Windsor’s Crissi Cochrane releases animated music video

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From childhood to adulthood, Windsor singer-songwriter Crissi Cochrane has enjoyed animated films and shows — and now she’s put that interest into her music.

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The recently-released video for Cochrane’s latest single, entitled Why, is a fully-animated 2D presentation inspired by the likes of Disney Princess cartoons, The Legend of Korra television show, and Studio Ghibli movies.

“I’ve always wanted to do an animated music video, but I never thought it’d be something I’d be able to pull together,” says Cochrane.

“I’m overjoyed with the result. The response has been wonderful. I’ve received so many messages and comments relating to this song.”

Unfortunately, sometimes in life, love doesn’t have a tidy little bow

Cochrane conceived the project earlier this year, connecting with Windsor artist Delaney Beaudoin — who’s currently a student in the animation program at Sheridan College.

“I put out word on social media that I was looking for an animator — specifically someone either from Windsor or in Windsor currently,” Cochrane explains. “Everything I do is created here in Windsor, and I really wanted this project to be no different.”

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The video’s storyboard — which depicts a turn-of-the-century seamstress reflecting on a star-crossed romance — was a collaborative effort between Cochrane and Beaudoin.

“My concept was that the seamstress is creating garments that come to life around her and enact scenes from her past,” Cochrane says. “It was quite a lot of work to figure out how to tell a story in this medium, because it’s not something I’d ever done before.”

Once the concept was ready, the project needed financial backing. Cochrane initially applied for arts grants, but when those didn’t materialize, she turned to crowdfunding.

An Indiegogo campaign launched in May finished with $7,395, thanks to the generosity of 85 contributions from around the world. The amount generated was more than double the campaign’s original goal.

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Cochrane says she felt humbled by the response. “It was overwhelming,” she says. “I was really surprised that a lot of people wanted to be a part of what we were creating.”

After about 450 hours of animation work by Beaudoin, the single and its music video were released online on Sept. 23.

Cochrane admits that Why is more about heartbreak than her previous singles. There’s a constant yearning quality to the instrumentation, and the lyrics speak of an unrequited love.

Despite the whimsical appearance of the animated video, its narrative reflects sadness: In the end, the seamstress character is alone and on her knees, her suitor only an ephemeral figure in her memories.

“It’s about people who keep meeting at the wrong moment in time,” Cochrane says. “They desperately hope that their love will get a chance to bloom into something special.”

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While the ending may be downbeat, Cochrane says it’s possible we’re only seeing the middle of the love story, with the final outcome remaining unknown.

And if our protagonist has a forlorn fate? “Unfortunately, sometimes in life, love doesn’t have a tidy little bow,” Cochrane says. “I wanted the ending to represent the truth of unrequited love.”

The single Can We Go Back — on the track list of a new EP, which is still in the works.

For more on Cochrane’s music, visit crissicochrane.com or soulcitymusiccoop.com. Follow Cochrane on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook via @crisssicochrane.

dchen@postmedia.com