Dec 7, 2024

2025 Oscar Short Film Candidates: -Nate & John' Director Jumaiyusov

Cartoon Brew is putting the spotlight on an animated short film nominated for an Academy Award in 2025.

This article looks at Nate & John from Nigerian-American director Jumai Yusuf. The short story won the qualification of the Academy Award through a theatrical exhibition.

Nate & John tells the story of a blossoming friendship between a client and a barber, unfolding through time while they both navigate the ups and downs of life. For her short films, Jumayyusov traveled to Cannes this year, and the film won the Cultural Influence Award at the American Pavilion as part of a showcase of emerging filmmakers.

Cartoon Brewing: Music plays an important role in your movies, resolving the mood for lasting friendships interrupted by life's obstacles and challenges. How did you work with composer Pedro Osuna to achieve this and what was your inspiration in this process-

Jumai Yusuf: The Movie I couldn't ask for a better collaborator than the composer Pedro Osuna, who took my abstract ideas and made an astonishing score that brought the character's emotional journey to life and pushed the story forward. Music fills the space where there is dialogue and makes it feel like nothing is missing. We immediately agreed with the jazz score, and one of our important inspirations was the anime kids on the slope. Jazz perfectly captures the energy of the barbershop - the art of cutting hair is naturally rhythmic and full of life - and I reflect that music and sa Our sound team, designer Saranya Nayak and mixer Ajeng Canyarasmi have achieved this brilliantly, even while working from different countries. I love how these elements are constructed and seamlessly interwoven to enhance the experience as a unified whole.

What was it about this story or concept that was forced to connect with you and direct the film-

Nate & John tells the story of a lifelong friendship set inside the familiar walls of a barber shop. For me, barbershops and salons are unique, almost magical places where people feel safe enough to lower barriers. They are one of the last spaces in modern society that fosters face-to-face connections that allow people to bond at a basic human level.1

I've been to the same hairdresser since I was 10, which quickly led to the relationship between John and his lifelong barber, Nate. Even after moving across the country to Los Angeles, I still visit her salon to the point that whenever I'm visiting my family back home this is one of the longest relationships I've had in my life, and through directing this film, I feel at the heart of that special role that hair professionals play in our lives, Nate & Co. John is the kind of story that I believe the world needs right now. Superficially, there was no more difference between thisthe story of a healthy male friendship between two people. It reminds us that we are more similar than different, and that only one person can have a huge impact on the whole community.

What did you learn through the experience of making this film, production-wise, filmmaking-wise, creative, or about the subject-

The journey of making this film was that I started teaching animation using Unreal Engine during the pandemic, although I came from a background in 2d live-action filmmaking. So I had a little experience in 3d animation, but Nate & John is the first time to direct a 2d animated short.

When the script came to me, I reached out to fellow USC alum, producer Jean Liu and storyboard artist Dariel Filomeno, to collaborate remotely with artists around the world during the pandemic, independently, outside the school structure together, and to develop Discord's production pipeline. We have established. I want to continue making animated films with the amazing artists I've met and build on the knowledge I've gained through this process.

Can you explain how you developed a visual approach to cinema - why did you settle for this style/technique-

Hand-drawn 2d animation Early on, I was interested in the character design and concept of the video game Gris's artwork, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse? I worked with color designer Kageri Kindongo to create a color palette that reflected each decade as Nate and John's lives unfolded. Our visual development team designs period-specific hairstyles, fashion and interior design to capture the essence of each era a great final look, our team came together in synthesis, where we experimented with effects and texture techniques to create a final, expressive visual style.