If Anything Happens I Love You is a hand-drawn animated short film that takes us on an emotional journey of two parents struggling to overcome the hurt left by a tragic event that leaves their family changed forever. Juxtaposing the excruciating pain one can feel with the resilience of the human spirit, If Anything Happens I Love You is a touching experience for anyone who has ever loved and lost.
JEANBOOKNERD PODCAST 2020: SEASON 2 EPISODE 43
GUEST: MICHAEL GOVIER AND WILL MCCORMACK
“When a parent dies, they are buried in the ground. When a child dies, they are buried in the parent’s heart.” - Korean proverb
This film was created for the ones lost, and the ones left behind.
Sadly, gun violence deaths have become mere statistics in our society. Our film hopes to stop the normalization of this tragedy. Because these are not statistics. They are children. While writing and designing this film, we could not stop thinking about the immeasurable loss that these families’ have endured, and we were inspired by the courage it takes to face grief this titanic.
Because one life lost, is one too many. By shining a light on one family, through the power of artistry and animation, we hope to make a real difference with this elegy to grief.
The film extends beyond the confines of gun violence, but wraps its arms around all who have suffered loss.
One of our objectives was to provide opportunities for emerging artists, namely, our animation director and recent Cal Arts graduate Youngran Nho. Youngran so beautifully and parsimoniously captures the pathos of grief.
The film, with its minimal style and leanness is designed to feel and look like grief, soft grays, leek into open white spaces. The negative space in the film was just as important. It had a feeling of the space that can been seen in Japanese calligraphy. What is not in frame is just as important to what is in frame. Color is used in the film to show emotion and memory. When the parents are remembering their past with their daughter, the color comes back but is not fully vibrant because the imprint of the loss is now on the memory.
We see ourselves in the loss, we see ourselves in the pain, and we see ourselves in the way forward. If Anything Happens I Love You is the cry of a generation—the ones lost and the ones left behind.
That is why we go to films. To feel. To feel everything humans can feel. And in the hardest, most awful corners, somehow, some way, we can find grace.
—Will McCormack & Michael Govier
Will McCormack Photo Credit: Imeh Akpanudosen
Will McCormack (Writer/Director/Executive Producer)
Will McCormack is a director, writer, producer and actor. As a writer, Will’s credits include TOY STORY 4, and CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. As a TV producer, with his producing partner Rashida Jones, credits include KEVIN CAN FUCK HIMSELF for AMC, CLAWS for TNT and A TO Z for NBC, CENTERPIECE and FILTHY ANIMALS for QUIBI. As an actor, Will has been in dozens of films and TV shows including THE SOPRANOS and BROTHER AND SISTERS. Currently Will is writing two feature films, one for Disney Plus and the other for Gilbert Films. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU marks his animation directing debut.
Michael Govier (Writer/Director/Producer)
Michael Govier is a writer, director, producer, actor and improviser. He wrote, directed and produced the award winning short-animated film If Anything Happens I Love You with his partner Will McCormack (Toy Story 4). Executive produced by Laura Dern (Academy Award Winner), Produced by Maryann Garger (Lego Ninjago), Gary Gilbert (La La Land), Gerald Chamales (The Irishman). If Anything Happens I Love You won “Best Animated Short” at the following film festivals: Omaha, Sidewalk, Houston, USA Film Festival, and IndieFEST. The film was a “Finalist” at IndyShorts and Palm Springs. The film is an “Official Selection” in 36 film festivals.
As a screenwriter he has co-written numerous shorts. He wrote and starred in the short films Best Friends Forever (“Official Selection” at the Austin Film Festival) and Space for Rent (“Official Selection” at Dances with Films in Los Angeles and at the Catalina Film Festival), which he also produced. As an actor Michael played Eugene in the film Eugene directed by Spencer Susser and produced by Roman Coppola, The Directors Bureau and Blue Tongue Films. He has been on This is Us on NBC, Just Add Magic on Amazon, Alex Inc. on ABC, and reoccurring roles on Conan on TBS. He has appeared in dozens of national commercials, numerous short films, live improvised shows and many stage plays. As a playwright Michael has written many stage plays including The King’s Proposal, which was Highly Recommended in the Chicago Reader and Critics Pick in Time Out
Chicago. His newest play Hamlet’s Dead? has had staged reading around Los Angeles. Follow him on Instagram @drgovier, www.michaelgovier.com and www.ifanythinghappensiloveyou.com
Chicago. His newest play Hamlet’s Dead? has had staged reading around Los Angeles. Follow him on Instagram @drgovier, www.michaelgovier.com and www.ifanythinghappensiloveyou.com
A moving experience for all those lost and those left behind.
Praise for IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU
Netflix delivers 2020's most devastating, heartwrenching 12-minutes of drama
"This minor masterpiece is up there with the best of Pixar when it comes to eliciting emotion and delivering devastating drama." —Stuff
"It is easily one of the most powerful short films of the year" —Decider
"Could If Anything Happens I Love You provide similar hope to a nation torn apart by gun violence? If the attitude that night was any indication, McCormack and Govier earned a few new fighters.——Vanity Fair." —Vanity Fair
"If Anything Happens I Love You came from McCormack's and Govier's desire to not only raise awareness for the fatal consequences of gun violence but also to shine a spotlight on the grief that victims' loved ones experience" —Hollywood Reporter
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