SNAPSHOT
“My son, Trent, began spontaneously playing a sentimental tune on the piano. My twin brother, Scott, joined in with singing the words ‘chocolate cake and ice cream’. The silly words seemed to lighten our heavy hearts. I came alongside, and we all sang in harmony together. It was just a jingle at the time, but it stuck with me. After returning to Oregon, while commuting to work, I made the jingle into a song. Trent and I recorded it, and then I decided to make the song into a story.” (synopsis by Steve Cowden via Laughing Squid)
Oh, my heart.
This incredibly lovely short animated film, with a gorgeously touching song at its heart, is such a moving delight to watch as a dog and a cat, the former with a loving home, the latter without, find each other, become friends and finally end happily and expectedly together.
It speaks to the deep and abiding need we all have for love and connection, something that was very much on the mind of the film’s creator Steve Cowden during a very difficult time in his extended family’s life, as Laughing Squid explains.
“The animation was made by graphic artist Steve Cowden whose family had been mourning the tragic death of Cowden’s nephew in December 2019 when Cowden’s son Trent began playing a jaunty little tune on the piano, and Cowden’s twin brother Scott joined in with the titular words. Cowden later provided the animation.”
You can find out more about this moving piece of work at Oregon Live.