About Cellar Doors

ABOUT CELLAR DOORS

Back in 2010, I lost my job and went through several months without work. To keep myself from going crazy, I decided to go work for myself. In an effort to reconnect with my more youthful artistic side, I learned some animation, editing, and music sequencing programs and created a series of animated(ish) shorts starring me via green screen.

A few weeks ago I tested positive for COVID-19, which raised my level of quarantine to defcon 5 and forced me to retreat back into an isolation I hadn’t felt in years. Given the similarities between 2010 and 2020, I rewatched the short videos from Cellar Doors and realized the videos were more relevant now. Ironically, the project from 2010 centered around isolation, both the isolation I felt from unemployment at the time as well as the isolation I’d experienced as a teenager when I first grappled with being gay.

Given the seclusion we’re all experiencing now, it seemed like an opportune time to dust off the short videos (I mean, talk about captive audience) and (re)introduce them as intended, as a series of animated shorts (3 min on average).

Specifically, next Monday – Friday, I’ll release a video each night at 7:00 PM PST (as the shorts were intended to be bedtime stories). And in the lead up to the main event, I wrote an essay while in quarantine over the past few weeks called, “Chronicles of the Boy in the Bubble”, which serves as my “behind the music” expose on the 2010 project.

Ultimately, I hope this revisit breaks up some of the monotony that comes with self-quarantining. I’ve been here before, and I’m no stranger to the loneliness and boredom that comes with it. Consider the videos and essay my substitute for hugs and kisses in these crazy times. Stay strong, and take care of each other (from a socially acceptable distance). We got this… XOXO #escapism #penguinambassador #cellardoors

Damon