^{Credit: The Escort (Black Triumph Productions)}

Director Rick Williamson and his wife, Regina Redwing, are the forces behind the animated short The Escort, in which a mysterious figure guides a young boy through his life. As Regina puts it, the film’s “journey to completion was almost as long as the journey for the boy in the movie.” The couple wanted to tell this story for more than fifteen years. They not only brought The Escort to the screen, but their short received an Oscar-qualifying run with help from the Fort Worth Film Commission. Cartoon Contender spoke with Rick and Regina about the film’s conception, why it took so long to make, and the road to Oscar eligibility. 

^{Credit: Rick Williamson and Regina Redwing}

Q: Regina mentioned that it took almost fifteen years to get The Escort off the ground. Why was this such a long journey? 

A: We had other projects that had priority. Through the years, we produced other award-winning live-action short films. We traveled around the U.S. supporting various film festivals, and we kept looking for the right animator to bring our characters to life. Randomly, we would come across an animator and ask if they would show us a simple sketch of the boy, based on the script. If the boy wasn’t vulnerable and lovable… you wouldn’t have the right movie. So, it took time to find the right animator to bring life and personality to our characters.

Q: Rick has numerous acting credits in addition to several directing credits. He’s fairly new to animation, though. What drew him to the medium to bring The Escort to life?

A: Basically, Rick wanted to learn how to create an animated movie. When we met Hayden Beaty and saw his artwork, along with his character ideas, we knew we’d found our animator, and the journey began. 

Q: In addition to being an animator, Hayden Beaty provided the character designs. Was it difficult to get the main character’s look right? 

A: Originally, Hayden understood the children’s personalities, and the sketches were pretty much right on. When we got to how the characters would age, it took a little bit more time to visualize them. Animation is unique in that you can totally construct a character that you have in your mind.  

Q: The Escort has a beautiful musical score with Valery Goldes on piano and Drew Tretick on violin. How did you find the film’s sound? 

A: We had used Drew Tretick on a previous movie.  Rick decided that he wanted the score to be only violin and piano, each instrument representing either the boy or the girl. Rick told Drew that we were looking for an original score that was Oscar-worthy. Drew said that he had the perfect composer, and that led us to Valery Goldes, who, like Drew, was also a Juilliard-trained musician. When we shared musical ideas with Drew and Val, we knew that this was the team of composers to create the sound, the heart, and the feeling of The Escort! 

Q: Making a short film can be a drawn-out process. So, can getting it accepted into a film festival and eligible for Oscar consideration. Regina mentioned that the Dallas Fort Worth Film Commissioner helped The Escort with its Oscar-qualifying run. Can you take me through that experience? 

A: Sometimes you’re at the right place at the right time. We heard that the Fort Worth Texas Film Commission was looking for projects for possible production.  We submitted and received the nicest email that we didn’t get the production grant, but they liked The Escort so much that they wanted to offer us an Oscar-qualifying run at the Texas Movie Bistro! 

^{Credit: The Escort (Black Triumph Productions)}

Q: I feel there are a few different ways to interpret The Escort. On one hand, it’s like watching someone’s life flash before their eyes when it’s all over. At the same time, it feels more like a beginning than an ending. What’s your interpretation of the film? 

A: I really don’t have a personal interpretation of the film. I wrote it straight from my heart as a gift to someone I love. Although I get asked this question frequently, I believe that love never dies, it just changes like a bridge in a song. How The Escort affects the viewer is our gift to you.

Q: In the credits, it says, “I wrote this story on a Christmas Eve as a gift to my wife, so many years ago when funds were low and dreams were high. Now, it’s our gift to you.” Can you take me back to that Christmas Eve and what inspired the story? 

A: We were in our first home, and it was Christmas Eve, and I didn’t have any money to buy her a Christmas gift, so I wrote this story for her as she slept, and I gave it to her Christmas morning. And she loved it!!!

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1 and 2. Available Now!