After filming, I would run the video cable into the VCR to record the video onto tape, but I would run the audio from a walkman so I’d have music accompanying the video. I remember the November I decided to make a claymation. I told my mom I needed her to buy me some clay, but she gave me a condition. If she was going to buy it, the first project I did had to be Thanksgiving themed. I recall picking out many seasonally colored clays. I created a grand claymation of pilgrims boarding the boats to sail to the new world. Once they arrived, they all unloaded. One of the pilgrims met a turkey and an “Indian”. The pilgrim whipped out his ax and lopped off the turkey’s head. In excitement he spun around to share the moment with the Indian, but accidentally took his head too. Blood went everywhere. All of this was overdubbed with the lovely ragtime music of Scott Joplin.

I was almost twelve when I spent the time and effort making these films that made me appreciate real productions.

Once I was in the back yard waiting for my brother to come home. I crept down to the ground and hid behind a bush so that I could jump out and scare him. I laid really still and quiet on the ground so that no one would know I was there. Unfortunately, I didn’t stay covert for long because my hiding place turned out to be the same spot that a million fire ants chose and they don’t like to share hiding spots. Before I realized that I was in trouble, I had ants crawling all over me and biting me in a frenzy.

I took off screaming through the back yard. I saw the bushes. I screamed past the bushes. I saw the hose. I screamed past the hose. I saw the pool. I screamed past the pool and into the house. I ran through the house looking for my mom, and the whole while ants where devouring me. My mom saw me and put me in the shower to get the ants off of me. I was freaking out. She yelled at me, “Why didn’t you just jump into the pool!?” I screamed in terror.