Marlon West Finds Rhythm and Rivalry in Drum Battle

The idea for Drum Battle begins almost as a single gag short. West first imagines two jazz drummers so caught up in their rivalry that they fail to notice the show is long over, left hammering away as a janitor slow-claps in the empty room. Later, after watching veteran players at a concert, he sees the deeper story: how music and friendship can endure across decades, carrying both the fire of competition and the bond of collaboration.

That inspiration is not only professional but also personal. West’s father, Charles, owns a copy of Art Blakey’s 3 Blind Mice, the first jazz album his son ever encounters. Its extended riff on a children’s song reveals how jazz can transform the simplest melody into something enduring. Family photographs of West’s father at different ages also serve as reference for the artists, helping to shape characters who move from young adulthood into late life across the arc of the short.

The animation reflects that duality of rivalry and friendship. West envisions the film as rendered CG work, but layered with hand-drawn flourishes for speed lines and impacts, a partial tribute to his 2D roots. Lighting, camera, and effects are designed to capture both time and place, to guide the viewer across different eras, while live-recorded music grounds the visual energy in sound.

West frames the themes directly: the love of music, the hazards of ego, and the resilience of friendship. In particular, he wants to portray the bond between two Black men, whose relationship shifts from rivalry to a lasting brotherhood. The film acknowledges both the friction and the care that define that connection.

For an artist who has spent nearly half his life working in the Disney studio system, Drum Battle is a very different kind of project. West describes it as deeply personal, brought to life by a collective of artists from around the world. Some are fully seasoned, while others are completely new to animation. That mix is giving the project an energy apart from his studio work, one defined by collaboration, experimentation, and the joy of building something together.

Drum Battle is currently in production in collaboration with Alex Ross and Andrew Austin at Paper Anvil and Executive Producers Peter Ramsey, Everett Downing, and Jason Marsalis.

Find Marlon here: @stlmarlonwest