Kong Studio likes to weave a good tale while also championing the underdog. Domenico Antonio ‘Two-Ton’ Galento, a boxing hero of his time whose legend has, scandalously, began to fade from memory. At a modest 5’9” and limited athletic ability, his heavyweight status derived mainly from his appetite and, dare we say, gluttony. He ate whatever and whenever he wanted, including on one occasion 52 hotdogs as a pre-match sharpener! Nutritional coaches were not exactly a thing in the 1930s… and if they were Two-Ton wouldn’t have been a fan.
The short is part of a series of original content covered under the title ‘Long Story Short’. In a world where technology and people online are competing for our eyes, Kong challenged themselves to tell a story in under 60 seconds. Could they create an interesting, informative vignette while keeping the end result entertaining and memorable? Kong certainly thinks so!
The script, written by Kong Co-Founder Bill Elliott, had to go on a strict pre-match diet to weigh in as this featherweight short. Bill worked hard to keep the script in shape, light on its feet, and packing a punch.
Kong Co-founder Bill Elliott said of the short and punchy creative process –
“I came across an anecdote about an overweight vertically challenged heavyweight whilst procrastinating online. I was drawn to the story because Two Ton is short and punchy, like our storytelling.
We try to make our work as streamlined as possible. Can we make the narrative more efficient? Is there any baggage, or shots we could lose? I had been toying with an idea for a while to take this to the extreme. How quickly could we tell a story? In an age of decreasing attention span (of which I’m certainly guilty), could we tell it in the space of sixty seconds? These parameters not only posed a creative challenge but could set the rules for Two-Ton Tony.
This is the challenge for our series Long Story Short. Can we (or you?) offer up a fascinating true-life tale at a blistering pace? All short films should be entertaining, but if you can educate at the same time, you’re onto an absolute winner. Now try to do it in a minute!”
The special feature of this animation short is the voiceover provided by New Jersey native resident and friend of Kong Studio, Eric Daviou.
On the challenge of his Voice Over, Eric Daviou said –
“Being from the tri-state area in the northeast of the United States, I’ve definitely come across my fair share of accents. I tried taking some strong Italian American accents I’ve heard around me and added an old-timey 1920’s/30’s twang on top. Being a big Boardwalk Empire fan helped with trying to figure out the right sound for ‘Two Ton Tony’.”