2.17.2008

2008 Animated Shorts Nominees

Tonight I saw the 2008 Animated Shorts Nominees! Since animated shorts is what I would like to do someday, it is really great to see what is out there and what captures peoples attention. It would be really beneficial to read why these shorts were picked, but I haven't found anything out there like that yet.

I found this article with info on the shorts here: http://www.ozoux.com/eclectic/archive/2008/02/01/2008-animated-shorts-nominees


Here it is so you don't have to click over:

Madame Tutli-Putli

Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski of the National Film Board, Madame Tutli-Putli is probably my personal favorite, and I specifically like their use of live-action eyes which were painstakingly integrated with the animated puppets.

Madame Tutli-Putli boards the night train, weighed down with all her earthly possessions and the ghosts of her past. She travels alone, facing both the kindness and menace of strangers. As day descends into dark, she finds herself caught up in a desperate metaphysical adventure. Adrift between real and imagined worlds, Madame Tutli-Putli confronts her demons and is drawn into an undertow of mystery and suspense.

(my note: I think it is crazy that they composited real eyes over stop motion. That is what I thought it was, but I didn't think they could...or would take the time to do it. It really gives it a eerie yet interesting feeling. I am still completely confused about the ending. I wonder what the directors had in mind...)



I Met The Walrus

Directed by Josh Raskin, I Met The Walrus takes an interview by John Lennon, and turns it into a fabulously multi-layered animated short.

In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan, armed with a reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced John to do an interview. This was in the midst of Lennon's "bed-in" phase, during which John and Yoko were staying in hotel beds in an effort to promote peace. 38 years later, Jerry has produced a film about it. Using the original interview recording as the soundtrack, director Josh Raskin has woven a visual narrative which tenderly romances Lennon’s every word in a cascading flood of multipronged animation. Raskin marries traditional pen sketches by James Braithwaite with digital illustration by Alex Kurina, resulting in a spell-binding vessel for Lennon’s boundless wit, and timeless message.

(my note: This one is my personal favorite out of this year's nominees. But I am bias because I love John Lennon. The simplicity of the style was a nice balance to the bold message)



Même Les Pigeons Vont Au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go To Heaven)

Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse directed the only CG animated short to be nominated this year. Even Pigeons Go To Heaven is an amusing story of a priest hawking the afterlife created by French visual effects company BUF.

(my note: I liked this one because of the clever ending. I didn't see it coming and it made me laugh. Two things that are hard to do and make for a good story!)



Moya Lyubov (My Love)

Alexander Petrov who created the beautiful short The Old Man and The Sea returns with his signature oil painting on glass animation technique. Moya Lyubov tells the story of a Russian teenage boy searching for love with two very different woman.

(my note: I couldn't believe this whole piece was painting after painting. I was more blown away by the time put into this piece. The story felt slow at the beginning, but by the end I was completely into it.)



Peter And The Wolf

Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman also got a nomination for their interpretation of Prokofiev's Peter And The Wolf.

On the edge of the vast forests of Russia, where wolves still roam, lies a little cottage surrounded by a big, high fence. This is where Peter lives with his grumpy Grandfather. Grandfather will not let Peter go out into the forest. "What if a wolf comes? What then?"

(my note: Overall I really liked this one! I don't know if I would pick this one to win, but I see why it did. It was beautifully crafted and the story was really strong. I feel so bad for the goose and the crow was so funny! The kids glare expression was a little over done.)

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