ABOVE: Watch Fordtacular Spectacular starring an animated Rob Ford. (Video may not be suitable for all ages.)
TORONTO — Just when you thought Mayor Rob Ford couldn’t get any more animated and the controversy surrounding him couldn’t get any more farcical, here comes Fordtacular Spectacular, a short film parody that pokes fun at the embattled politician in a whole new way.
Ford has been brought to life in clay by Cuppa Coffee Studios, the award-winning Toronto stop-motion animation company.
President and Executive Producer Adam Shaheen said he wanted to explore the circus around Ford and drew inspiration from Harry S. Miller’s “The Cat Came Back.”
Shaheen was determined to keep it clever and fun.
“We decided not to focus on the negative side because it’s sort of ‘been there, done that’ by other people,” he explained. “We’ve stayed away from the obvious sound bites and stuff that have been well-recorded. We wanted to stay away from ‘the fat guy who reportedly smoked crack’ but really tell the circus story.”
The sight gags go by quickly, suggesting repeat viewings are necessary to appreciate them all.
“Nothing we’ve done is in any way mean-spirited but reflects on what has happened, alludes to things he has said and alludes to things that have been reported.”
BELOW: Go behind the scenes of Fordtacular Spectacular with executive producer Adam Shaheen.
Shaheen said it took a team of 10 people — including sculptors, set and prop builders and animators — about two weeks to complete the 90-second film.
On average, five to seven seconds of the film was shot each day.
Shaheen said he is disappointed the mayor did not respond to an invitation to visit the studio and preview the film because, “I think he would enjoy it.”
The Ford figures crafted for the film will be kept in storage in case they’re needed for a sequel — but Shaheen said he’s willing to part with one of them.
“He’s done his bobblehead and now he deserves a Cuppa Coffee Studios original character.”
BELOW: Adam Shaheen debuts Fordtacular Spectacular on Global’s The Morning Show.
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