The Wheel Turns is a bold animated short film from director Sang Joon Kim. As he explains, it’s “about a prosaic subway operator turned into a toad [who] rediscovers himself in a dystopian world.” Sounds fascinating, right? The Wheel Turns will debut on Vimeo through their Directors Note program this Wednesday, March 25th. Kim, an Animation Scoop fan, is excited to share his insights with AS readers:

Jackson Murphy: How did your love of animation begin?

Sang Joon Kim: As most of people would have, I grew up watching a lot of animation. Though, I’m not sure if I can say I always have “loved” animation as I hadn’t really put much thought of it before I started making The Wheel Turns. I chose animation as a medium for The Wheel Turns because I thought it was something that I could just “start and create” without having to come up with a tremendous amount of budget and a large crew for the production. Since then, it grew on me big time and I’ve been under a pile of other great animation, always in awe of it.

JM: The Wheel Turns is a very unique story. Where did this concept come from?

SJK: I used to be a full time staff at Framestore, NY as a digital compositor. Due to the nature of the job, it often required late-late-late nights. It was just one of those days where I was on my way home after a late night, that I saw a reflection of myself in a subway window. I looked shockingly aged compared to the day before and absolutely no soul left in my eyes – it was a wake-up call and also a moment of inspiration for the concept. Also, I had read an article about an experiment where a frog doesn’t notice water boiling if it was put in a pot from the very beginning and if the water temperature goes up very slowly. It was the day when I asked myself – am I “that” frog?

JM: Why did you feel it was important to have a human character who didn’t exactly become “possessed” join the subway operator on this journey?

SJK: The Guitar Man character is portrayed as a character who does what he wants despite of what the society says and demands. I wanted the character to reflect every man/woman’s dream where they are all free from any restraints, the main reason why it was the only character that survived from the Soul Takers. It was crucial to include this character to guide the Operator and also the audiences to receive the message – Do what you want!

JM: How did you capture the toad and subway train noises?

SJK: It was a very fun, yet very frustrating process. Turns out, it is incredibly difficult to capture toad sounds especially for animation! I didn’t want it to be a hyperrealistic toad sound as the toads in the film are human-like. After so many trials, I grabbed a Dunkin’ Donuts plastic cup, punctured a hole at the bottom and tied a thick rubber band. When the rubber band was pulled, it made a very odd squeaky sound that echoed within the plastic cup. It mimicked a toad’s sound pretty well! Of course, it wasn’t enough, so I ended up mixing the effect with an actor’s voice and also a real toad’s sound. The subway train noises were mixed from stocks and also the sound that my sound designer made.

JM: The white glow of the hands & the bodies is very distinct. What techniques did you use for that element?

SJK: It was done combining TV Paint and also the Glow Effect from Nuke.

JM: Can you explain further thoughts on what the film has to say about work energy and liking or hating your job?

SJK: I simply want to suggest everyone to ask themselves if they are happy at what they’re doing and if it is something that they wanted or dreamt of. It is absolutely not possible for everyone to do what they love or like – that is a privilege. Though, I think it can still be done at least through a hobby or a side thing to daily life if they also feel what I felt on that late-night subway ride.

JM: You had some great festival and awards success with The Wheel Turns, which you also submitted for the Animated Short Film Oscar. How were those experiences?

SJK: It was all surreal. The film received so many [more] interests than we ever expected! Each and every part of the process was great but I particularly loved meeting with the audiences from different places and also interacting with other genius filmmakers in the world during the festival tour. Having the qualification to even submit the film to Oscar was a phenomenal moment for me. The film earned its qualification through Sitges Festival by winning Best Animated Short Film. We received such a warm welcome and the sweetest words from the judges and the panels of the Sitges Festival. I have permanently embedded those words in my heart.

JM: How did you get involved with Vimeo & the “Directors Notes” program for this short?

SJK: Directors Note was one of the platforms that I always loved following. I submitted the film to the Directors Notes to see if they would be interested, and they were! Now it will be online premiered through Vimeo on March 25th.

JM: I know you’ve been working on some other projects since you finished TWT, including Pigeon. What is that short about?

SJK: As much as this might sound very harsh, I live in New York City and encounter so many annoying moments countlessly every day. Pigeon is about those moments as I assume I shouldn’t be the only one who experiences that in this urban life. The film displays a series of relatable rude moments in urban life with a twist. I hope to release the film soon, please stay tuned.

JM: What things did you learn from working on The Wheel Turns that you took and applied to Pigeon?

SJK: One critical thing – To shorten the length of the film! Also, TWT art was very dense and intense in producing. It worked very well with the story but I wanted to loosen up a bit in Pigeon for the art direction just to try a different route.

JM: Do you have a fascination with stories about human/animal relationships?

SJK: Yes. I love genre films and adore them. Reflecting on my taste naturally, I tend to include anthropomorphized characters in my films. Also, I think animals in human forms help to narrate stories that could be uncomfortable, like sugar coating in a way.