Burning All the Past Away

This animated, poetry-driven webisode follows Bandages, an old man haunted by The Judge (his dark past), as he embarks on his journey towards forgiveness.

Creative team

Writer: Sheri-D Wilson
Director/producer: Doug Cook

Filmmaker’s statement

While enduring a grueling year in my personal life, I longed to make a film in solitude.

I’ve always loved the art of stop-motion and the magical feeling that only miniatures and puppets can create. I decided to dive into a short stop-motion/live-action mixed film and to do as much as possible on my own. With the help of a few colleagues and many YouTube tutorials I managed to pull it together.

During my most stressful times, I would often reflect on memories and emotions from my past. Some were good memories and others came with frustration and anger. I didn’t feel that these thoughts and feelings were strong enough to base a film on – but the underlying feeling of ‘letting go’ did feel like something I should channel.

With that, I came up with the title, concept and character of the film. Making this film was cathartic and it came from a place of therapy rather than artistic expression.

The icing on the cake was connecting with Calgary poet, Sheri-D Wilson. After our first meeting Sheri really absorbed and understood my vision for the film. The poem flowed out of her almost immediately. Her words became the connecting force of the film.

About Doug Cook

Audiences have come to recognize Doug’s signature style, whether it has sci-fi, futuristic or mysterious themes.

Doug’s attention to detail in prop-use and production design elevate his work to the highest standard and, regardless of budget, his final film always reflects innovation and meticulousness.

Above all, the key to his success is his talent of bringing a message, melody or lyric to life in a way that’s inventive and a natural reflection of the music, artist, story.

Doug’s technical competence, bold visual interpretations and unusual use of props, along with his collaborative process and professionalism have distinguished him as a unique independent filmmaker.