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Chad Kaplan

Chad Kaplan

Birth : 1988-06-15, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

History

Born and raised in New England, Chad Kaplan is a 2D artist and animator. He began drawing at a young age and started animating as an experiment around the year 2004. Animation quickly became a passion of his and he has animated a variety of short films in addition to some work on several features. While initially self-taught, Kaplan chose art and animation as something to seriously pursue as a young adult. He graduated cum laude from Emerson College in 2012 where he majored in animation and motion media. In addition, he received further education at Rhode Island School of Design where he developed more skills in the medium of animation. One of his earliest and bigger projects involved creating 2D animated dramatizations for the documentary Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s (2012) directed by Mike Malloy. The film has screened at various festivals internationally and received a write-up in Variety magazine. Kaplan then went on to do animated work for another documentary My Name Is Jonah (2014) which has also received acclaim on the film-festival circuit. Kaplan's most ambitious project to date involved him serving as animation director on the 2016 live action/animated hybrid feature film Desert Mirage (2016) with frequent collaborator Michael Fredianelli. In addition to designing characters, layouts, and overseeing other aspects of the animation production, he was directly involved in animating several scenes for the movie over a three year period.

Profile

Chad Kaplan

Movies

Chet / Cartoon Pervert

A struggling performer and all-around slacker accidentally stumbles into a successful fetish video career, and is subsequently pulled into a community of sickos while dealing with her over-bearing family in this outrageous comedy.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Animation

Mistaken identity, unrequited love, and the supernatural are combined in Shakespeare's classic set in the woods of Greece on a moonlit night.

Himself - boardwalk victim

Aspiring cartoonist and middle-aged gumbuster Cliff Morelli (Jeremy Koerner, Black Cat Whiskey, New York Lately) spends his days at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk performing minimum wage janitorial duties. When he is put on suspension after harassing a teenager and his parents threaten to throw him out of the house, Cliff decides to actively pursue his lifelong animation dreams by reconnecting with his rich brother Jack. After a failed attempt and a string of bad luck, Cliff finds himself at the mercy of the animated characters he has created, and together, they form a devilish plan to exact revenge on all those that have wronged him.

Animation Director

Aspiring cartoonist and middle-aged gumbuster Cliff Morelli (Jeremy Koerner, Black Cat Whiskey, New York Lately) spends his days at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk performing minimum wage janitorial duties. When he is put on suspension after harassing a teenager and his parents threaten to throw him out of the house, Cliff decides to actively pursue his lifelong animation dreams by reconnecting with his rich brother Jack. After a failed attempt and a string of bad luck, Cliff finds himself at the mercy of the animated characters he has created, and together, they form a devilish plan to exact revenge on all those that have wronged him.

Money for Angels

Money for Angels

Animation

Businessmen Oliver Darcy and Brian Douglas have been quietly embezzling money from their employers for months. When Oliver's daughter is mysteriously kidnapped, the two men take desperate measures to protect their illegal fortune and get the girl back without the help of the police. What begins as a simple plan quickly explodes into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal when a call girl, a dirty cop and a gang of thugs learn of the crime and arrange their own ways of collecting the ransom money.

Animation

In 1873, Emperor Meiji abolished the rights of the samurai in favor of a modern, westernized military. With intentions to launch a bloody crusade against the government, warrior Endo Tadaoki (Henry Lee) gathers his remaining men to prepare for one last honorable battle against the emperor and regain the supremacy of the samurai. As fellow warrior Kido Masahide (Vint Carmona) refuses to join the war, he and his wife are brutally murdered at the hands of Endo's blade before being robbed of their family swords. When Kido's only son (Michael Nosé) is also pressured to join Endo's forces, he instead chooses a fatal confrontation with his parents' assailant. Suffering from a rare medical condition that renders his skin allergic to water, Ken embarks on his quest to find a sword and avenge his family's death.

Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s

Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s

Animation

A documentary concerning the violent Italian 'poliziotteschi' cinematic movement of the 1970s which, at first glance, seem to be rip-offs of American crime films like DIRTY HARRY or THE GODFATHER, but which really address Italian issues like the Sicilian Mafia and red terrorism. Perhaps even more interesting than the films themselves were the rushed methods of production (stars performing their own stunts, stealing shots, no live sound) and the bleed-over between real-life crime and movie crime.

Animation Director

Four horror stories focusing on a group of neglected children and their unfortunate guardians come to life in this terrifying anthology from Wild Dogs Productions.

Animation

Chuck Peterson is a young slacker with big dreams. Disowned by his family and ignored by his peers, he diligently pursues his dreams of writing a fantastic children's book to become famous and strike it rich. But due to a bipolar disorder and lack of creative talent, he slums his way through life relying on small time scams to keep himself afloat. When his gangster roommate makes him an offer he can't refuse, Chuck immediately takes the chance to clear himself of all his debts. But things go from bad to worse when the plan makes Chuck a prime murder suspect among a plethora of pornographers and terrorists!

The Minstrel Killer

The Minstrel Killer

Animation

When a series of haunting murders plagues a small Texas town, law officers Tex Holland and Pike McGraw lead the investigation. The murders turn out to be the most shocking and vile acts of sadism to ever hit the once peaceful community. With a dangerous killer on the loose re-enacting slave punishment on his victims, the cops must face their own personal demons as the murder spree throws them into a dangerous world of mercenary hillbillies and inbred cannibals.