“A closeted boy runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams.”
That’s the description of “In a Heartbeat,” a viral animated LGBTQ short film produced at Ringling College of Art and Design. The release of 4:05 minute video was much anticipated, with the trailer attracting over 1.5 million views in the short two months it has been on YouTube.
When the full length video premiered, it was no surprise that it had immediate success. The musical score to the short film was funded by a Kickstarter campaign back in December 2016. The goal was to raise $3000 for the composer fee and sound designer fee, with a reach goal of an additional $2000 to fund the cost of a live studio ensemble. Much to the surprise of the creative duo behind the project, Beth David and Esteban Bravo, the Kickstarter campaign closed out at $14,191 after just 30 days, thanks to the support of 416 pledgers who were promised some artistic goodies based on their level of financial commitment.
“In a Heartbeat,” was met with an incredibly warm welcome when it premiered on July 31. The video amassed over 2 million views within 24 hours of its release.
Check out the heartwarming video here. Then share it with a friend, a crush or whoever your heart beats for.
