Faculty Communication Design

Carol Beecher

Sessional Instructor

Having been intimately involved with the animation community in Alberta for almost 30 years Carol has gathered in-depth knowledge and experience that encompasses production in traditional and digital 2D and 3D modes, non-profit programming and administration, and post-secondary teaching and curricular development. She has had the pleasure of sitting as a peer juror at international film festivals and for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Canada Council for the Arts. Carol is an Honorary member and past President of the Quickdraw Animation Society, and holds a BFA from AUArts.

Carol Beecher

As an independent animator she has a solid understanding of the many modes of expression available to this art form, and in 1994, with her life partner Kevin D.A. Kurytnik, formed Fifteen Pound Pink Productions, named thus because that's how much their cat weighed.  The body of work that they created allowed them to become NFB filmmakers, with the successful completion in 2017 of their award winning film Skin for Skin.

Carol's interests extend into all forms of expression in the media arts.  She is a voracious consumer of books and documentaries on filmmaking, production design, biographies, storytelling, and film and animation aesthetics, and thinks of herself as a life-long learner.

"Documentary, live action, and animation are all very distinctive media art forms, but the creative process is surprisingly similar; ideas have to form and be developed, research needs to be done, be it for the subject matter or the visual/artistic approach, and collaboration is essential.  This is what I respect and admire about what we do as creators."

Selected Awards

2020    

  • Banff Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media - cohort 2

 

Skin for Skin   

2019    

  • Best Animated Short long list - 91st Academy Awards

2018    

  • Best of Festival & Best Animation - Yorkton Film Festival
  • Best Animated Production or Series (Bonnie Thompson, Producer) - AMPIA Awards                 
  • Best Director Drama Under 30 Minutes (Kurytnik & Beecher) - AMPIA Awards
  • Best Overall Sound Drama Under 30 Minutes (Frank Laratta) - AMPIA Awards
  • Special Distinction Award - SICAF Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival

2017    

  • Silver Skull International Short Film - Morbido Fest Horror and Fantasy Film Festival - Mexico City
  • Grand Jury Award Best Short Film (Animation) - Edmonton International Film Festival               
  • Best Overall Short (Live Action or Animated) - Calgary International Film Festival                     
  • Audience Favorite Best Alberta Short - Calgary International Film Festival
  • Vimeo Staff Pick

 

A Family War Diary

2018    

  • Alberta Foundation for the Arts Film Project Research Grant

 

Intergalactic Who’s Who

2014    

  • Alberta Media Fund - feature film project/script development grant

 

Mr. Reaper's Really Bad Morning

2014    

  • Vimeo Staff Pick

Connect

www.fifteenpoundpink.com