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The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - a poignant short that's worth every second

Mona — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:08 +0000

Perfectly blending heart and humor, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore offers a one-of-a-kind heartwarming experience.

This animated short was crafted by the talented hands of illustrator William Joyce and co-director Brandon Oldenburg under Moonboot Studios. It has already scored prestigious awards such as the Best Animated Short (Cinequest Film Fest), Audience Favorite Award (Palm Springs International Shortfest), Best Show (SIGGRAPH) and a nomination for Outstanding Film Achievements of 2011 in the 84th Academy Awards.

As described by the makers, the short is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. It takes inspiration from the Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz and a love for books.

Morris Lessmore takes the style of a vintage silent film while incorporating top-notch animation. The creators used miniatures, computer and 2D animation along with M-G-M technicolor musical breathing pops of life to the short.

Technicality aside, the story in itself is strong. I personally liked how it has some current events and cultural references making it more accessible to the audience. It tells us that there is always hope after all the bad things that may happen. That it's up to us to start writing a new chapter of our lives.

All in All, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a triumphant masterstroke for the creators. It's emotionally satisfying that's ideal for the whole family to enjoy.

This masterpiece is also available on iTunes.

Swing of Change - 3D animated masterpiece with a message

Mona — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:00:43 +0000

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In need of a good animated treat? Swing of Change is exactly what you need then, something that won’t disappear on you even after the credits end.

This 3D animated short was originally a graduation project for ESMA (école supérieure des metiers artistique, in Montpellier, France) by Harmony Bouchard, Andy Le Cocq, Joakim Riedinger and Raphael Cenzi, but has since then turned into a masterpiece already seen by thousands.

Set in New York during the 1930s, Swing of Change revolves around a racist barber who discovers quite an unusual trumpet. And it is this magical instrument that eventually leads the man to an unexpected change of heart and opening his business door to all, no matter of race. The film tells us that sometimes we have to open our mind and accept change for the better.

I admire how the creators attended to the story line. You would definitely see that it’s well-thought of. The characters are heartwarming and they progress along with the story.

The visuals are simply stunning and more than just a treat to the eye. It could be said that the execution is surgically precise and will, at some point, make you wonder if this is a mainstream animation. From the shaved hair to the ticking clock to the characters, the creators have surpassed quality and beauty with flying colors.

Swing of Change brims with imagination. It’s an exquisite work of animated art that perfectly mixes a compelling story with satisfying visuals.

The Employment (El Empleo) - brilliant short animation by Santiago Grasso

Mona — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:00:16 +0000

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The Employment (El Empleo) goes to a deeper level when it comes to the meaning of the human workforce.

Directed by Santiago Grasso and written by Patricio Plaza, this brilliant five-minute animation produced by Opusbou Animations had already garnered 100 international awards and participated in 190 film festivals.

It tells the story of a nameless working man performing his usual journey to work set in a bizarre world where human beings are used as inanimate objects. This simple yet strong representation convey the tedious nature of each job and how we utilize man power in the modern era.

The film thoroughly explores the subject of human workforce connecting it to day-to-day reality. The filmmakers successfully executed structured images to present a unifying idea relatable to the audience.

Overall, it's a candy treat for the film buffs--great idea and brilliant execution rolled into one. It will delight the eye and engage the mind showcasing clever images blended with social consciousness.

The short film is a refreshing take on animation compared to its main-stream counterparts. It's simple, tight and profound. It clearly showed the involvement of a bigger workforce behind the machines that makes our life easier.

The Employment is indeed a distinctive fresh addition to the genre, proving that it only takes a clever mind to convey a complex message. So sit back, press play and indulge in this highly-recommended animation.

The Revolution Will Be Animated - excellent documentary about free culture, Sita Sings the Blues and Nina Paley

Mona — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:00:07 +0000

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The Revolution Will Be Animated is a twenty-minute documentary created by Marie Lormant Sebag that presents multiple viewpoints on the concept of copyright laws and free culture. It focuses on Nina Paley, the creator of the animated film Sita Sings the Blues which is also available for free download.

The film captures well-selected footages of Paley while talking about the copyright problems that she had encountered while creating the said film. These experiences lead to her new advocacy of allowing free content dissemination to the public domain.

"The more you control it, the less far it could go," said Nina while explaining the reasons on why she allows copying and distribution of her own work. For her, art comes first before money which clashes with Bill Plympton's opinion, another well-known animator featured in the film.

The parallelism on Paley's and Plympton's views provoke an interesting contrast. He believes that a certain work should be copyrighted in order to make profit, because in the end, the bread and butter of each artist is his own craft. Plympton still continues to produce his work following copyright restrictions under the monopoly system while Nina Paley commits to an audience-distribution model.

This "Art for Art versus Art for Profit" idea adds depth to the film and raises questions on how information should really be distributed.

It's a laborious task to fit the copyright and public domain issue in just twenty minutes but by intimately looking from the viewpoint of a single artist affected by this system, the film clearly presented the whole picture.

Overall, The Revolution Will Be Animated is an impressive documentary that focuses on raising a network of issues and providing educated perspectives about it.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

En Agosto (In August) - brilliant and moving short film animation

Mona — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:00:16 +0000

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En Agosto (In August) is a 15 minute short film by Día-Fragma, Fabríca de Películas in asssociaton with Oruga Animations Studios. Released in 2008, this skillfully done in 2D and 3D animation drama had already garnered recognition from renowned film festivals including the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films.

Written and directed by Andrés Barrientos and Carlos Andrés Reyes, the film tells the story of a city transformed by a great flood. A young shaman woman from the future senses a powerful premonition while an old man in the present time awaits the end of the world on a day prophesized by his deceased wife. Though vastly apart by time, the two characters are united by a single vision and reality.

Dark and melancholic are the words that bests describe En Agosto. It's an elaborate film that delves on the realm of memories and the inevitable events. The addition of a magical shaman transforms the film into a complex world where the present is intertwined with the past and the future.

Overall it is a gorgeous film indeed, one that took almost two years in the making. The delicately colored visual palette of the city sets a dark and eerie vibe. Intricate details such as the fluttering curtains in the open window scene are well present throughout. The transitions are also flawless, whether it's the old man's recollection of his wife or the flooded city of the future.

I personally enjoyed the subtle, silent scenes where the anticipation builds up. The short dialogues are just right to shed light to the viewer, but not to force the whole story.

En Agosto is a dramatic and breathtaking film that reminds us of the captivating art of animation. So put your feet up, press play and enjoy this little gem (available for a download on the Vimeo page).

Van Beuren's Tom & Jerry - Redskin Blues (1932)

Frostech — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:00:03 +0000

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Many of you reading this post would mistake the piece of work for MGM's classic "Tom & Jerry", but its not so. This is Van Beuren's Tom & Jerry episode of 1932 Redskin Blues.

This particular episode is high on action, with "Boom-Bang" from guns and cannons (a 1932 Mission Impossible one might say) with the two iconic characters fighting off the 'Red-Indians'. Watching a movie like this nowadays is priceless in making us laugh and relive the good olden days. Nostalgia is the theme for this one!

In their own funny demeanor the cartoon displays the antics of the protagonist and defending one's life by avoiding flying-hammers with the baseball-bat all of course while experiencing success with every single shot. A hilarious moment never falls short in this movie. Being an old classic, there is not much room to talk about graphics, SFX, animations and the likes. Its a legend in its own right with ample fun-watching for the entire family.

If you think the lack-luster animation is a complete thumbs-down to this movie, let me tell you, the music co-ordination is so good that you will wish you were in the movie instead. So, do Tom & Jerry survive the attack by the Red-Indians? Umm, well you have to watch it for yourself.

Uncle Tom's Bungalow - A timeless cartoon for all

Frostech — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:00:07 +0000

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An old time classic coming from Warner Bros, "Uncle Tom's Bungalow", can be only described as all fun and laughter - exactly what the Looney Tunes are famous for and doing best.
With a run-time of 08:33, it is great to see how the environment manages to look convincing with just sketches. On top of that the cartoon features some really epic "characters", from a little kid with the meanest expressions to the sleeping hounds. These little personalities sport varied voice-tones and emotions that words simply cannot do justice.

The cartoon tells a story of Uncle Tom who is fearfully put up at Simon-Simon Legree's "Used Slave Co" and is being whipped at various occasions. Not a long time passes, however, when Topsy and Eva (two little girls) rescue him out of slavery. The plot is quite intense and heavy for an animation of this kind (in fact it is one of Tex Avery's banned cartoons), but a half a century later it makes it that much more important to see.

On a personal note, I really loved the way the proverbial bad guy of the cartoon "Simon-Simon Legree" (pronounced as SEEMOAN-SEEMOAN) looked with a long fine moustache stretching from point A to B, big teeth, large hat and the evilness that oozes out from his smile. Quite a heady mix for a cartoon and enough spice for a good laugh.

If you really want to know what is all the hype surrounding the bungalow of Uncle Tom, then the best way to find out is by watching this old time classic and living through brief moments of fun.

Superman: The Mechanical Monsters (1941)

Frostech — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:00:14 +0000

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Superman: The Mechanical Monsters (1941) can be termed as an all time classical era of the superhero. Like always, Superman is out there to protect Metropolis from the many arch-rivals always trying to destroy the peace of the world.

The opening scene is the typical Superman signature style, with people shouting "Up in the sky", "Look, its a bird", "Its a plane", "Its Superman"! Accompanying this opening scene are drum-roll and trumpets taking you to the old school of cartoon making techniques. What would really catches the viewers' attention is the way Superman is shown in the cartoon. Quite hilarious, at-least when you watch it 60 years later!

The cartoon has the usual "hero-worship" view of the Superman; coming from planet Krypton and in possession of awesome superpowers enabling him to save the world day-after-day. And when he is not wearing his cape and body-hugging costumes, he trots in a geeky look with a suit working as a journalist, under the name of Clark Kent. We all know the story! This 1941 classic is bound to bring all cartoon lovers down the memory lane. It definitely makes me appreciate how far we've come with digital animation nowadays and how much the real story and dialog mattered then and still matters now.

This series of the cartoon follows the escapades of a mad scientist who unleashes robots for the very sole (read: Evil) purpose of stealing banks and looting precious gems and jewelry by the dozens, and suddenly out-of-the-blue the entire Damsel-in-distress scene enters with Superman's love interest Lois Lane being captured by one of the evil robots.

Is Superman able to save his true love? And the valuables? And the money? Will he be successful in defeating the mad scientist and his army of crazy giant robots? Ummm, to find out watch the episode and enjoy a classic.

Mortys - a magical tale of life and death, Mrs. Death

Natalie — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:00:32 +0000

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Mortys is a lovely short story about a little boy desperately looking to spend some quality time with his overworked mother. Growing up in the 21st century is not an easy feat for any young man; now add the fact that your mother is Death herself and you are faced with an entirely new set of family complications.

With it's superb editing, stunning visuals, and some wonderful music compositions, it than comes with no surprise that today's animation has already traveled to and won awards at numerous festivals across Europe.

In the story we are introduced to Mortys, a young boy desperately seeking more attention from his mother. Being Death, however, is a full time job with some serious overtime hours; so instead of having fun with her little boy, the mother has to spend most of her time harvesting souls in the world of the living, filling paperwork, and waiting for her next victim.

Unhappy with the family situation, Mortys builds a system capable of performing all of his mother's work automatically from the comfort of their own house; Mrs. Death, however, is not so convinced about the capabilities of the machine and orders it to be put away.
To prove his mother wrong, the boy quickly decides to launch his newly built program while his busy parent is out taking care of yet another mortal soul. Nothing, however, goes as planned and our main character soon learns that death requires more contact and patience than any machine can offer.

This delightful short film is co-directed by Gaëlle Lebègue, Ness, Mathieu Vidal, Nicolas Villeneuve, and produced by ESMA Montpellier. If you enjoyed it as much as I did make sure to click here and take a closer look at the process of making of the animation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

RabbitKadabra - when a magic show goes wrong

Natalie — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 14:02:59 +0000

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Little Emily is joyfully riding her kick scooter through the streets until, that is, she stumbles upon an unusually looking structure in a hidden part of the town. Trying to satisfy her curiosity Emily enters the failing magic shop, as it turns out to be, where she is quickly greeted by the shop's owner and given a magical mechanical stuffed rabbit.
Eager to see what her new toy can do she rushes to her room and brings the rabbit to life expecting a breathtaking magic show. What she gets, however, is much more than she have ever bargained for.

All in all, RabbitKadabra is a beautifully crafted four minute treat for kids and adults alike. So be sure to take a peek!

The animation, which also happens to be a final thesis project, is yet another proof that carefully planned and professionally executed work does not only come from the animation studios of Pixar or Disney; what it does take, however, is talent and hard work, something that Michelle Czajkowski (illustrator, digital artist), Krzysztof Fus (3D generalist), David Chen (3D generalist specializing in lighting and compositing), and Naomi Chen (illustrator) seem to have. The short already got some online attention and the hundreds of comments where words like 'amazing' 'awesome' and 'beautiful' predominate.

There is certainly some great details and beautiful textures present in the animation; from the playful design of the magic shop, the magical rabbit, and more than unique unicorn. So if you want to learn more about the coming together of all the different elements of the story from the design to shading, characters, etc. be sure to head to RabbitKadabra's official blog.