* * * bitter films DVD FAQ is here * * *

frequently asked questions

1. Where can I see these films? How can I own these films?/ How can I find a copy of _____?/ Can I give you my money and then will you send me a copy of ____?/ Why don't you want to send me a copy of _____ if I send you some of my money?/ I really liked _____ at the ____ film festival and want to get a copy of it. Can you send me one? And can I send you some money for it?/ What if you just sent me a copy of _____ for some money?

Bitter Films: Volume 1 is now available, a definitive DVD compiling and restoring everything Don's directed, from 1995-2005! Everything will be OK (2006) is also now available, as its own DVD single! Be sure to always visit our headlines for complete theatrical listings for the newest films, upcoming tv broadcasts, new DVD announcements, and related nonsense. In theaters, Don's movies can be regularly found in film and animation festivals around the world.

2. Did you direct that terrible commercial I just saw on TV? It sort of looked like you drew it, if you were maybe partially retarded.

No. Don has never had anything to do with the production of a television commercial and has publicly vowed many times that he never will. Sadly, it seems to be the vogue these days for creatively bankrupt corporate types to rip off his work. This is why you may be noticing an abundance of vaguely familiar yet dreadful looking squiggly stick things on tv hawking Pop Tarts or cell phones. It was weird at first but now it's getting very irritating.

3a. I've seen bootleg copies of these films all over the internet. Why are there no streaming clips or full length versions of the films on your site?

To clarify for anyone just joining us, we've never released any of Don's films on the internet. Any of the shorts you may have found online are pirated copies that didn't originate from us. That's important to note, as the bootlegs are usually randomly re-edited, retitled, and are horrible quality -- you're very likely not seeing them in their original form as nature intended. Movies are not meant to be seen on the Internet. As Don often says, he shoots on film for a reason and prefers people to discover the shorts as they're meant to be seen. Movies belong on the big screen or at the very least on a well-made DVD, not compressed into blotchy little rectangles. Though the web is great for a novelty home video of your cat falling off the roof, it is not really the proper setting for "cinema". It is not just a question of picture quality. Movies are meant to be seen in the dark, hopefully with an audience, and with your undivided attention. Here's Don's 2 cents from our old Q+A area: "we put lots of care into shooting on 35mm, perfecting the soundtracks, and quality-controlling them like vultures so it's always a bit heartbreaking to see them flippantly downgraded into little mono video files by a 10 year old who doesn't know what he's doing. it's an inevitable thing to deal with and we're not interested in harassing fans, i just hope people understand that what they're downloading is the equivalent of drinking a glass of fine wine after it's been filtered through a sewer. it's not really the same wine after that" Freeing animated short films from the murky dungeons of the internet was a large part of the motivation for creating "the Animation Show": a theatrical tour and DVD series that seeks to constantly find new ways to preserve and exhibit these kinds of films in their highest quality possible. Illegal copies of the films also used to be sold on the internet, by men and women with hairy backs and leaking pieces who apparently want to see poor little Don go hungry. They will all burn in a smokey gurgling hell. It will not be pretty. Their eyes will go, gooooosh and their hair will be irritated with the wrong kind of shampoo and they will make sad pouting faces with their little mouths forming perfect O's (as in, wooooooo!) because their skin will be torn into little cracker chunks by big angry bees and the dogs who appear in clouds of mysterious vapors. "Woooooo!!" they will say, "Wooooo, I should not have bootlegged Don's films and now holy god is stomping my ass"

3b. Fair enough, but can I have permission to post one of your movies on mytubespacegooglyvideo? I just want to share them with my friends and introduce them to your work. How can I do this in a way that will not offend thee?

These are the main offender bootleg videos that will always be first to incur our wrath: 1. If the film is being sold outright, or is being used to promote a third party website (ie, has a screen burn-in), it will be removed. 2. If the film is re-edited or cut (ie, credits are missing, footage inserted of your home movies), it will be removed. 3. If the quality is so bad we can't help but remove it for pity's sake 4. If the film is uncredited, credited to somebody else, or renamed, it will be removed. It would also be kind of you to provide a direct link to bitterfilms.com so your friends can learn how to find the films properly, thanks.

4. What is "the Animation Show"?

"The Animation Show" is a somewhat-annual theatrical tour that brings animated short films into more movie theaters than any animation festival in history. It was created by Don and Mike Judge in 2003, and has since spawned a separate DVD series of additional shorts. Don officially retired from programming the Show in 2008, and it carries on without him.

5. Bitter Films used to offer a "gift system" through the mail where fans could support current productions in exchange for some pretty amazing one-of-a-kind stuff. In what ways could I still directly support your work? Does Don have enough to eat?

For now, really the best way to support Don and the new films is to simply purchase the BITTER FILMS DVD or encourage others to do so. By selling this DVD exclusively, we're able to ensure that all the proceeds go straight into the new productions, and not into the pockets of corporate middlemen and third party stores. The gift system was fun, and indeed, everything will be ok was animated entirely on animation paper that was donated by fans. The support was very kind but quickly grew overwhelming and it grew difficult to keep up with everyone; for now the gift system has been retired again.

6. How can I contact Don?

Click here for complete contact information.

7. Isn't there a better way to reach Don? How do I know that Webmaster Dave will even forward my e-mail to him? CAN I HAVE HIS HOME ADDRESS? I want to um... mail him something there. And rape and kill him. Where do I send naked pictures of myself? Don in love with me. He may not know me but we play little game for long time now. MY DWARVES IS MELTING!!/1 gangrene!!

no! you are all scary!!

8. I am interested in buying things from the Bitter Films Shop. Will Don sign them for me?

Sorry, Don is not directly involved with sales and moreover simply wouldn't have the time to accomodate everybody. Don is not a juke box. If you meet Don at a screening and ask nicely he will probably be more than happy to write his name on something. Unless he is spooked by a loud noise in which case he will slap the pen from your hands and bound out of the area like a large deer.

9. How can I get my hands on a drawing or original production artwork from a film? I like to collect things and place them in my nest.

Many animators and studios sell drawings and production cels from their films, sometimes making more money off such pieces than the films themselves. However, none of Don's original artwork or production cels and pieces will probably ever be put up for sale. Instead, years ago we began hosting a series of annual auctions of original production art and rare pieces to raise money for local Santa Barbara charities. We're always interested in doing this sort of thing again and hope have to time enough to restart the tradition someday. We also occasionally give away rare and interesting things in the online shop.

10. I am a film industry sort of person and want to give Don all of my money for drawing me pictures of dancing ice monkeys with cowboy hats. Who are his agents?

Don's not represented by any agency or managers right now. It's best to contact us directly for your ice monkeys.

11a. Is Bitter Films hiring? How can I get an internship there? I will do anything. I feed you good. I steal nothing.

Sorry, we are not currently seeking positions or interns and are currently handling everything okay on our own. We get this question at least once a week. Please do not send us your resumes. Thanks though. If you live in Los Angeles, the Animation Show periodically seeks interns for all manner of embarrassing and demeaning office tasks. Inquire within.

11b. I am an actor man and would like to perform in one of your films. I do voices. I am very handsome. I strut and preen. I tumble around the room in many directions. Where could I audition?

Please do not send us your headshots. I do not understand why so many actors send an animation studio their headshots. Don will not try and draw you. Voice casting for the films is almost always taken care of locally and very quietly, and we almost never hold auditions, sorry.

Don says: most cartoons nowadays are produced by scanning pictures into a computer rather than photographing them, or they're all-digital to begin with. the process can be faster and less expensive, but many artists argue it takes a huge bite out of their visual quality. i seem to have graduated from film school right before the waves of digital production washed over the land, so have only ever been immersed in traditional film production. all the old student films were shot on 16mm and everything we do now is on 35mm. we only use computers for sound production, and only recently for editing. using a computer to animate a film seems like an unnecessary step to me and very intrusive to an organic process. there's a warmth and quirkiness to hand-drawn art on real paper with real light hitting a real camera lens that's difficult to simulate in a computer. there are inherent flaws and quirks in the old-fashioned process that i think are charming and extremely attractive to the brain in a strange way. people are always going to be more attracted to the little human flaws in things rather than to artificial perfection. we're attracted to uneven edges and blemishes because these quirks are what makes the art a little more like ourselves: we can relate to it because the art is a little flawed too. the 35mm animation camera we have now is the same that photographed some of the original peanuts cartoons. my aging friend who fixed it up for me wondered aloud why these days snoopy has to have 3,000 shades of gray across his nose.

13. So how you make them pitchers move?

buh bye!

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