Pastoral
JAY SHINDELL (director) |
| Jay started his feature film career with the Walt Disney Studios, where his artwork has graced beloved animated features such as Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan, Hercules and Mulan. From there Jay went to Warner Bros to animate on the classic The Iron Giant. After a stint in the story department of MTV Animation, Jay went to Industrial Light and Magic, adding visual magic to such films as A.I., Minority Report, Jurassic Park III, and Star Wars Episode 2, and since has added his magical touch to such films as Spiderman 2 and 3, Monster House, I Robot, and many more. Jay was then invited to join the team at Melwood Pictures as a creative executive, where he helped to develop an animated feature, and IMAX film, and numerous live action films and television projects. Jay recently wrapped production as a producer on a live action adventure film, Without Borders, and is currently producing an animated sci-fi feature film, and recently wrote the pilot for a children's television series. |
MAX HOWARD ( executive producer) |
| Max Howard created and ran studios for Disney in London, Paris, Orlando and Los Angeles, working on some of Disney’s most memorable films including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Mickey's Prince and the Pauper, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and Pocahontas. As President of Warner Bros Feature Animation he oversaw such hit movies as The Iron Giant and Space Jam. At DreamWorks Animation, he was co-executive producer for Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron. Max is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He has just been honored with an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Teesside for his services to the Arts. |
THE STORY
Pastoral is the story of a young lady, Jennifer, who works long hours in a coffee shop to support herself and her lay about boyfriend. It’s not the life she’s always dreamed of, but it’s a living, and in Jennifer’s mind that is better than nothing. Intertwined with this story is a second story of a clown and a ballerina, which weaves through the main story. 
Into the coffee house comes Jonathan, the brother of one of Jennifer’s co-workers. Jonathan wants to be a writer. Jonathan is not one interested in earning a good living. He is only interested in enjoying life, and has spent the last few years wandering across the country looking for the beauty in the world; mountains, flowers, the laugh of a child. The clown’s love for the ballerina is obvious, and she enjoys his kindness and humor, that is, until a handsome pirate enters the picture.
As a friendship begins to grow between Jennifer and Jonathan, Jennifer comes to realize that there is much more to living than just earning a living. She begins to understand that she can have a better life, while Jonathan learns that simply wanting to be a writer is not enough. He has to take the first steps by sending in his work, and allowing it to be read. The ballerina quickly drops the poor clown for the pirate, and dances with him until the pirate’s true colors are shown. As the pirate becomes angry, jealous, and ultimately violent, the clown comes to his beloved’s rescue, and ultimately sacrifices his life to save hers. The ballerina learns too late that she had and lost what she dreamed of. But in the real world Jennifer does learn in time how to take the first steps to make her dreams come true.
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Live action feature film
