Interview with Daniel Robichaud, Writer/Director, "Tightrope"
VFXpro.com
January 20, 1999
By Audrey Doyle
The first in-house production created by Digital Domain (Venice, CA), "Tightrope" is an allegory starring two characters: the friendly and gregarious Jester, and the ominous and sinister Suit. As the story begins, The Jester, wearing a bright and colorful costume, is walking along a tightrope suspended in a cloud-like environment. Suddenly, he comes upon another man moving toward him. This man, The Suit, is wearing a black, bandit-style mask and a dark, Edwardian-style suit. The Jester extends his hand in friendship, but The Suit rebuffs him and tries to knock him off the tightrope. In an effort to befriend The Suit, The Jester demonstrates an assortment of magical tricks, but each trick has an adverse effect on The Suit, so he puts an abrupt end to each of the tricks. Eventually, The Suit responds with a desperate act with possibly dire consequences for both characters.
Written and directed by Digital Domain's Daniel Robichaud, a 36-year-old French-Canadian, this five-minute animated short premiered November 23 at Laemmle Theatre in Los Angeles, and has qualified for the 1998 Academy Award consideration in the Short Animated Film category. Additional credits include Scott Ross, producer; Edward Kummer, executive producer; and Vala Runolfsson, associate producer.