While the stories have been passed down from generation to generation, Oneida legends are now being captured and shared in a whole new way thanks to Four Directions Productions.

Following the success of the award-winning short Raccoon & Crawfish, Four Directions is now completing the details on its second short My Home which debuted in October at the Syracuse International Film Festival.

“This is the second in, hopefully, a trilogy of stories that we are going to produce at Four Directions,” said Dale Rood, Turtle Clan Council Member and director of studio operations at Four Directions. “The stories have been passed down from generation to generation. We’re not really sure how far back it actually goes.

“If I had to pick a word to describe the process, it would be daunting, but it’s also so rewarding at times. It’s just amazing to know that these stories that have been handed down are being preserved through modern technology.”

And like other Oneida legends this one comes with a life lesson. My Home is a tale that ultimately revolves around caring for Mother Earth and the importance of working together. And already like its predecessor, the short has won an award.

“We were in the running for best animation, but we ended up getting the director’s citation at the Syracuse International Film Festival,” Dale said. “The directors took a really close look at our film and they acknowledged that it is one of the best, especially with details. That’s a great start for My Home.”

It also speaks volumes about the animation studio and its attention to quality. Although it doesn’t have the size of the major animation studios such as Pixar and BlueSky, where hundreds are hired to produce feature-length animated shorts, Four Directions with its staff of just over 10 employees, produce shorts that are on par with the big animation studios.

Once the details have been finalized, and they are happy with the end result, the short will be entered in several film festivals as Four Directions hopes to repeat the success they had with Raccoon & Crawfish. “Raccoon & Crawfish was our first animation and it ended up winning 18-plus awards and was screened at Cannes in France,” added Dale. “We never expected that Raccoon & Crawfish would be that successful.”