Potapych: The Bear That Loved Vodka

Darren Price did a great job with his short film Potapych, an endearing animated story about a Russian bear addicted to vodka. (It’s apparently inspired by true events.)

Everything in this short comes together so nicely. I love the mix of 2D and 3D, the voiceover work is outstanding, and the jewel-toned palette makes for rich compositions that are worth several clicks of the old pause button.

Here’s a little more info on Darren:

Darren Price is Head of 3D at Nexus Productions. Graduating as a graphic designer from the University of Canberra in 1996, Darren started his career in animation as a 3D artist in post production at Ambience Entertainment, Sydney Australia. Over his time there, he was moved to the role of senior animator, leading teams of designers and animators on many projects.

In 2001, he then joined a small team animating the award winning short film ‘Show & Tell’ forKapow Pictures. This piece did well on the festival circuit, and led Darren to London seeking similar work.

At Nexus Productions, Darren has worked as Head of 3D alongside many different directors. Most notable works include the 2005 D&AD Gold Pencil winner, Honda “Grrr” which Darren helped develop and animate for the directors Smith and Foulkes. The same team created the title sequences for films such as the “Thunderbirds”, “Lemony Snicket”, and Motorola “Grand Classics”.

When not animating, Darren spends his time relaxing in Hackney, London, trying to convince his wife and baby son that the Marshes are easily as lovely as Bronte Beach.It’s a hard sell, but he’s getting there.