Jasper Magazine

Hill’s next film project is called Supine, based on a dream that his wife experienced.

“It’s been brewing for quite a while now, and receiving a grant from the SC Film Commission and Trident Technical College was the boost it needed to finally see light. This film has a different technique, where my drawings are scanned in to become virtual puppets that are animated in various computer programs. I am working closely with an animator in LA, Jeffrey Shroyer. It is a real learning experience, and I like the results so far. Since it is not a puppet film (my first), it will have to travel in different circles, but I chose this technique because it is a better fit for the subject matter.

Hill explains that “both short films began life as live performances made for puppet slams. I treated these as practice for the films, a chance to work out the story, the visuals, and gauge audience reaction. They are very different in execution from the finished product, and have had a life of their own. Junk Palace Live had a run of performances, and I took it as far as Orlando.” A puppet slam is like a poetry slam, just with puppets, and often performed by experimental artists in non-traditional venues like nightclubs or art spaces.

Just a few weeks ago, Hill and colleague Kimi Maeda organized, hosted, and performed in Columbia’s first Spork in Hand Puppet Slam, as part of the 2012 Indie Grits Festival. “Kimi