William David Caballero
Growing up queer and Puerto Rican in the housing projects of New York City and a trailer in North Carolina, I achieved independence through higher education and emotional catharsis through the arts. Even though I now live in Los Angeles, my family continues to live in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where I have watched them persevere in the face of serious illness and loss. Their stories are indicative of the journeys of many under-privileged people of color in the United States, who adapt and thrive to the best of their abilities, in a country that generally ignores their stories.
It is from this deeply personal foundation that I have been making award-winning animated short films for many years about my Puerto Rican family, as a way to process my grief over the chronic illnesses and deaths of my father and grandparents.
I am a filmmaker who likes to tell big stories using small figures, however, I have also explored many other filmmaking styles that incorporate 2D animations, archival, and live action footage. TheyDream is a feature length film, made in collaboration with my mother, that blends innovative animation styles, expanding upon the 3D printed/miniature animation techniques explored in my previous films. Various forms of 2D/3D animation and macro filmmaking bring to life the stories of my deceased family members, while live action 'behind-the-scenes' footage documents my mother's creative journey, healing herself in the process.
Perhaps the most unique aesthetic to this film is how my mother and I transform our recorded
performances, becoming our parents through animation. This is done through two techniques — 2D rotoscoping and 3D motion capture. This process starts by selecting past audio recordings from our deceased relatives to bring to life. In the case of 2D rotoscoping, we record ourselves acting out their parts in front of a camera, whereas with 3D motion capture, our performances are captured through a set of motion capture gear. The rotoscoped footage is then traced over by animators, and the 3D motion capture performances are synced up with 3D photorealistic models. The end result for both techniques is the same — lip-synced animations in which I become my father and my mother becomes my grandmother, bringing to life past moments — an experience that is unique, moving, and cathartic.
The heroes of my films examine what it means to be American, Latino/a/e/x, as well as gender and sexuality. This is sometimes accomplished with humor and other times through somber introspection. Guiding my approach is my creative mantra of "empower, enlighten, and express."My video work champions a new reality, where brown-skinned nerds and LGBTQ+ geeks feel empowered to tell their own stories using their own voice. After all, if we don't tell our own stories, then who will?
The challenges I face are mostly because I dream big. My projects are extremely ambitious, both creatively and technically, and they demand a lot of me, psychologically. I want this film to pay homage to my family, while also pushing myself, as an artist. That is where success lands for me: at the intersection of being able to freely tell stories about my own experiences as a queer Latino, in my own unique way.
