“This Is a Story Without a Plan” by Cassie Shao at 65th ZINEBI International Festival of Documentary and Short Film

Animator and music video director Cassie Shao screened her latest film This Is a Story Without a Plan at the prestigious 65th ZINEBI International Festival of Documentary and Short Film this month. Recognized by the European Film Academy, the Oscars, BAFTA Film Awards and the Goya Awards as a nomination qualifying festival, ZINEBI recognizes superior filmmaking in several categories including Best International Short Film.

Shao’s inimitable style depicts a story of “…two people and an explosion. This film envisions two characters witnessing a constant explosion in different fragments of their lives.” Shao is the director of the Maggie Dave music videos “Old You” and “I’m Not Ready,” which garnered her a Vimeo Staff Pick in 2019.

"Moon Manor" theatrical premiere

Producer/instrumentalist Ricky Berger & lead singer Sean David Christensen take to the red carpet in their finest blues to celebrate the theatrical premiere of Moon Manor. A tender, kaleidoscopic portrait of dying with dignity, the film's soundtrack features two songs by Maggie Dave and was directed by friends of the band Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat. We're so proud of all the amazing folks who worked so hard to make this dream come true. Moon Manor is available to stream everywhere on demand March 11th, 2022.

The cast & crew of Moon Manor celebrates the theatrical premiere, February 25th-26th, 2022. 1) From left to right: Writer/director Machete Bang Bang, actor Jimmy Carrozo and writer/director Erin Granat. 2) From left to right; Back row: Actors Reshma Gajjar, Galen Howard, Roz Hernandez, Jimmy Carrozo, writer/director Erin Granat; Front row: Writer/director Machete Bang Bang, actor Miles Crawford. 3) The cast and crew at a post-screening Q&A, February 26th. From left to right: Writer/Directors Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat, actors Jimmy Carrozo, Lou Taylor Pucci & Reshma Gajjar. 4) Writer/Directors Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat present their film to a sold-out auditorium at Cinelounge Cinemas Hollywood, Los Angeles. (Photos by Lynora Valdez.)

"Maggie Dave - I'm Not Ready" wins Best Animation/Mixed Media at 2021 Austin Music Video Festival

On December 4th, director & animator Cassie Shao took home her second award for Maggie Dave - I'm Not Ready at the 2021 Austin Music Video Festival. Praised for the video's dreamlike atmosphere and harmony between the song and the visuals, Shao was awarded the top prize for animation from a program featuring videos from celebrated artists such as Missy Elliot, The Shins and Mac DeMarco. Lead singer Sean David Christensen joined remotely from Los Angeles for a brief Q&A with the festival after the "Saturday Morning Cartoons" program, where the video was shown shortly before the live-streamed awards presentation. That same afternoon, Maggie Dave - Old You (also animated by Shao) made its theatrical screening premiere at the London International Animation Festival, capping off a week of festival screenings for the artist & the band.

Best Music Video - Columbus International Film + Animation Festival

Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready has been awarded with “Best Music Video” at the 2021 Columbus International Film & Animation Festival. One of nine films honored by the longest running film festival in America, animator Cassie Shao takes home top honors in the music video category. Celebrating its 69th year with virtual and drive-in screenings, the festival continued its revered tradition of showcasing the finest in short form works (narrative & documentary) along with special programming for experimental and animated films.

"Moon Manor" soundtrack featuring "I'm Not Ready"

Maggie Dave is honored to be included in the original soundtrack for Moon Manor, making its world premiere at the 45th annual Atlanta Film Festival this April. Directed by Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat, the film is a day-in-the-life story (in this case, a “last” day-in-the-life) of Jimmy, a man with advancing Alzheimer’s. Choosing to die as he has lived - with intention, humor and zest - a FUN-eral is planned. Along with it, the memories of his past flood through his home in Los Angeles, accompanied by his estranged brother, a journalist, his death doula, and a surreal being. “I’m Not Ready” will be featured along with the film’s original score, composed and produced by The Dream Team, known for their work with Coldplay.

Filmmakers Machete Bang Bang and Erin Granat

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

ERIN GRANAT received her B.A. in Journalism with Honors from the University of Nevada. Her screenplays have been finalists at ScreenCraft and Austin Film Festival, and some of her recent publications include FLAUNT Magazine, Billboard, and Uproxx. Her writing has been supported by Trout Creek and the Key West Literary Seminar, she’s had several of her screenplays optioned, and her short films have been selections of festivals such as HollyShorts. She’s the recipient of the Gorrell Award for Emerging Writers. 

MACHETE BANG BANG received her B.F.A. in Musical Theater from the New School University in NYC. After many years of performing on stage and screen, she evolved to take stake behind the camera as a writer/director/producer/editor. Self-taught, she swiftly began receiving recognition for her work, including being selected for a Vimeo Staff Pick, Napa Valley Film Festival, and premieres in Rolling Stone Magazine, Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, and Paper Magazine among others. Machete is the recipient of the Lindsey Film Festival Vanguard Award for her short film “Confetti.”

Anima Fest Gdańsk - International Animation Film Festival (Dec. 27-30th, 2020)

Celebrating the best in animation from around the world, Anima Fest Gdańsk - International Animation Film Festival will stream their event online this year for audiences in Poland. A diverse program featuring shorts (experimental & narrative), feature films and more, “Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready” (Dir. Cassie Shao) will compete in the International Music Video Competition alongside offerings from France, Spain, Brazil & China, among others.

“Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready” (Dir. Cassie Shao)

Portland Film Festival interview with Sean David Christensen

Earlier this year, Maggie Dave lead singer/songwriter Sean David Christensen sat down for a virtual conversation with the Portland Film Festival. Discussing the making of “I’m Not Ready,” the acclaimed music video created by Cassie Shao, Sean described their collaboration and Shao’s distinctive visual style that defined this memorable work.

2020 Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival - Oct. 23rd to 30th

Cassie Shao’s music video for “I’m Not Ready” will be screening alongside some of the most adventurous and boundary-pushing animated films from around the world at the 2020 Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival - held online from October 23rd to 30th. Featuring award-winning and celebrated music videos, experimental & narrative work, we’re proud to be a part of this show!

Excerpt from the program “International Block 2”

From the festival: "Since 2012, Sweaty Eyeballs has carried the torch of the animation scene in the Mid-Atlantic with independent programming & special events. Now in our 9th year, we have partnered with our longtime friends at the Maryland Film Festival to launch our 2nd international festival of animation. The festival will take place October 23-30, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the festival will be held online in 2020. The festival will open with six original animated music videos set to music by six Baltimore area bands, an international competition of 80 animated shorts, a Baltimore showcase, and remote animator studio tours."​

Shoutout LA: Interview with Sean David Christensen

Sean David Christensen’s latest interview with Shoutout LA. The lead singer of Maggie Dave shares his thoughts on collaborative harmony, songwriting, and the importance of supporting your artist friends:

“I choose to see success through the lens of collaborative harmony, particularly with my career as an artist & producer. Any claim I can make to my ‘success,’ is owed to the trust given to me by the remarkable individuals I’ve had the honor of collaborating with over the years. By emerging together from the creative process with a bold statement, be it a film, song or show, if I’m able to amplify the unique strengths of all those involved while creating something singular and memorable – we’ve accomplished something truly special. You can’t do that on your own.”

36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival - Cassie Shao & "I'm Not Ready"

Cassie Shao's visionary music video for "I'm Not Ready" is announced as part of the 36th Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival! The largest festival of its kind in Southern California, LAAPFF is an Oscar-qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards, and features an exciting lineup of productions by Asian American & Pacific Islander artists from across the globe. Thank you to Visual Communications for their amplification of Cassie's work and the more than 225 filmmakers celebrated across five weekends (Sept. 24 - Oct. 31) for this special online event!

LINOLEUM Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival & Nevada City Film Festival

Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready (Dir: Cassie Shao) at LINOLEUM Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival

Cassie Shao’s brilliant music video for “I’m Not Ready” was announced on two lauded festival lineups this week. At the LINOLEUM Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival, Shao’s work will make its Ukrainian premiere alongside 26 other international offerings in the “Commissioned Film Competition.” At the “Sundance of the Sierras,” the Nevada City Film Festival will host the music video in their innovative online program, complete with filmmaker Q&As.

2020 Pictoplasma in-Isolation

Very proud of our friend Cassie Shao today, whose work was announced alongside 77 cutting-edge international animated shorts at 2020 Pictoplasma in-Isolation. Her music video for “I'm Not Ready” is a stunning addition to this vanguard of innovative and visionary work presented this year. Bravo, Cassie! This year at Pictoplasma, the festival boasts "4 thematic programs full of psychedelic eye candy, virtual popcorn and ingenious storytelling—with many of the international filmmakers staying awake in their respective time-zones to meet you for live behind-the-scenes chats and realtime interaction." It's such an honor for us to be counted among these visionary artists, each joining together from isolation to celebrate the art of animation and character design.

About: Pictoplasma is the world’s leading platform for contemporary character design and art. The project pushes forward interdisciplinary discussion, development and promotion of a new breed of visual vocabulary—from illustration to animation, game to interactive design, urban to graphic arts.

"Dan Croll: Special Delivery" on Spotify

Listen to Dan Croll: Special Delivery now on Spotify! A masterfully curated collection of songs by the acclaimed singer/songwriter, we had the pleasure of recently being included on this Spotify playlist. Refreshed every Sunday, we hope you’ll welcome his eclectic mix of contemporary classics (not a self-serving compliment) into your music rotation!

Fest Anča International Animation Festival, August 27th-30th, 2020

What a surprise to discover this week that not only will I'm Not Ready be competing for the "Music Video Award" at the 2020 Fest Anča International Animation Festival, but we made the front page as well! Created by the visionary animator Cassie Shao, our video will join nearly 300 works from 65 countries in this international celebration of groundbreaking animation. Shao's critically-acclaimed There Were Four of Us is also in competition for the "Anca Student Award." Way to go, Cassie! It's great to see so many other animators we love on the lineup as well, including Joao Gonzalez and his nervous meditation on obsession and isolation, Nestor.

"The official selection of Fest Anča’s 13th edition embraces diversity, offers films from renowned as well as up-and-coming creatives, large Slovak film sections, and the very latest animation trends...The international competitive program comprises a selection of stand-out animated films completed in the last two years, highlighting short films, music videos, and non-competitive screening sections." A unique event with so much breadth of programming, we can't wait to take part later this fall (fingers crossed)!

47th Athens International Film + Video Festival: October 12th - 18th

I'm Not Ready by Cassie Shao joins The Academy Award-qualifying animation program at the 47th Athens International Film + Video Festival this Fall! Championing the vanguard of experimental filmmaking for nearly five decades, AIF+VF is one of our favorite festivals, and we're thrilled that Cassie's vision can join their legacy of bold programming. This year, 2,200 films were submitted to the competition. From these; 235 films from 41 countries were chosen to screen in 2020. What an honor!

VoyageLA: Meet Cassie Shao

Learn more about the creative process of animator Cassie Shao, director of Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready, in this revealing and thought-provoking interview from VoyageLA:

“Making animations about my dreams, and the reality told through dream imagery have been extremely fun. I enjoy creating the otherworldly perspective. As I try to achieve that, I went down the road of mixing and blending all mediums I could think of and capturing the texture of everything I see fit. I find chaos and contradictions the most charming, and they are emphasized continuously more. I do realize that it creates some sort of distance as if examining something very personal from ten feet away, and it steers the audience away from designated emotions; but sometimes with this distance, sparks curiosity.”

Read more from VoyageLA - here.

A Dream Sequence - THE PLUS talks to Cassie Shao

In an exclusive interview with THE PLUS, Cassie Shao reveals her creative process behind the making of I'm Not Ready and the inspiration she finds in her world of dreams.

"I'm Not Ready" by Cassie Shao

Animator & visual artist Cassie Shao has left an indelible impression on our song “I’m Not Ready.” Her handcrafted dreamscapes have been awarded with a Vimeo Staff Pick, richly deserved for the visionary labor she poured into each frame. Special thanks to our production team that helped us shape and realize the music, including Ricky Berger (Mixing & vocal production) and Trevor Case (Mastering).

I’m Not Ready (2019) by Cassie Shao

I’m Not Ready (2019) by Cassie Shao

Directed & Animated by Cassie Shao

Produced by Sean David Christensen

“I'm Not Ready” written by Maggie Dave

Vocals & keyboard: Sean David Christensen

Synthesizers: Mark Christopher & Ricky Berger

Vocals engineered by Ricky Berger

Mixed by Ricky Berger & Mark Christopher

Mastering by Trevor Case