Gundling, an Eleven-Year-Old, Talks About His Filmmaking
Eleven-year-old Peter Gundling is not only one of the youngest filmmakers of KIDS FIRST! film festival titles, but it’s his third year of acceptance! Fans of Gundling might want to head to the theater to check out “Super Kitten and the Power Pets.”CP: Please tell me a bit about “Power Pets” including where you got the idea for this title.PG: I got the idea of Super Kitten when I adopted my cats. I got the idea for the Power Pets because I thought I should be fair and have other animals as well. I also wanted to do a film about how Super Kitten became Super Kitten and I included the Power Pets.CP: What equipment/computer programs work best for you in your filmmaking?PG: For my filmmaking I use a Panasonic PV-GS80 camcorder that plugs into my Mac through a firewire. Using the program Boinx iStopMotion the computer takes the pictures through the camera. I then import the clips to iMovie and add sound with GarageBand.CP: This is your third year with KIDS FIRST!, how do you feel your filmmaking has evolved over the past three years?PG: The quality of the animation has improved over the years. In “Toys: the Homemaker’s Tale” you can see some things sliding around that aren’t supposed to be moving. “Super Kitten and the Great Cheese Robbery” was my first all-clay film and the animation was somewhat choppy. This time the animation was more fluid and had less things moving in the background.CP: You are still very young, but already have vast filmmaking experience. What advice do you have to offer other young filmmakers?PG: Always be serious about your filmmaking. The story is the most important part of the movie.CP: What do your friends and schoolmates think about your filmmaking?PG: My friends and schoolmates all enjoy my films. Even if they don’t know me too well or are not my friend. They tell me that my film made them laugh or their siblings enjoy watching them over and over on the web. After they see it they ask me, “How did you do that?” and I tell them, but not too many understand.CP: Are you going to continue working with clay?PG: Yes I think I will. I might do a Lego thing or a documentary, but I will continue to work with clay.CP: What do you plan to do next in regard to film?PG: Next I will make “Super Kitten and the Escape,” the sequel to “Super Kitten and the Power Pets.”CP: Is there anything you would like to add?PG: Something happens in “Super Kitten and the Escape,” but it’s a secret!
