Writer/animator Steve Evangelatos studied at the Art Student's League in New York, York University and the Ontario College of Art. His career in animation began as a student (his student film winning the Special Jury Prize at the Ottawa Animation Festival), when he was hired to animate and direct at Nelvana Animated Commercials. After working as a senior animator at Richard Williams' studio in London, and dozens of other studios around the world, Steve founded the Natterjack Animation Company in Vancouver. Between directing projects for Disney, Cartoon Network and various other companies, Steve has busied himself with in-studio shorts, five of which have been screened in festivals around the world, from Europe and Asia to the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

How did you come up with characters for the Cannibalism and Your Teen, as well as the idea for the short?

I based the short on a script written by Dennis Heaton, a writer based in Vancouver. Strangely, the script reminded me of my own teenage years, so I decided to do the voice of Bobby myself. Dennis insisted on being Dad. Dennis still won't lend me the car keys.

How long did it take you to make Cannibalism and Your Teen?

The short was in production for two weeks. That's basically how much time I had before I had to start the next (money-earning) project.

What was the process?

This was probably the least technical of any project I've done. I basically just sat down and drew the damn thing. No board to speak of, no layouts, no sheet timing, no sleep.

What are some of your favorite animated shorts?

Pretty much anything made in the 50's and 60's, be it NFB, Disney, UPA...but even beyond that, there's just so much wonderful stuff... I can't even begin...

Do you have any another animated shorts in the works?

I'm working on a PSA, warning about the dangers of vampirism on girl's swim teams.

What led you into the animation?

Lots of cool people. Especially cool bosses. Either that or my bosses were so tyrannical it was almost cool. Now that I'm a boss I try to bridge the two styles.

What advice can you give to a person wanting to make an animated short?

Show the idea to your friends. If they laugh and buy you drinks, make it and send it to festivals. If they cry, make it and send it to festivals. If they don't do either, find a new idea.
 
Where did you find your actors?

I've used professional voice people, whom I have always sought based on their previous work that I've liked. A few phone calls usually gets me to their agent, or even their personal number. If you've got the ability to do good voices yourself, go for it. It's fun, but you don't get to meet all those crazy voice-over people.

What software did you use to make the short?

USAnimation and Photoshop, mostly. Oh, and Lumograph 2B v1.01