Early this year a couple of Queens dog walkers discovered two guinea pigs under a bush on 80th Street and 37th avenue. I took the small piggies home and life changed for my family. Small Piggy is about a child struggling to find her place in her family and world. When she discovers a guinea pig in the church yard, she is able to step outside herself and her frustration with not being seen. Small Piggy takes over, and as often happens with animals, brings a wisdom that humans sometimes miss. Love is contagious.
This project is for everyone, but certainly for the people of Queens. The original finding of the real Small Piggy was a group effort of a kind group of dedicated people. They awake every morning and patrol this neighborhood with their dogs. Without that large group of involved volunteers, the real Small Piggy might have been missed. He could have starved to death or turned down a dark path. This type of proactive involved neighborhood action is what Jackson Heights is all about. This is a 3 to 4 minute stop motion animated short. The project will be completed by September of this year 2022. Puppets and sets will be captured digitally and edited to create the movie. Queens composer Sheree Clement will create the music.
Julie Jurgens Shea began her career animating the first two season’s of MTV’s Celebrity Death Match. She continued on to start her own media company, working on projects for, among others, Oprah’s Oxygen Media and The American Veterinary Medical Association. Julie created and manages Shea Moving Corp., one of the best moving companies in the city. Current projects include the illustrations for a children's book, and the recurring sets and costumes for PlayOn! Studios children's theater on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Sheree Clement Clement’s works have been performed by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, the Atlantic String Quartet, the Canyonlands Ensemble of Salt Lake City, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, and at the Composers Conference in Vermont.
Her New York credits include concerts at Merkin Hall, Carnegie Recital Hall, and Miller Theatre. Other credits include the University of Michigan, Kresge Hall at MIT, Oberlin Conservatory, Tulane University, and the Tanglewood Music Center.