Reason for Math
2010, 97 minutes
Reason for Math was a longer form project which allowed Janzen to dive into some foundational topics as a vehicle for exploring the nature and relevance of mathematics.
While teaching at the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles, Janzen had the opportunity to teach math as well as digital animation classes. Working with an audience of creative young people who typically had a negative attitude towards math gave him the chance to hone his message. He enjoyed the challenge of changing perceptions and helping his class actively take on this new way of quantitative thinking
In 2010, Janzen was awarded a sabbatical that afforded him the time to distill some of the topics in his lessons into a longer format project. Armed with a script and some preproduction preparation, Janzen spent a busy three months assembling nearly all of the 97 minutes of animation for Reason for Math.