“Piggy’s Predicament”: cacheBoxes [1998-2001]
“Piggy’s Predicament” cacheBoxes: a pitch parcel, purposely palpable—prospectus pieces packaged in painstakingly produced, props-like cache boxes for pitch sessions with prospective patrons.
A pitted, patinated, partially perished—yet persistent presentation projected the peculiar period and pressure of the Piggy planet: post‑Democracy apocalypse, prolonged Late‑late Capitalism, perilous public life.
Pop the primary panel: packages within packages. Past the parchment‑printed partitions sit the project’s portfolio—Piggy’s Predicament short‑film plan (treatment), practical biz‑plan paperwork, preliminary stills pulled from prototype animation, plus printed “archival” parchment separator pages.
Purpose: to publicize the prospective pop power of the Piggy’s Predicament properties—
- a premiere animated series pilot
- a parade of personality‑pushed, plot‑driven CG shorts
- a “persistent‑world” play experience (electronic game)
- panoramic, planetarium‑style fulldome animation
- plush‑to‑plastic product possibilities (toy designs)
And, perhaps perversely, all of it was prefigured prior to the popular presence of the platforms and production pipelines that would later make such projects commonplace. My crew and I pursued persistent, practical problem‑solving—pushing past punishing parameters to produce polished pieces that were, plainly, past the period’s perceived possibilities.
The project persisted through prolonged, concentrated production, yet never reached a complete, packaged “total” (I was pulled into a professorship at Drexel University). Still, I’m permanently proud of the portion we performed. It’s potent; it persists.
With its particular look‑and‑feel—and a precise, patient attention to conceptual and pictorial detail—the CG demo pieces still pulse with a peculiar, personal pull.
Put plainly: it’s a pity the planet never got the full presentation.
