Τhe awarded, official animated music video for the popular, homonymous Greek song. The song was released, in 2005, in George Hadjipieris’ music album The Lazy Dragon and other stories – Ο Τεμπέλης Δράκος και άλλες ιστορίες.
The music video has reached 8 million views in its first year on YouTube (2023).
Direction – Scenario – Character & Production Design – Storyboards: Panagiotis Tsimpiridis
Animation: Ino Theodorou – Panagiotis Tsimpiridis
Editing: Ino Theodorou
Additional props design: Ino Theodorou – Stella Tsimpiridou
Titles: Stella Tsimpiridou – Panagiotis Tsimpiridis
Music – Lyrics: George Hadjipieris
Orchestration: Marios Takoushis
Song: Doros Dimosthenous
Vocals: Marialena Voulgari
Executive production: George Hadjipieris
Production: O Tempelis Drakos
Director’s note
Ten small crabs (Δέκα καβουράκια) is a popular song among children (of all ages) in Greece, Cyprus, and Greeks around the world, for the past 18 years. It was a challenge to present something new to the kids and not just visualize the lyrics. So, a new character, the seagull, as the narrator/singer, and a plot twist, in an unexpected reconciliation, are presented. Small details urge the viewers to discover new things each time they watch the video.
A small crab that my daughter drew in a picture she made for the song, was the one that inspired the design of the main characters and led the design for the rest. The artistic style was, also, inspired by the animation series we were watching at the time, Paprika (Marion Billet and Baptiste Lucas) and Zig & Sharko (Olivier Jean-Marie) by Xilam Animation, along with My little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Lauren Faust) by The Hub and Karmen Sandiego by Chromosphere Studio.
Making this animated music video was a great challenge and amount of work. But it was also a learning curve and an exciting creative journey for me and my collaborator, Ino Theodorou, without whom this project would, most likely, not be completed. I am grateful George Hadjipieris gave me the opportunity to work on such an amazing project.
Ten small crabs was my daughter’s favorite song for a long time when she was around the age of three, and older, and we have been singing it endlessly! It is no wonder I embraced this project with great affection and love; from the day I started working on the proposal for the competition for the music video’s creation till the video’s completion.
Festivals. Screenings. Awards
Chaniartoon 2024 / Official selection
Pictoplasma Balkans 2024. Exhibition: Imagine Balkans – Member of the selection of the best animated shorts of TAF’s ten festival editions.
KISFFO (2nd Edition). Karditsa International Short Film Festival Opseis / Nominee
MIFA. Annecy International Animation Film Market – Member of the ASIFA HELLAS exhibition
LAGFF 2024 (18th edition). Los Angeles Greek Film Festival / Official selection
21e Festival du Film de Dreux Regards d’Ailleurs – Invited participation at “Filmer la Grèce”
∗Athens Animfest 2024 (19th edition)/ 3rd prize (Greek competition)
STRATOS 2024 Awards. Best music video clip Nominee
∗ICONA 2023 (5th edition). Ionian Contemporary Animation Festival / Honorary mention (jury) & Audience award
TAF 2023 (9th edition). Thessaloniki Animation Festival / Official selection
Animasyros 2023 (16th edition) / Official selection
The postcard design “Ten small crabs. Sweet falls” was included in the first edition of the ASIFA* International Postcard Exhibition.
*the International Animated Film Association (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation)
