This should’ve been posted almost a month ago, but we had some technical snafus and various other meaningless excuses. But it’s worth sharing.
Congrats to Jeff on the award.
“The Little Film that Could by the Little Studio that Could”
VANCOUVER, BC (May 20, 2011) – Ode to a Post-it Note, an animated short film created by Vancouver boutique animation studio Meditating Bunny Studio Inc. and commissioned by 3M Canada has just been awarded a Webby Award for best Branded Entertainment in the Online Film & Video section at the 15th Annual Webby Awards. Often considered “The Oscars of the Internet,” the Webby Awards are gaining prestige amongst ad agencies, filmmakers and, of course, Internet users. Beating out other branded short videos featuring Snoop Dogg, Arcade Fire, Lego, and the popular video game Halo, Ode to a Post-it Note shows that you don’t need big celebrities or big budgets to make great online media!
Meditating Bunny Studio Inc. was founded in 2001 by Kelowna-born filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns and has created many award-winning short and feature-length films along with broadcast commercials for clients such as Sharpie. Operating as a one-man studio, Chiba Stearns conceives all of his own ideas and executes every step of the filmmaking process from creating storyboards and writing scripts to editing. Most importantly, he animates everything himself by hand.
The film, produced, directed and animated by Chiba Stearns, begins with a cluttered office desk plastered with to-do lists scribbled on Post-it Notes. One brave little Post-it Note escapes on an incredible journey of self-discovery to find his father, which brings him to St. Paul, Minnesota where he meets Art Fry, the inventor of the Post-it Note. Shot using over 3500 digital photos, Ode to a Post-it Note utilizes the magic of stop motion, classical, and pixilation animation to celebrate both the inventor and the innovative inventions sparked out of even the smallest ideas.
“All the other videos in the Branded Entertainment category had top ad agencies, a huge crew and celebrity star power behind their films. Ode to a Post-it Note featured a yellow 3×3 inch Post-it Note. The charm of the video comes when the Post-it springs to life and embarks on an incredible journey of self-discovery. I make films that have a soul and inspire people to be creative in their own lives. Winning a Webby is an extra special accomplishment because a jury of industry peers chose it as the best video in the category. This is definitely one the biggest awards the studio has won so far and I am completely overjoyed and humbled!” commented Jeff Chiba Stearns.
Vancouver-based filmmaker, Jeff Chiba Stearns, will be honored at the star-studded, live online broadcast of The Webby Awards from New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Monday, June 13, 2011. The following day, fans will be able to watch The Webby Awards, including Chiba Stearns’ 5-word speech, at www.webbyawards.com
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including websites, interactive advertising & media, online film & video, and mobile & apps. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 750-person judging academy whose members include Martha Stewart, Darren Aronofsky, R/GA’s Chief Bob Greenberg, David Bowie, Arianna Huffington and Twitter’s Biz Stone.
“The Webby Awards honors the very best of the Internet,” said David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards. “Jeff Chiba Stearns’ achievement is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of its creators.”
The 15th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 US states. Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards are known worldwide for its famous 5-word speech limit. Past Webby Award winners – and their speeches – include Al Gore (“Please don’t recount this vote”), Beastie Boys (“Can anyone fix my computer?”), and Stephen Colbert (“Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.”).
A full list of both Webby Awards and People’s Voice Awards winners can be found at: www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current/php?season=15.
The Ode To A Post-it Note animated film can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/PostitCanada#p/u/1/WelIo6EOPvA
About Meditating Bunny Studio Inc.
Meditating Bunny Studio Inc. was founded in 2001 by filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns. Based in Vancouver, BC, this award-winning boutique animation studio specializes in the creation of animated and documentary films. The studio also specializes in the creation of innovative stop motion and classically animated commercials. Meditating Bunny Studio Inc.’s films Kip and Kyle (2000), The horror of Kindergarten (2001), What Are You Anyways? (2005), Yellow Sticky Notes (2007), One Big Hapa Family (2010) and Ode to a Post-it Note (2010) have screened at over a 150 film festivals around the world, garnered 29 awards, and been broadcast internationally. For more information, visit www.meditatingbunny.com
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