The Last Saskatchewan Pirate (2006) 

Created in my senior year of high school, "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" was the greatest of all my animations. It was shown at multiple film festivals, and earned several awards, including a thousand dollars or so from NFAA, and a $25,000 scholarship offer from the Art Institute of Colorado.
The 4-year Art Institute program would have cost $100,000. I turned it down. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. It is likely that I'd still be in debt over 10 years later, with a near-worthless degree.
"The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" is also the last animation I ever made.
For the full story, watch Chapter 15 of my advanced editing tutorial: • World's Most Advanced ...
But this isn't the end. I still love animation, and I'm already getting back into it. It'll take some time to make up for a decade of artistic neglect, but I will make it happen. One day, I'll start winning film festival awards again.
This animation won the following awards:
• National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) Level 1 Winner
• Rocky Mountain Student Film Festival “Audience Choice” Award
• Denver Academy Film Festival for Youth (DAFFY) “Best Comedic Film” Award
• "Rising Star" award... I forget which film festival it was...
The music, also titled "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate," was written and performed by The Arrogant Worms.