I
met Chloe Pisani back when we were little girls in oversized dresses at primary
school. Thanks to social media, we have always remained connected and I have
loved seeing all the work she has been creating over the last couple of years.
She
is a freelance animator and illustrator from Melbourne, currently studying a
Bachelor of Fine Arts Animation at VCA (Victorian College of the Arts)
Melbourne University, majoring in stop motion animation. She is a perfectionist
who loves the control that a black fine liner can give her when illustrating. Chloe
loves watching cheesy 90s TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cat Dog,
Japanese anime and playing video games.
I
thought it was time that you, the readers of Mosaik, can experience her
wonderful creations.
Have you always been interested
in animation and illustration?
From
a young age I was so interested in animation. I always told myself I wanted to
work on films, but that was back when I didn't know there was such a thing as
animators. When transferring schools I took a class in “Media” as it was my
only option and I was not looking forward to it in any way. The concept of
cameras and technology never appealed to me. Then in one lesson we had to make
a film on movement, and I remembered watching “Gumby” as a child. My teacher
was incredibly supportive and taught me the techniques behind stop motion.
After 4 months in the subject, I applied to complete year 12 Media, where I
made my first short film. As for illustration, I was fortunate as a young child
to have a mother who was an artist. The small amount of friends I had in
primary school, knew of my mum as the cool arty mum. When I had friends over we
would be sewing pillow cases, or making our own masks, or painting with
acrylic paints on canvas. She was the sort of mum that would come home from
work, or a weekend away and find me painting a mural on my bedroom wall and
smile. Without that, who knows if I would've been as creative as I am now.
I see you have created yourself a
brand already, what is the meaning behind ‘CACTVS’?
Developing
CACTVS was as simple as I thought it was a cool sounding word. I didn't want
my name associated with my artwork and I didn’t think it sounded cool and arty
enough. So I like keeping them separate, because they are two different parts
of my life. CACTVS is a platform to publish my art online and create an online
portfolio, as well creating a lot of opportunities for people to approach me
about a range of ideas or creative endeavours.
When writing CACTVS in type I use capitals and
the letter “V” replaces the “U” because when written by hand I use two
triangles (The a standing upright, and the V upside down). I have a triangle
pointing in opposite directions tattooed on each of my wrists. They represent a
lot of things for me; perfection, the inward flow of creativity, and outward
flow of creation, and most of all balance. And
then I delve deeper in the meaning. A cactus is a strong plant, that can
survive on little help from forces around it. I look back on my life and I am
proud of myself for my strength and resilience because without it, I wouldn't
be where I am in my life today. So
my brand is solely a representation of myself and my experiences. Plus it is
cute because then I get to call my followers and supporters my “little cacti”.
I see you are also creating a
short film, what is your film about?
“Out of the Woods” tells the story of a young girl named Ivy who helps her older
brother, Zachery, escape his woods that grow and thrive from the demise of his
mental health and stability. The film will be stop motion animated with the use
of hand made puppets and set. It will start off light and cheery, but will
transform into one of mystery, misery and self discovery. This film explores many themes, but the
central focus is mental health; a boy with depression, his younger sister who
is introduced to the topic through, her brother's experiences, and a mother who
is completely ignorant of the topic, like much of society.
I'm
pleased to announce, for the first time, that my film this year will be a
musical. I do this for many reasons. For starters, I have always enjoyed
musicals and I feel that everyone can relate to music. I want people to be
walking out of the screening of my film tapping their toes to the beat of the songs
and humming their tune.
What inspired you to create the
film?
Like
many others, I have witnessed the effects of mental illnesses on the lives of
loved ones, and have also experienced some mental health issues first hand. I
have grown and matured, and I accept the experiences I have had, but I also
grew angry. I grew angry that these topics weren't seen as okay to talk about.
I grew angry that it was seen as a weakness if you said that you had
depression. I grew angry that there weren't enough facilities and mediums that
I could get my hands on at a younger age, to help me through some of the
negative experiences I have had. I thank this anger because it has given me the
drive to decide to make this film. By making this film, it not only explores
personal things I have faced, but I hope I can make a stand for a lot of other
people who have had to deal with the effects of bad mental health.
What do you hope this film will do
for issues surrounding mental health?
First
and foremost, I hope that this film can help people who are going through
mental health issues, first or second hand; to offer support to those and show
them that they are not alone. I hope when people watch this it strikes a chord
for them. The way I have structured this film is to make it seem like a cute
movie about an imaginary forest, and you only discover at the end, the true
meaning of what these woods represent; an unhealthy and dangerous, ever growing
state of mind. So I hope that those ignorant of the topic can form a new understanding
of mental health, and develop some empathy and a desire to help those in need.
But
my biggest hope, is that those who are in a dark time in there life, can watch
this film and let themselves truly see in a visual metaphor, what is going on
inside of their brain. The closing scene of my film is in no way a happy
ending; but more so confronting a serious issue and gives light on the topic of
making a change and the prospect of positive development. The closing song is
one of raw emotion and a lot of phrases are used that I personally wish someone
had told me when I was in my dark place.
The
last thing is, that this will motivate others to tell their story with pride. I
hope that mental health will soon be seen as something people can be proud of.
I am not embarrassed of how sad I have been or the awful things I have been
through. No one should be. I hope there comes a time, and I hope this film
makes people see, that instead they should stand up and say “I am proud of
myself and I know I am strong, because I can stand up now and I am still here.
I am still standing". Because
the one thing we all have complete control over is our thinking.
So
please check support this hella cool chick in all her amazing endeavours. You
can donate to her Kickstarter project for her "Out of the Woods" film and help support the creation of her
film. She is so close to reaching her goal and she needs a MINIMUM of $1000 in order for the money to support her film.
You
can also check out her awesome weather proof, dishwasher and microwave safe
sticker packs of things she enjoys. I have inside scoop that a Game of Thrones
pack, Rick and Morty pack, Stephen Universe pack, and a famous artists pack are
in the making.
-
Sarah
