The Story An animated reflection on mortality, CEMETERY SONG explores a day in the life of inhabitants of a cemetery as they explore the power of memories, existential dread, and finally a peaceful acceptance. Produced by a sister production team with music by indie band “Fellow Robot”.
How This was Made CEMETERY SONG was speared headed by Anthony Pedroza originally as a song for his band “Fellow Robot”. Having collaborated in the past with Michelle and Justine Prebich on other animated music videos, CEMETERY SONG is their fourth animated collaboration.
Consisting of just Michelle and Justine Prebich, CEMETERY SONG was methodically designed, animated, and assembled by the duo over the course of 8 months. The animation is a combination of hand-drawn and “puppet” style animation through “Toon Boom” by Justine Prebich. CEMETERY SONG’s visuals are a blend of imagery inspired by romantic era gothic imagery and the surrealism of Magritte paintings.
About the Director and Editor
Michelle directed and collaborated with animator Justine Prebich with an experimental stop motion short "Comfort Me with Absinthe”. It won best animated short in the Albuquerque Film And Music Experience in 2016.
Michelle and Justine once again collaborated on "Tools of War" an animated short exploring science fiction and the dystopian future in 2018 leading them to jump straight into CEMETERY SONG.
Michelle's art has been published in various print including horror stories anthologies for "Dark Moon Books". Her 'day job' is a purveyor of original macabre art, art pieces, and apparel she has created for her shop "Bat in Your Belfry" based in Los Angeles.
She’s always been fascinated with the idea of those that came before and thinks it’s important to take a moment to reflect on mortality. She hopes to capture the serenity and contemplation that old cemeteries provide with CEMETERY SONG. About the Production Designer and Animator
Justine Prebich is an artist who graduated from CSU Long Beach with a BFA in illustration and animation.
After graduation, she worked for many clients as a freelance artist on various short animated films, music videos, games, and album art. She enjoys working with playful shapes and colors in her art.
She is a production designer and animator for a series of music videos for a Long Beach indie rock band, Fellow Robot. Aside from her career in art, she enjoys horror films, animals, hiking, and traveling to different countries.
Currently, she is working as an animator and designer for Dreamworks Tv.
About the Band Fellow Robot is a Long Beach, CA-based indie-rock group, and the brainchild of singer/ songwriter Anthony Pedroza. The band, which is very much a collaboration between Anthony, drummer Luis Renteria, and friends, is hot off the heels of their debut album release, The Robot’s Guide To Music Volume 1. LA Music Critic Bob Leggett called the album “a dynamic debut album...simple yet majestic,” while OC Weekly beamed, “If you’re a fan of indie music, lengthy stories, and cheeky science fiction, there’s a good chance you’re going to like Fellow Robot.”
On the heels of their unabashed and blistering new EP “Fellow Humans” available on streaming everywhere, and CD at Donut Sounds https://donutsounds.com/fellow-robot
The band has been writing and recording diligently at their studio in Long Beach during 2020 and is excited to release their first instrumental album early next year paired with an animated short film by Michelle and Justine Prebich.”
