Its the 29th century. We're on Ganymede, one of Jupiters moons. The human race has long since left a decimated Earth. To survive the harsh climates of other planets and moons, humans have genetically modified themselves making skin color and sexual organs a common matter of fashion.
Two beautiful musicians, Parker, a soulful saxophonist, and Naia, an impish guitarist, play center stage. They move almost as one, a seamless harmony developed over the years from the bonding and sharing in their struggle to get just this far in their careers.
Unfortunately, fame is about to tear them apart.
This is the last gig they will ever play together.
Strange Frame is a labor of love between two old friends musician Shelley Doty and filmmaker GB Hajim. It began in 1999 when they decided to collaborate on a project using their individual talents and their passion for science fiction especially that of John Varley and Shinichiro Watanabe.
In the Fall of 2004, pre-production began. GB had an offer to produce the film overseas, but was committed to enriching life in his local community. GB lives in East Hawaii which is one of the most economically depressed parts of the State. He went to the local high schools and colleges to find talented youth to train for this project. From a pool of applicants, he trained 14 artists ages ranging from 13 to 23 in computer art and animation. They recorded the initial dialog at Palm Records on the island just a month before the sound engineer and owner, Charles Brotman, won a Grammy Award.
Part of the decision to go with cutout style instead of CG was one of creating a sustainable industry in East Hawaii. CG is being done all over the globe. Most productions do their animation work in Asia. By working in a medium that is fringe and hard to reproduce, "strange frame" has lead to a production pipeline that cannot be found anywhere else.
In 2005, pre-production was completed and the animation of the feature began. Each semester high school students join the team through the Hui'ana Mentorship Program sponsored by the Hawaii State Department of Education. Over 40 interns have trained at the small shack that holds the production facility. GB continues to reach out to the different schools around the state to find talent that would otherwise leave for the mainland or, worse, not find a home for their abilities.
Cast include Jason Scott Lee as the voice of Atem and Lena Horne in an archive footage as Ethel Andrews, the character she performed in 1938's "The Duke Is Tops"
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