The Blues Crab
An old gnarled crab tells his story of loss and sorrow, hoping to save a couple young crabs from the life of blues he’s led.
3D Animated Silent Art Film for audiences of all ages (driven by original Blues music)
Synopsis
The setting for this short film is on and below a small fishing pier somewhere within the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland USA. Most of the action takes place on the ocean floor between several blue crabs who play foolishly around crab pots set by the fisherman above. One particularly wise and experienced ancient blue crab (The Blues Crab) spends his time attempting to impart his wisdom through song to the younger, more innocent crabs fully unaware of the dangers all around them. And like most kids who aren’t interested in listening to the advice of their elders … well, in the case of blue crabs, end up at one or another crab feasts around town!
Director Statement
“I had a vision for The Blues Crab, that it would evoke the feel of an early morning in Chesapeake bay, with the soul of Muscle Shoals” (Ari Rubenstein 2018) The film is a passion project that brings together my love of Delta and Chicago Blues and the Chesapeake Bay, where I grew up with fond memories ‘crabbing’ as a kid. I had watched the music documentary ‘Muscle Shoals’ which featured all of this seminal music cinematically married with the backdrop of Alabama’s natural environment; it reminded me of the Chesapeake and helped to inspire the idea for this film.
A good friend once said something that I hold dear, that filmmaking is a privilege. We are part of a creative effort with many souls working toward a common vision. Our work is shared with audiences all over the world. I’ve always felt the inspiration and excitement that comes with this process and I want to keep it alive and pass it forward to others. This is what The Blues Crab is at its heart, a vehicle used to inspire creativity, the “juice” as I call it. The other complimentary goals are to push filmmaking technology forward, and to explore how a global community of artists can effectively collaborate remotely.
The Blues Crab took 2 years to produce, with a crew of over 60 artists from 15 different countries spanning the globe. They hailed from such disparate locals as Malaysia, Madrid, Beijing, London, Bangladesh, Mumbai, Brazil, Russia, France, Germany, Turkey, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Canada, US and more. These artists contributed their diverse skill sets, working remotely via online film project management software, video conferencing, and direct email communication.
The impetus for this film would be, at minimum to generate opportunities for students and aspiring filmmakers who either don’t have the means nor access to the education required to enter a career in the digital arts. At best The Blues Crab is a prototype for a new production model, which simultaneously provides education, generates intellectual property, and gains global exposure which will translate into opportunities for all involved.
And hopefully move audiences with a lot of inspired original music and an appreciation for the blues as felt through the life of one soulful, old gnarly blue crab from the Chesapeake Bay.
Ari Rubenstein
The Blues Crab
An old gnarled crab tells his story of loss and sorrow, hoping to save a couple young crabs from the life of blues he’s led.
3D Animated Silent Art Film for audiences of all ages (driven by original Blues music)
Synopsis
The setting for this short film is on and below a small fishing pier somewhere within the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland USA. Most of the action takes place on the ocean floor between several blue crabs who play foolishly around crab pots set by the fisherman above. One particularly wise and experienced ancient blue crab (The Blues Crab) spends his time attempting to impart his wisdom through song to the younger, more innocent crabs fully unaware of the dangers all around them. And like most kids who aren’t interested in listening to the advice of their elders … well, in the case of blue crabs, end up at one or another crab feasts around town!
Director Statement
“I had a vision for The Blues Crab, that it would evoke the feel of an early morning in Chesapeake bay, with the soul of Muscle Shoals” (Ari Rubenstein 2018) The film is a passion project that brings together my love of Delta and Chicago Blues and the Chesapeake Bay, where I grew up with fond memories ‘crabbing’ as a kid. I had watched the music documentary ‘Muscle Shoals’ which featured all of this seminal music cinematically married with the backdrop of Alabama’s natural environment; it reminded me of the Chesapeake and helped to inspire the idea for this film.
A good friend once said something that I hold dear, that filmmaking is a privilege. We are part of a creative effort with many souls working toward a common vision. Our work is shared with audiences all over the world. I’ve always felt the inspiration and excitement that comes with this process and I want to keep it alive and pass it forward to others. This is what The Blues Crab is at its heart, a vehicle used to inspire creativity, the “juice” as I call it. The other complimentary goals are to push filmmaking technology forward, and to explore how a global community of artists can effectively collaborate remotely.
The Blues Crab took 2 years to produce, with a crew of over 60 artists from 15 different countries spanning the globe. They hailed from such disparate locals as Malaysia, Madrid, Beijing, London, Bangladesh, Mumbai, Brazil, Russia, France, Germany, Turkey, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Canada, US and more. These artists contributed their diverse skill sets, working remotely via online film project management software, video conferencing, and direct email communication.
The impetus for this film would be, at minimum to generate opportunities for students and aspiring filmmakers who either don’t have the means nor access to the education required to enter a career in the digital arts. At best The Blues Crab is a prototype for a new production model, which simultaneously provides education, generates intellectual property, and gains global exposure which will translate into opportunities for all involved.
And hopefully move audiences with a lot of inspired original music and an appreciation for the blues as felt through the life of one soulful, old gnarly blue crab from the Chesapeake Bay.
Ari Rubenstein