Full Text: Multi-talented, healthy eating Lindsey Testolin gives us the what’s what about her style, the bane of her existence, and how she’s saving the world, one author at a time.
Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?Lindsey Testolin: I earned my degree at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. I met brilliant people there, but I think the most successful animators in the group had a strong intuition for what their audience wanted. If you’re animating for a festival or band or gallery, you’ll treat each work differently. You’ll decide whether you’re making a short story or a poem. You’ll think about marketing before the work is even complete. In this case the animation is a delivery system for music… you have to acknowledge that.
CF: Where did you get the idea for “An Average Idea”?LT: Film trailers. It’s really like a film trailer; all my favorite parts and motions are mashed into one work to make a sale.
CF: What was your favorite part of making it?LT: I enjoyed building a character with multiple arms, Ray Harryhausen style. Except I had tiny magnets attached to the back of each arm so I could pivot them around freely. I probably spent most of my time playing with magnets. It was great.
CF: The hardest part?LT: Crawling on the floor looking for magnets. I also don’t always deal very well with hearing the same sound clip 2,000 or 3,000 times during the process. I don’t think the repetitiveness is good for anyone’s psychology. Producing animation can feel toxic in that way, and I try to eat an organic diet to stay calm and balanced. I can eat 15 pounds of fruits and vegetables each day when I’m working.
CF: Holiday fruitbasket for Lindsey, noted. Are you working on anything new that you can tell us about?LT: We’re in New York now and the publishing industry has become a bigger part of my life. I used to be a bookseller at Bookworks in Albuquerque – a great indie storefront on the Rio Grande. I talked with authors who felt hurt because their publisher couldn’t invest in promotional tools or throw them a small release party. Meanwhile publishers, publicists, and sales reps are overworked and underpaid.
Next year I’ll be launching an agency in Manhattan tailored to help both groups. We’ll be promoting books, sponsoring literary events, and giving sales reps the right tools. If authors are going to invest in videos, trailers, and e-marketing, they need to do it right. I want to leave the audience with no question about buying their book.
There’s no question that you rule! Thanks for the interview, Lindsey!
