movies/tv Short Films and Discussions

[Fire_Fly 499]

I haven't seen a topic like this one, and it was an idea that I really wanted to introduce. 

 

In this topic, you can introduce a short film or animation that you like, tell us what you like about it, and hopefully start up a discussion about them. My first choice is my current favorite short film: 'The Maker'.

 

 

I like this film because it succeeds in telling a brilliant story in only a little over five minutes, and with absolutely no words. The animation is great, and the music follows the mood from beginning to end. I'm glad that the way the characters are designed isn't traditional, because I feel like there would be some impact lost without that sense of originality. What really brings this film home as my favorite, though, is the way the ending makes you completely re-analyze the beginning. 

Edited January 9, 2013 by Fire_Fly

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

This.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4drucg1A6Xk

 

A Live-action Portal Short could have been so bad but this was just awesome. The game was funny but this really captured what life would be like as an Aperture Science test subject.

[Fire_Fly 499]

This.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4drucg1A6Xk

 

A Live-action Portal Short could have been so bad but this was just awesome. The game was funny but this really captured what life would be like as an Aperture Science test subject.

That ending was such a shock.   

 

I loved the realism of it, and the above-and-beyond aspects that Portal never visits, like living Aperture security, and the more physical methods of dealing with them. I also like the way the entire thing is up to the viewer's imagination. Typically, you'd expect the main character to be portrayed as Chell, but this test subject could be anyone, and breaking away from the main character, even in a short film, takes vision. 

Edited January 9, 2013 by Fire_Fly

[SrFrog 927]

It's mostly the animation, but the lack of dialogue in animations like this, is what ultimately drives the story to find other ways to get that message across. That's what creates a true master piece, the ability to leave the audience with a permanent mark without taking shortcuts.

[Fire_Fly 499]

Here's another wordless piece. One thing I notice in pieces like this is that the lack of music is typically covered by a dynamic musical score. The less the characters say, the more the music seems to say. Also, it isn't easy conveying certain things without words, but both the music and the changes in the way the characters move tell the story extremely well on their own. 

 

[Hansel 1,512]

Being the massive fan of avant garde and surrealist cinema that I am, I sit through quite a lot of short films. Some of my favorite surrealist film makers are Micheal Dudok De Wit, Brothers Quay and Jan Svankmajer.

 

A Japanese director called Tatsuo Sato created a short surrealist film called Cat Soup (a rather long short film), which is hugely under-rated, in my opinion. I watched a few surreal films before this, but I think this is what made me really get into the whole thing.

 

I've written papers on this film, it's absolutely incredible.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZNyP0Htn_k

Edited January 13, 2013 by Hansel

[Fire_Fly 499]

Being the massive fan of avant garde and surrealist cinema that I am, I sit through quite a lot of short films. Some of my favorite surrealist film makers are Micheal Dudok De Wit, Brothers Quay and Jan Svankmajer.

 

A Japanese director called Tatsuo Sato created a short surrealist film called Cat Soup (a rather long short film), which is hugely under-rated, in my opinion. I watched a few surreal films before this, but I think this is what made me really get into the whole thing.

 

I've written papers on this film, it's absolutely incredible.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZNyP0Htn_k

 

There's so much about this film that I love! The art style is classical, which works perfectly with the surrealistic nature of the film. The music is inventive and unique, but still manages to perfectly fit each situation just right in terms of mood and meaning. But I have to say my favorite part of the film was the association between the two portrayed worlds; with one minor occurrence in one world leading to a massive, extreme universal changes in the other, and the way that these changes are emphasized really makes them stand out. 

[FancyPhoenix 197]

I'm not sure if this really counts, because it's really not a "film" but I really like it. I think it's cool how they've made it seem so realistic, even though it's just an animation. It looks like something that could actually be built in real life. I really can't explain it, that's just... cool

[Fire_Fly 499]

I'm not sure if this really counts, because it's really not a "film" but I really like it. I think it's cool how they've made it seem so realistic, even though it's just an animation. It looks like something that could actually be built in real life. I really can't explain it, that's just... cool

 

I liked it. It took the concept of ordinary items and completely warped it into a perfect instrument. I'm sure there are some parts of that machine that could be built in real life with time, patience, and lots and lots of metal balls, but it's still an interesting idea, well put together, and creatively arranged. It even cleaned up after itself!   

[An Old Head 4,816]

Here's my all-time favourite.

 

This is such a sweet short film. I could write paragraphs about how genius and heartfelt it is. But believe me, watching it does more than a wall of text.

[Fire_Fly 499]

This film is a close runner-up for the title of my favorite. It tells a relatable, simple story, re-imagined in a clever way. The animation style fits the music and plot perfectly, and the film uses just enough symbolism in just enough places to convey what needs to be conveyed without completely swamping the audience in meanings and distracting them with too much representation. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTdzCAGH3lU

Edited January 16, 2013 by Fire_Fly

[Hansel 1,512]

This film is a close runner-up for the title of my favorite. It tells a relatable, simple story, re-imagined in a clever way. The animation style fits the music and plot perfectly, and the film uses just enough symbolism in just enough places to convey what needs to be conveyed without completely swamping the audience in meanings and distracting them with too much representation. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTdzCAGH3lU

 

I LOVE this film, it was actually based off "The Mysterious Geographical Explorations of Jasper Morrello", which is also amazing. It's funny you should post it, I was actually just thinking about it.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vORsKyopHyM

 

I'm pretty sure the aesthetics were inspired by Lotte Reiniger's work.

Edited January 16, 2013 by Hansel

[Fire_Fly 499]

I LOVE this film, it was actually based off "The Mysterious Geographical Explorations of Jasper Morrello", which is also amazing. It's funny you should post it, I was actually just thinking about it.

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure the aesthetics were inspired by Lotte Reiniger's work.

 

I've never seen this one before, but it just became an instant favorite of mine! I'm not typically fond of short films with dialogue, because more often than not, the writing and/or voice acting detract from the good points of the film. I'm happy to say that wasn't the case here. The writing was brilliant, and the voice acting was on par with some of the more well-made full length animated films. 

[An Old Head 4,816]

Now, I posted in this thread before going to see Wreck-it Ralph, and subsequently Paperman. Kiwi and Paperman are now tied for my all-time favourite short films. Paperman is a celebration of Disney with a unique love story, fab animation and outstanding music; Kiwi is a bittersweet and truly touching tale of blind hope, ambition and saying no to limits. Screw Paperman having the Oscar, they both should have one.

Edited March 22, 2013 by Flipturn ツ

[Fire_Fly 499]

Now that I've introduced my potential favorite short films, here's one that gave them fierce competition for those spots: The Backwater Gospel. 

 

 

I'm not typically fond of short films that rely on dialogue, but this one uses it in a way that seems to make it necessary. There are no unnecessary lines; every character who speaks says something meant to further your thought on the film's messages. And while on the subject of messages, this film has quite a few of them, which are all crystal clear by what I think is an amazing ending. 

Edited June 20, 2013 by Fire_Fly

[Princess Snowwie 126]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuOvqeABHvQ&list=FLdW9virDTklo1MP8Wz3k_oQ&index=29 

 

this is one of my favorite short films due to the comedy and animation techniques and comedy. I also enjoy that this film takes animation to a whole new level which was awesome!!!! ( this video is for 13 + due to language  and suggestive themes)

[Hansel 1,512]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuOvqeABHvQ&list=FLdW9virDTklo1MP8Wz3k_oQ&index=29

 

this is one of my favorite short films due to the comedy and animation techniques and comedy. I also enjoy that this film takes animation to a whole new level which was awesome!!!! ( this video is for 13 + due to language  and suggestive themes)

 

I LOVE Don Hertzfeldt! I went to Annecy Animation Festival the other week, and aside from a whole load of feature length films, there was also a ton of shorts. One of the films they showed was this:

 

Edited June 22, 2013 by Hansel

[Fire_Fly 499]

I LOVE Don Hertzfeldt! I went to Annecy Animation Festival the other week, and aside from a whole load of feature length films, there was also a ton of shorts. One of the films they showed was this:

 

 

....I don't think I'll ever look at a balloon the same way again.  

 

I love the animation style in Hertzfeldt's films; it's really simple, but immersive at the same time. What I really love about his work is the way it challenges normality by presenting seemingly weird things and making them seem somehow normal to the characters involved. 

[SparkBrony 379]

One of my favorite short films is Snowdrop! Double Rainboom! Pockets. To say the least, it's pretty awesome: 

 

http://www.danieldaniel.us/WORK/Pockets.html (it's not on youtube, so watch it here)

 

The special effects, the storyline, it's all amazing, I highly encourage checking it out

[Fire_Fly 499]

One of my favorite short films is Snowdrop! Double Rainboom! Pockets. To say the least, it's pretty awesome: 

 

http://www.danieldaniel.us/WORK/Pockets.html (it's not on youtube, so watch it here)

 

The special effects, the storyline, it's all amazing, I highly encourage checking it out

 

Clever. I see it as one of those "What If Something Happens With Things People Trust" scenarios, like Stephen King's book, 'Cell.' Everyone carries a cell phone, and a pulse across a city made those cell phones into death traps.