Hunky Dory

When we are in harmony with the beauty of nature, and the moon is as round as a banjo, that's when you know everything is hunky dory.

2024, 6 minutes, 4320 index cards

Hunky Dory - Written, Mixed & Performed by Béla Fleck

for My Bluegrass Heart (Renew Records/BMG)
And featuring Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas, David Grisman, Mark Schatz, Edgar Meyer, & Tony Trischka. Recorded by Richard Battaglia; Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound

Screenings and Awards

"While you may be able to watch this film on your phone, tablet or laptop, there is no substitute for seeing these little drawings projected on a large movie screen where the subtle details, textures and transformations can be truly appreciated!"

"These four thousand, three hundred and twenty hand-drawn frames of musical joy are guaranteed to convince you that, for at least six minutes and two seconds, everything is indeed hunky dory.""

Woods Hole Film Festival, 2024

"The artwork here is really great and superbly tells the tale of nature vs. industry."

~Dances With Films, 2024

"Thanks for this film which is an animation short, so classical but hard worked in its technical fundamentals. The music is fit and the imaginative animal transitions are well done. We appreciate the work of a solitary filmmaker specially and you had the gentleness of noticing a particular element of you film that is related with our poster of this year (the windmills). We appreciate this kind of pieces, which are more difficult to create than the eyes of the general publc could see,
You are part from this season program.
Well done!"

Hell Chess Festival, Spain

Synopsis

Hunky Dory juxtaposes scenes of animal life with images of human existence, observing the quirky and unexpected ways in which we are similar. The meticulously hand-drawn animation is a visual smorgasbord, moving and morphing in perfect time to the banjo music of Béla Fleck and his bandmates in My Bluegrass Heart.

Facts

The 4320 drawings in the film took about 2 years, working full time.
There are 12 drawings per second, each one is a complete work on a 3x5 inch index card.
Each drawing is used just once, they never repeat.
Drawings are numbered consecutively in the lower right corner.
Coloring was done by hand using Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils.
There is no computer animation.
50 different animals are depicted in the film. In order of appearance:
1.honey bee / 2.condor / 3.raccoon / 4.raven / 5.sow bug / 6.blue jay / 7.owl / 8.hermit crab / 9.skunk / 10.beaver / 11.green fish / 12.mouse / 13.barn owl / 14.earthworm / 15.acorn woodpecker / 16.giraffe / 17.cardinal / 18.skink / 19.camel / 20.snail / 21.garden spider / 22.shark / 23.goldfish / 24.deer / 25.bat / 26.polar bear / 27.fire ant / 28.sandhill crane / 29.rattlesnake / 30.housefly / 31.frog / 32.butterfly / 33.Canada goose / 34.rabbit / 35.grasshopper / 36.kangaroo / 37.snakefly / 38.black headed gull / 39.manatee / 40.rhino / 41.box turtle / 42.blue whale / 43.octopus / 44.tartigrade / 45.elephant / 46.walrus / 47.snake / 48.white pelican / 49.brown pelican / 50.yellowfin tuna
13 humans (counting Tweedledee and Tweedledum) are depicted in the film:
1.knight in armor / 2.arborist / 3.sun bather / 4.swimmer in red trunks / 5.swimmer in blue trunks / 6.snorkeler / 7.tweedle dee / 8.tweedle dum / 9.pogo stick kid / 10.hot air balloon pilot / 11.surfer dude / 12.pope / 13.leaf-blower-guy