Animated Video: Phish’s Jon Fishman ‘Frankenstein’ Vocal Part Of ‘Dr. Katz’ Spoof

Last year we reported on 2016: A Space Oddity, a short music video/stop-motion video based on the Phish universe created by guitarist/filmmaker/Phish fan Nick Setteducato. Nick has been hard at work on his newest Phish-inspired video titled Dr. Gordz Episode 1: Devotion To A Dream, which we’re pleased to premiere:

The video above is a spoof on the late ’90s animated series Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. Setteducato was inspired by and uses Phish drummer Jon Fishman’s 1988 a capella performance of Edgar Winter’s classic “Frankenstein” he left on manager John Paluska’s answering machine. Setteducato is a New Jersey native who moved to New Zealand eight years ago to work with filmmaker Peter Jackson. If you enjoy his creations as much as we do, like his Lucy’s Place Productions Facebook page and consider contributing to The Mockingbird Foundation.

We spoke with Nick about the video above as well as his last Phish-related video, which went viral and was picked up by publications both here and in New Zealand.

JamBase: How did you come up with the idea for this video?

Nick Setteducato: A few years ago, someone sent me a link to a recording of Jon Fishman singing a solo, a cappella version of Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” on his manager’s answering machine. It must be from the late 1980s, just before their first Colorado tour. It’s just an incredible performance of one of the greatest rock songs ever written. Every riff, every guitar solo, every drum solo – it’s all there. It has to be one of the top five a cappella answering machine versions of “Frankenstein” that I’ve ever heard. The machine even runs out of tape a few times, and Fishman calls back and picks up in the exact spot he was cut off without missing a beat! I was blown away by his commitment to this ridiculous, absurd prank, and I immediately started imagining ways to create some kind of video or animation with the recording as the centerpiece. The concept evolved into this weird twist on one of my favorite animated shows from the 1990s, Dr. Katz.

JamBase: How long did it take to put together? Can you take us through the timeline?

NS: I’ve done a few Phish-related videos over the past few years, and each one has been an excuse to learn some new video or film-making technique. After I posted my last stop-motion video, I started contacting artists and animators for tips about doing a 2D animation, and one of the recurring themes I got was to start with a storyboard animatic – basically, individual drawings for each shot organized into a sequence over the audio. Once I had the timing for the animatic worked out, I began work on the final shots in Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Character Animator, and edited them together in Final Cut. The whole thing took me about six months in my spare time and in between other projects.

JamBase: What did you think of the reaction to your last video?

NS: It was really awesome and satisfying to see that video shared on so many different Phish-friendly websites and all over social media, but I was most surprised when it got mentioned in a few publications here in New Zealand, where I’ve lived for the past eight years. Generally speaking, people here don’t know what a Phish is, so it was really cool to answer questions about them in the local paper.

JamBase: Do you plan to continue making Phish-themed videos?

NS: I’d like to do a series of Dr. Gordz videos, assuming I don’t hear from any lawyers first. But I’ve also been asked to work on a few other music video projects as a result of the Phish-themed videos I’ve done, and I’d really like to try and pursue more of that type of work as a career. My goal is to eventually make a feature film about an amateur bird watcher who finds a secret portal that leads into Bill Murray’s mind, called Birding Bill Murray, but I’m still hoping a wealthy patron will support me financially so I can make Phish-themed videos for a living instead. Either that, or a phone call from Phish’s management hiring me to make their animated life story.