder

    • Lysol2....."Brush in a Bottle".....prop/character builder

    • Chips Ahoy!....."In the Bag".....3D computer modeler/animator

    • Chips Ahoy!......"Chunky Landscape".....3D computer modeler/animator
      This was the first use of computer animation at WVP on an actual commercial. Dave Daniels, the director wanted a mixed medium of traditional claymation, motion control miniatures, and computer animation. Two teams were set up. One using NewTek's Lightwave 3D,and a second using Martin Hash's Animation Master. Working with AM, I animated a rough computer storyboard for "Landscape" that was used by Hal Hickel, the motion control photographer on the 'real' set. I modeled and animated the Chips Ahoy! bag that puffs up at the end.
      For "In the Bag", I animated the flying exclamation point after it flys through the bag into the room. I also animated the chocolate chips floating in the air and that blast out of the speaker. Mathew Brunner animated the big chip that turns to the camera and reveals the slogan. For more details, check out CINEFEX number 60, page 129, and see how they mis-spell my name. It's BACKEBERG!       And it is pronounced       'bak-ee-berg.'

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