PROJECT OVERVIEW
Bark & Boo is an award-winning screenplay that is currently in production to be made into a high-level 2D animated short film. The production team has completed the character designs, one background design, and a 5-second animation test. As we garner more funds, we will continue to complete more phases of the the animated film.
Visit the website: www.barkandboothemovie.com
Follow on Instagram: @barkandboothemovie.
The story began as a 10-minute film script written for animation in 2021. Since then, it won first place at Cinequest in 2023, alongside many other semi-finalist placements in other contests, and sat in the top 1% on Coverfly for a year (the primary screenwriting platform).
Bark & Boo delves into the themes of friendship, loss, mourning, and hope. In an old abandoned house, two lonely souls search for each other in their former home. Boo, a melancholic ghost trapped in his former owner’s body, and Bark, his loyal but aging Saint Bernard still existing in the real world without him. They search, miss, and eventually find each other again.
Comps include:
Kitbull (Pixar Sparkshorts, Blender and Toonboom, a story about a dog and a cat)
Flow (Dream Well Studios, Blender, an atmospheric story about a cat's survival)
PITCH VIDEO & ANIMATION TEST
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
The seed of this story was planted over a decade ago by my uncle’s dog, Lucas. Every time my uncle came home, he would park his car in front of Lucas' dog house, and Lucas would run out, tail wagging ecstatically, to greet him. One day after my uncle passed away, I had to drive his car. The first time I parked it outside of Lucas' dog house, he ran out with his tail wagging. Once I stepped out of the car, Lucas realized I was not my uncle. His tail stopped wagging, and the joy drained from his face. Saddened, he slowly slumped back into his dog house.
I held onto that memory for over a decade, and I have to purge it. Bark & Boo establishes a tone of loneliness and depression balanced with glimmers of hope and the transcendent bonds of love. This sensibility will be mirrored in its aesthetics, style, and visual storytelling. Classic two-dimensional animation will lock Bark & Boo in a grounded and gritty reality laced in true drama. - Rudy Salas
ACCOLADES
Winner:
1st Place, Cinequest Screenwriting Competition 2022-2023
Finalist:
-Semifinalist, Shore Scripts Short Film Fund Fall 2024
-Semifinalist, Shore Scripts Short Film Fund Spring 2024
-Semifinalist, ScreenCraft Film Fund Fall 2024
-Quarterfinalist, The Script Lab - TSL Free Screenplay Contest 2024
-Semifinalist, Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition 2024
-Quarterfinalist, Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2023
-Quarterfinalist, Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition 2023
-Quarterfinalist, Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Spring 2023
-Quarterfinalist, Script2Comic Contest 2023
THE ANIMATION TEAM
We are proud to partner with Anodyne Studios, an Austin-based animation powerhouse. With a creative team whose credits include hits like Netflix's Castlevania, Anodyne is producing Bark & Boo fully in-house—from character design and backgrounds to music and sound design. To date, we have successfully completed all primary character designs and the first five seconds of final animation.
Learn more about our animation partners here: https://anodynestudios.com
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
This is the breakdown of how much funding we need for each step of the animation process.
THE PRODUCER TEAM
Rodolfo ‘Rudy’ Salas (Creator/Writer/Director/Producer) was born in Brownsville, Texas. His childhood was spent in a hundred-year-old house that stood in poverty. His wild imagination allowed him to escape from his impoverished upbringing, and as his social and academic knowledge grew, so did his appreciation for storytelling and film. He earned his MFA from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. He is a multilingual creative who has been awarded over 90 times for his screenplays at festivals all over the world.
Marissa Falsone (Producer) is an actor and producer based in Austin, TX. Her acting credits most notably include film and television projects on Lifetime and Netflix. Her debut project as a producer, Grand Romantic Gestures, earned international acclaim, receiving award nominations and wins at festivals across the United States and Europe. Since then, she has produced a diverse slate of nationally recognized narrative work, including both short and feature-length films, as well as two television pilots.
Chelsea Parrish (Producer) is a producer, animator, and graphic artist based in Los Angeles. Originally from New York, she's worked with Nickelodeon, Marvel, Skybound Games, Netflix, and various clients in entertainment. As a freelancer who works with clients everyday, she's well-versed in creative collaboration and managing large projects. She's deeply passionate about using animation to tell stories and teach people about big ideas.
THE ANIMATED FILM:
Character Explorations (Anodyne Studios):
Storyboards: Our current storyboard is hand-drawn, spanning over fifty pages, and fully prepared to send to the animation team to assist them in telling this story as they build the final storyboard. Below is a brief preview of the visual narrative captured in it.
We have also developed a comprehensive 35-page lookbook that showcases the character designs for Bark and Boo, along with the richly detailed environments—particularly the house, which serves as a character in its own right. This document explores the textures, animation styles, mood, and color palettes that will shape the film’s visual identity, ensuring a cohesive and immersive storytelling experience.
DONATIONS & INCENTIVES
There are two ways to donate to Bark & Boo to help us reach our goal. You can donate here on Spotfund, or you can donate on Fractured Atlas to receive a tax deduction.
Visit the donation page to learn more: https://www.barkandboothemovie.com/donate
BARK & BOO & YOU!
Visit the website: www.barkandboothemovie.com
Follow on Instagram: @barkandboothemovie.
Email with questions or to join the team: barkandboothemovie@gmail.com
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@barkandboo_official
We also want to take this opportunity to thank all of the incredible people whose generosity has already helped us get this far by giving towards our pre-production costs. We couldn't do this without YOU!
Christine Ellen Alejandro
Cynthia Venditti
Stephen Nigro
Brian Venditti
Jaclyn Vela
Margo Sawaya
Brenda Salazar
Lina Yuchen Li
Myrna Zolezzi
Amado De Hoyos
KC Pena
THANK YOU for supporting us!
